Educating Moral Individuals:The Objective Of Durkheim’s Moral Education

Moral education theory is one of Durkheim’s core theories.This theory has both a theoretical interpretation of the moral system and a discussion on the practical level of moral education.Against the background of the serious anomaly of French society at that time,Durkheim proposed the concept of constructing a new moral theory,hoping that the new moral theory could affect the reconstruction of French social order.Although Chinese academic circles discuss Durkheim’s theory from a social level,we can’t deny the personal concern in Durkheim’s moral education theory.Durkheim clearly realized that the key to resolving the conflict between individuals and society in French society was not to restrain the development of individual freedom,but to cultivate individuals with moral consciousness.Durkheim believes that individuals should have a general sense of morality:the spirit of discipline,attachment to groups,and autonomy or self-determination.Disciplinary spirit manifests itself as an individual’s adherence to moral norms and authority.The key lies in making individuals aware of their own limitations;attachment to a group manifests itself as an individual’s attachment to the society to which it belongs;autonomy or self-determination manifests itself as an individual’s rational understanding and obedience to morality and the ultimate goal is becoming a rational moral individual,which is the key to Durkheim’s moral education theory.At the same time,Durkheim attached great importance to the role of education.He believed that education was the most effective way to cultivate moral individuals,and school education was the best intermediary.School teachers and school punishment can cultivate children’s respect and obedience to discipline;the school environment and teaching content can cultivate students’ attachment to the group,and then up to a sense of attachment to society;scientific teaching can guide children to rationally understand society and morals.Therefore,Durkheim hoped to cultivate individuals’ rational active obedience to moral norms through moral education,to help individuals understand their own limitations,to guide individuals to find themselves on the premise of their own limitations,and to realize their rational freedom on the basis of abiding by norms and relying on groups.Durkheim,s theory of moral education is not a theory that ignores the individual and only emphasizes society,but rather a theory that cherishes the development of human nature.Therefore,an in-depth analysis of Durkheim’s classic texts and an active search for individualistic logic in Durkheim’s theory of moral education are the focus of current research.This article takes Durkheim’s classic text as the original material,reinterprets Durkheim’s moral theory thoughts,and explores his moral theory thoughts on the individual autonomy development.