Morality begins at school --
The idea that morality is taught or could be taught at home is fairly absurd. Very few people have even the slightest knowledge of morality. They claim the 10 commandments, but almsst no one can name the ones that deal with morality rather than theology.
Morality concerns relatioships and duties among people, and the conflicts between human duties and duty to God if one believes in it.
Most homes and churches teach a stilted, bogus pseudo-morality that says obey the strongest (otherwise He will hurt you) and look after your own soul (whatever that is).
Schools (like Chrysippus, Plato, Aristotle, and Epictetus taught) formed decent thinking men who could reason on right and wrong, live in the same universe with tyrants, and, on occasion, be happy. Such schools soon became teachers of hypocrisy and prudence (much the same thing) -- when shall we lie and when tell the truth? Today, if a teacher were fool enough to teach consistent morality, he would be hounded out of town or imprisoned for corrupting the young. Of course, that's what happened to Aristotle and Socrates. |
