Ali Azam

Metaphysics and Character Education; Towards a New Model Based on Primordial Morality 

In the 21st century the world has been embraced by most as a global community. Although humanism has had a long journey, many people would think that perhaps the 1948 declaration of human rights has been the best contribution that can promote equality, fairness and human dignity, and they would consider liberal democracy to be the best system. The above claims are made regardless of the disparity and economic divide which is continuing to grow in the world. More than two thirds of the world’s population suffers from poverty and illiteracy.  Whether in theocracy, dictatorship, democracy or any other governmental systems, the unprivileged are neither treated with fairness nor dignity.

Retrospectively, Humanism has made a long journey. In this great journey we have had great thinkers like Socrates, Plato and in particular, Aristotle, with his theory of virtue ethics, who have taught us novel ideas about how to enrich humanism. Further modern contributions include Kant, in particular, with his Deontic Ethics. But man have evidently moved on from the ideals provided by such ethical theories: perhaps he conceives of himself as evolved. Many other ethical theories have been produced since the time of those thinkers including utilitarianism and consequentialism. Such moral theories were developed in the wake of intellectual ideas such scientism, enlightenment, romanticism, evolutionism and existentialism. As a result we witnessed the emergence of radical literalist religious interpretations, militant secularist humanism and various forms of rampant relativism. The question is what we should do as decent human beings with regards to the state of the world at present. Can and should we all live together? Is the coexistence of all such extreme polarities possible, and if so, would it be desirable? My aim in this paper is to try to provide some answers to the above questions. I approach these questions from a particular point of view which I call a non relative primordial morality and non relative humanism. This approach heavily relies on Aristotle's virtue ethics. The upshot of the arguments of my dissertation is that to make the present world a better place for all, we need to instil an appreciation of moral virtues in all individuals specifically children.