Educating Whole People: A Response to Jonathan Cohen

Abstract

Jonathan Cohen reminds us that a genuine education — an education for whole persons — must address social, emotional, and ethical issues, as well as academic. In doing so, he provides readers with a useful review of research and policy in the relevant areas. Most readers will agree that development of the whole person is important for both individuals and their society, but we may disagree on how and where this should be accomplished. I agree with Cohen that schools should be engaged in this form of education, but I want to raise a few questions about how to proceed. Cohen seems to favor what some character educators call a whole-school approach over courses designed specifically to address social, emotional, and ethical competencies. I agree that all teachers, in all subjects, should be involved in this work. We should say a bit more, however, about why the wholeschool approach is to be preferred. Schools have long practiced the “add-acourse” approach to meeting newly identified needs, and sometimes — as in driver training — that approach is exactly right. But any competency, skill, problem, or attitude that is fundamental to a fully human life should appear somehow in everything we teach. We have to show how it is possible to include social, emotional, and ethical learning in all curricular and extracurricular activities. Cohen discusses the possibilities in existing language arts, social studies, history, and arts courses, but these issues should also appear in mathematics and science classes. There are biographical and historical examples, such as the dispute between Leibniz and Newton over the invention of calculus, that can be used effectively in discussing ethical issues. Many examples can also be found in current events — for example, the recent fraudulent activity of a stem cell researcher. However, it isn’t just a matter of constructing lessons from a collection of cases. Perhaps even more important is the willingness of teachers to discuss social and ethical issues that arise in the everyday work of teaching and learning. Mathematics and science classes are especially significant places for this