The Relationship of Narrative, Virtue Education, and an Ethic of Care in Teaching Practice

Abstract

This paper is a philosophical examination of the role of narrative in moral education. We argue that narrative, conceived of as a moral educational practice and not as a method, is an indispensable element of both caring moral education and virtue education. We begin by explaining the distinction we make between moral educational method and moral educational practice. Then, we outline the concept of narrative, drawn from Ricoeur and Bruner, that we seek to draw upon. After briefly outlining both care theory and virtue education we demonstrate the value of narrative to these two divergent paradigms.Keywords: Narrative; virtue education; care theory