Which of the foundations of morality underpin the Nine Values for Australian Schools?
I was surprised to realise which theme was missing from the curriculum statement.
| Value | Harm/ care | Fairness/ reciprocity | Ingroup loyalty | Authority/ respect | Purity/ sanctity |
| Care and compassion. Care for self and others |
Y | ||||
| Doing your Best. Seek to accomplish something worthy and admirable, try hard, pursue excellence. |
Y | ||||
| Fair Go. Pursue and protect the common good where all people are treated fairly for a just society. |
Y | ||||
| Freedom. Enjoy all the rights and privileges of Australian citizenship free from unnecessary interference or control, and stand up for the rights of others. |
Y | ||||
| Honesty and Trustworthiness. Be honest, sincere and seek the truth. |
Y | ||||
| Integrity. Act in accordance with principles of moral and ethical conduct, ensure consistency between words and deeds. |
Y | ||||
| Respect. Treat others with consideration and regard, respect another person’s point of view. |
Y | ||||
| Responsibility. Be accountable for one’s own actions, resolve differences in constructive, non-violent and peaceful ways, contribute to society and to civic life, take care of the environment. |
Y | ||||
| Understanding, tolerance and inclusion. Be aware of others and their cultures, accept diversity within a democratic society, being included and including others. |
Y | Y |
Haidt’s group report that Ingroup-loyalty is the theme which is most clearly linked to political alignment and religious practice. Republican (conservative) voters place higher stress on group loyalty than Democrat (liberal) voters.
So why did the writers omit loyalty, group cohesion and patriotism? Did they just fail to agree? Or was it omitted because it would be controversial?
References
Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs 2005, National Framework for Values Education in Australia. http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/Framework_PDF_version_for_the_web.pdf
Haidt 2010, Moral Foundations Theory, Virginia University, blog available at http://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/mft/index.php
Haidt’s presentation at TED conference in 2008 available at http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html