The Death of Character
Book Review of Author James Davison Hunter
The Death of Character by James Davison Hunter [Basic Books, 2001] is an account of the decline of moral education in modern day America. Hunter looks at moral education and its role in a day when there is not good or evil. He claims that when this type of culture died, character went with it.
Strategies for Moral Training
He begins with a discussion of morals and the shift of the meaning of Character from ‘good and bad’ to "personality". According to Hunter, three strategies are prevalent in moral training: the psychological, the neoclassical and the communitarian. The psychological strategy is based on the assumption that all have the capacity to be good. The neoclassical strategy focuses on virtues and the communitarian strategy focuses on the importance of experience in the moral education process.
The Role of Culture in Character Training
Hunter explains how culture ties into character training. He emphasizes that character is a social convention and that if the entire culture does not reaffirm the values that are being taught to the children, morals will continue to die. Hunter explains that the American drive to become diverse and accepting of every culture has quite successfully disintegrated any specific moral appeal.
Hunter goes on to discuss the psychological regime that explains the fact that how people reason out their choices decides how morally developed they are, and not the actual choice. The goal of the psychological regime is the promotion of self-esteem. The neoclassical and communitarian are the alternatives to this. The neoclassical strategy emphasizes a universal moral law that is acquired through habit, and the communitarian strategy focuses on the experiences within the community that create morality. Hunter also analyzes different faith communities by saying that Protestants especially are changing right along with the psychological regime. According to Hunter, the Catholics and Jews are the closest to a closed moral culture that promotes character.
Contemporary Moral Education
He then shows how contemporary moral education, no matter which regime one takes, has failed. Hunter explains that there are many moral cultures, including theists, conventionalists, humanists, utilitarian, and expressivists. His findings in a study he explains, show that the theists are the most moral. Even so, the most promoted culture is the expressivists, who look at their feelings and promote self-esteem.
He concludes his argument by explaining that the schools are trying to come up with inclusive, universally accepted values. Even though this is an attempt at bring back successful moral education that does not offend any one group of people, it renders those who teach them silent when confronted with questions on why something is moral or not. He explains that American culture has continued to change, and one does not know where it may yet lead us. The only chance of teaching true moral values to our children is to create a culture in which moral values are affirmed by the entire culture.
This book is very fatalistic, yet contains many truths. When reading this book, one is led to think, yes, that is correct, but there is no hope offered. Hunter just explains that there is no hope, and then proves it. He explains that although society wants morals and character without having to hold a specific personal conviction, that cannot happen. Society basically wants a moral culture without any limits and that will not work. In order to have a moral culture in which the children follow ethical guidelines, Hunter argues that everyone must revert back to a religious culture of morals and character.
Teaching Morals to Today's Children
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