The Question of the Possibility of Moral Education

Jan Payne

The purpose of this article is to inquire into the possibility of teaching ethics. Hermeneutics appears to be central to this task. In order to both comprehend and influence one’s neighbor, it is necessary to determine the „joint points“ of any communication and these points ought to be of a transcendental nature, since separate discourses would otherwise have nothing in common; conscience plays an important role in such transcendental anchoring. The sole firm point is the possibility of freedom being equal in all persons. The way to promote freedom is to enhance affectivity as its background, which is the formal condition of guiding somebody towards a moral conduct.