Should Moral Values Be Taught in Schools?

Should Moral Values Be Taught in Schools

The Renaissance or rebirth of the Greco- Roman era, a period in time in which all aspects of the humanities flourished. It was also during this time period in which the majority of the humanists deemed the “greatest” were produced. From the Lorenzo de Medici to Raphael, these greats were extremely well rounded and had great moral values. As a foundation for their success and moral values, they benefited greatly from the writings and teaching of their Greek and Roman predecessors as well as the Bible. This is present in Raphael’s renaissance painting the School of Athens. He pays homage to those who came before him by incorporating Greek philosophers such as Plato, and even some of his Renaissance colleagues like Michelangelo into the painting.

Now as we come back to the time in which we live, where can we say that we learned our moral values? We as Americans have lost sight of many of our moral values. A huge debate has been raised as to whether moral values should be taught in school. Most people would argue that the teaching of moral values be taught in the home by the parents and should not be the responsibility of others. I personally feel that moral values should be taught in school. By teaching moral values in school, there will be much success gained by doing so. Also, I feel that as a way to increase moral values, students should have to read the literary works of the Greek philosophers and Renaissance artists as well. Reading which is very important will definitely help us become better persons because it will open our minds to more than just what we have in front of us. Many of the humanists during the renaissance benefited from reading ancient roman literature and I feel that we can do the same.

First of all, I feel that moral values should be taught in schools because we as Americans have lost sight of many of our moral values. For example, we have lost the family structure. We no longer gather at the dinner table at night for dinner. Instead we prefer to eat out or in front of the television. In the days of the renaissance the family was very important to one’s moral values. When we look at family we can examine the Medici family who was a well rounded banking family where the actual idea of family was a very important moral value. In today’s society, this is almost null and void so if this is taught in school, hopefully