Volume 1, Issue 6

The moral education of military leaders in service academies was traditionally viewed as an integral aspect of effective military training. The method used at the United States Naval Academy relied upon a Kantian notion of principle-based reasoning. Yet as we enter the twenty-first century this model does not adequately address the needs of a mixed-gender peacekeeping force. The model that I propose relies on the acceptance of duty and obedience (i.e., justice) and the cultivation of reflective concern for individual choice and responsibility (i.e., caring). The practical manifestation of this balance is demonstrated through the explanation and justification of the case study approach to moral reasoning, role of mentoring, and the cultivation of moral sentiments. The latter goal of emotional attachment to moral decision making is, perhaps, the most important element to the current program at USNA. Professor Donovan was contacted about this research.

Victor Worsfold's excellent article (2000) in this journal directs our attention to the importance of educating citizens to become moral citizens and suggests what this might involve for students. To this end, he reminds us of Martha Nussbaum's work, particularly her Cultivating Humanity (1997), and explores the ethical implications underlying the three characteristics of the educated citizen she puts forward -- the ability to engage in self-critical examination, allegiance to the ideal of world citizenship, and development of the narrative imagination. Students who successfully pursue these objectives, Worsfold argues, are better prepared "to be morally educated for life."

The college and character movement re-imagines the purpose of college, urging higher education to balance knowing and being. In taking this stance, college and character is postmodern in philosophy and practice. It stands in contrast to the modern worldview, which has dominated higher education since at least the end of World War II. In this manuscript we discuss postmodern attributes of the college and character movement, and assert that fusion models are relevant for advancing the movement. Fusion models are fueled by the power of "and." They fuse seemingly incompatible outcomes, such as making a good living and living a worthwhile life. We offer The Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program at Michigan State University as an example of a postmodern fusion model in higher education.