Module 3
Four Types of Character
Education
Supporting by Philosophical
and Scientific Theories
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL
AUTONOMY
Prudential
Education
Social
Education
Moral Education
Cultural
Education
Civic
Education
HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
These types of education that constitute character education when combined were drawn
from Moral Education for Americans by Robert Heslep and published by Praeger in 1995
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
PersonalValues
Centered
ReciprocalRelationship
Centered
UniversalPrinciples
Centered
ResponsibleCitizenship
Centered
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
Developed by Gordon Vessels ©
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
A Morality of
Contemplation
Free Choice
Conation
A Morality of
Consonance
Cooperation
Conscience
PROCESS-ORIENTED PROGRESSIVES
CONTENT-ORIENTED TRADITIONALISTS
A Morality of
Conviction
Inculcation
Commitment
A Morality of
Comradery
Conformity
Connection
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
Developed by Gordon Vessels ©
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
Freedom
Creativity
Competition
Self-Regulation
Maturation
Facilitation
Cooperation
Participation
Progressive Methods and Outcomes
Traditional Methods and Outcomes
Motivation
Inspiration
Habituation
Indoctrination
Obligation
Inculcation
Socialization
Transmission
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
Developed by Gordon Vessels ©
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
Political
Philosophy
Liberal Arts
Creative Arts
Social
Psychology
Psychobiology
Psychology
PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION
TRADITIONAL EDUCATION
Moral
Philosophy
Theology
History; Ethics
Sociology
Cultural
Anthropology
Political Science
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
Developed by Gordon Vessels ©
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
Liberalism
Individualism
Eudaimonism
Libertarianism
Ethical Egoism
Moral Emotivism
Moral Subjectivism
Rights-Based Ethicism
Moral Agency
Civic-Liberalism
Social Liberalism
Social Constructivism
Rational Utilitarianism
Deontological Ethicism
Affective and Cognitive
Developmentalism
Related Philosophies, Types of Scientific
Study, and Philosophical Descriptors
Sectarianism
Virtue Ethicism
Moral Dogmatism
Moral Objectivism
Moral Determinism
Moral Universalism
Moral Authoritarianism
Moral Foundationalism
Collectivism
Civic-Liberal
and Post-Liberal
Communitarianism
Moral Socialization
Teleological Ethicism
Contractarian Ethicism
Act & Rule Utilitarianism
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
Developed by Gordon Vessels ©
Human Nature Good
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
Epicurus
Socrates
Protagoras
Benedict Spinoza
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
J. Paul Sarte; John Locke
Isaiah Berlin; John Rawls
Adam Smith; Ann Rand
John Stuart Mill; Alfie Kohn
Theodore Sizer
Mencius
Rene Descartes
Immanuel Kant
Henry Giroux; David Hume
W.D. Ross; William James
John Wilson; Elliot Turiel;
Josiah Royce; John Dewey
Martin Hoffman; Paulo Freire
Jean Piaget; Jerome Kagan
Lawrence Kohlberg;
William Damon; Erik Erikson
Associated Philosophers
and Scientific Theorists
Aristotle
Plato; Confucius
St. Thomas Aquinas
Christina Hoff Sommers
Kevin Ryan; E.D. Hirsch
Stanley Hauerwas
Thomas Lickona
William Kilpatrick
Arthur Schwartz
Thomas Green; Ed Wynne
William Bennett; Allan Bloom
Georg W. Hegel
Emile Durkheim
Cicero; Epictetus
Jeremy Bentham
Alasdair MacIntyre
Lawrence Kohlberg
Alexis de Tocqueville
Thomas Hobbes; S. Freud
James Q. Wilson; Karl Marx
Jean Elshtain; Robert Taylor
Amitai Etzioni; Peter Benson
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
Human Nature Bad
The quadrant placements of these theorists and advocates for character-building were made by
Dr. Gordon Vessels based on his current and limited understanding of their work. Further study and/or
feedback from those still living and other experts could reveal misplacements, which will be corrected.
FOCUS on INDIVIDUAL & BELIEFS
FOCUS ON AUTONOMY
Epicurus
Socrates
Protagoras
Benedict Spinoza
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
J. Paul Sarte; John Locke
Isaiah Berlin; John Rawls
Adam Smith; John S. Mill;
Paulo Freire; Ann Rand;
Theodore Sizer; Alfie Kohn
Mencius
Rene Descartes
Henry Giroux; Elliot Turiel;
John Wilson; David Hume
T. Jefferson; William James
Immanuel Kant; W.D. Ross
Josiah Royce; G. H. Mead;
John Dewey; Martin Hoffman
Jean Piaget; Jerome Kagan
Lawrence Kohlberg; William
Damon; Erik Erikson
Aristotle
Plato; Confucius
St. Thomas Aquinas
Christina Hoff Sommers
Kevin Ryan; E.D. Hirsch
Stanley Hauerwas
Thomas Lickona; Ed Wynne
William Kilpatrick
Arthur Schwartz
Thomas Green; Allan Bloom
William Bennett
Georg W. Hegel
Emile Durkheim
Cicero; Epictetus
Alexis de Tocqueville
Jeremy Bentham
Jean Elshtain; Robert Taylor
Thomas Hobbes; S. Freud
Alasdair MacIntyre
James Q. Wilson; Karl Marx
Lawrence Kohlberg
Amitai Etzioni; Peter Benson
Aristotle
Confucius
Martin Hoffman
Howard Kirschenbaum
Marvin Berkowitz
William Damon
Philip Vincent
Robert Heslep
John Dewey
David Hume
FOCUS ON HETERONOMY
The quadrant and circle placements of these theorists and advocates for character-building were made by
Dr. Gordon Vessels based on his current and limited understanding of their work. Further study and/or
feedback from those still living and other experts could reveal misplacements, which will be corrected.