The good citizen: Revisiting moral motivations for introducing historical consciousness in history education drawing on the writings of Gadamer




Edling Silvia, Sharp Heather, Löfström Jan, Ammert Niklas

PublisherSage Publications Ltd.

2020

Citizenship, Social and Economics Education

19

2

133

150

2047-1734

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1177/2047173420936622

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047173420936622

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/47923700



Historical consciousness is regarded as an important means to stimulate moral citizens through history education. This article conceptually examines the moral dimension associated with historical consciousness by revisiting the paradigm wars between natural science based on positivism and human and social sciences during the 1960s–1990s as expressed through the voice of Gadamer. More specifically, the article explores: (1) the moral arguments that Gadamer put forward for introducing historical consciousness and (2) the epistemological and ontological building blocks for approaching morality in history education that his arguments brought to the fore. In general, moral consciousness in relation to historical consciousness draws attention to: (a) people’s life conditions, (b) that moral reasoning and practice are influenced by feelings and reason, (c) that reflections on past events can help to interpret our ways of being towards others in the present and future, (d) that a plurality of people, thoughts and history are important to acknowledge and (e) that every person is part of creating history and responsible for weaving the past/present/future web in ways that acknowledge others.


Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 22:44