KJC Korea
Journal Central

How can we better deal with difference and otherness in our globalized, multi-cultural era? This paper examines the meaning of personality/ character in character education while reconceptualizing the ethics of care. Recent care theorists such as Tronto, Kittay, and Engster have developed new thinking of care ethics, emphasizing its political and public meaning. According to the new ethics, justice and care are not dichotomous alternative to each other, and we need a balanced view of care and justice to improve our caring practice. The integrated vision helps to examines our ethical stance where character education is based upon. This study attempts to fine further implication of care ethics for future character education.

Philia is accompanied by virtue and is the most essential thing in life, helping to pursue virtue. It is to follow the happiness which is the purpose of human life while living with a virtuous friend. The concept of philia, which aims to harmonize an individual with the community to which the individual belongs, is the most fundamental in education but has been neglected over its importance. Philia is essential for the formation of a learning community whose purpose is to share and pursue truths. Philia, exists among people, acknowledges the existence of another person by recognizing his friend as one 's own, and establishes his true existence by loving others as much as his being. And philia contributes to growing as a democratic citizen. Political communities are essentially free communities of equal rights. We also need to find the beginning of the recovery from the meaning of friendship needed for a good community.

This study is an attempt to examine the educational value and adequacy of fables through critical study on the fables used during childhood. The influences and effects of the instructive aspects of fables implied on moral education and its validity will be examined. It is highly probable that the morals of fables told during kindergarten and lower grades of elementary school are distorted from the original intention. A large number of fables expect, as its moral, objective viewpoints and life’s diligence, sincerity, and wisdom. However children at such age group are still strongly attached to themselves and egocentric that being considerate towards others and having empathetic skills are unimposing, causing rather opposite results than what is intended. Also, it is possible that the hidden morals of fables are interpreted differently according to each individual. The essential educative function of fables is to develop the ability to compare the fable and oneself in reality. It is to learn from the mistakes, greed, and erroneous decisions made in the story and reflect on one’s life and plan their way of life. Therefore fables, considering the instructive aspects, are more appropriate to be used after upper grades of elementary school, rather than in kindergarten and lower grades in elementary. Finally, since fables are open to different interpretations, careful approach is required when used at the field of education.

The purpose of this study is to explore the existential boredom in Camus’ 『The Stranger』 and find its educational significance. For this purpose, this study investigated the human as an existential existence and the concept of boredom as grounding-attunement on the basis of existential philosophy. Based on the findings, taking into account boredom revealed in 『The Stranger』, the discussion and educational significance and limitations of boredom were drawn. It could be overcome when boredom faces itself by recognized its one self, and it is decied through the process of consideration and self-reflection. And boredom serves as an momentum for growing up by providing opportunities to consider and reflect, and a platform for creativity by criticizing and questioning on clichés. Moreover, boredom can also lead humans to make their own lives by giving them a look back. In particular, existential boredom is what makes human reflect on themselves. Serious questions on existential boredom can be a great opportunity for contemporaries who are keeping busy without the meaning and leisure of life to reflect on themselves as well as reflect on the times we live in. In addition, if boredom is appropriately acknowledged and accepted, it has an educational meaning in that it enables to make change human’s life into more humane and creative one.