Ethical Consciousness in the Classroom: How Buddhist Practices Can Help Develop Empathy and Compassion
Journal of Transformative Education 2010 DOI: 10.1177/1541344611403004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Citations | 13 |
| Key points | Argues that contemplative pedagogy, informed by Buddhist virtues and practices, can help students develop ethical consciousness, and that without practical instruction, meditation may only provide relaxation rather than fostering empathy and compassion. |
Abstract
Some members of the academic community have turned their attention to the use of contemplative pedagogy and find it is a powerful approach that benefits students not only in their education but also in their lives. In traditions such as Buddhism, contemplation has been used as a basis for the development of ethical consciousness and this article suggests that the academic community ought to foster this. This can be done intellectually by not shying away from teaching and discussing virtue ethics. Experientially, professors can help students cultivate a deep sense of ethical consciousness by using contemplative practices that develop heart-felt empathy and compassion. Explicitly introducing central Buddhist virtues (and the practices that develop them), might help students transform their lives. However, with no practical instruction on how to develop empathy, loving-kindness, and compassion, students may find that meditation and contemplative practices do little more than help them rest and relax.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |