Abstract
This paper argues for a pluralist perfectionist response to ethical conflict. This sets for states and their public schools the task of helping people adjudicate conflicts between ethical orientations and of promoting or discouraging particular conceptions of a good life. The aim of deliberation is mutual ethical recognition and growth, judged against a thick yet universally shared conception of human flourishing. The political justification of perfectionism is that it provides a better defense against repression and discrimination than state neutrality on issues of the good life. The paper addresses liberal concerns and counters claims that adjudication threatens human relationships.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hostetler, K. Towards a Perfectionist Response to Ethical Conflict. Studies in Philosophy and Education 17, 295–302 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005151400015
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005151400015