Moralsk opdragelse

Abstract

The paper explores the concept of duty in the moral philosophy of the Danish educational philosopher KnudGrue-Sørensen. The aim is to discuss how Grue-Sørensen’s view on duty might contribute to answering thequestion of what the content of moral education should be. Grue-Sørensen is inspired by the German philosopherImmanuel Kant, but even though he in his prize dissertation from 1937 addresses the possibility ofobjective morality, he adopts a more pragmatic approach regarding what it means to do one’s duty. In anactual Danish daily life context, the concept of duty has lost its moral meaning and decayed into a matter ofdomestic duties such as cleaning and dishwashing. Grue-Sørensen’s view on duty in an educational contextmight contribute to revitalizing the concept in a more pragmatic sense, which is useful for teachers, socialeducators, children, and parents.