Learning Moral Lessons from Stories, Chapter 2

Where do we learn moral lessons?

From our personal experiences Caught doing something we weren’t

supposed to do or when we weren’t caught?

Rosenstand argues the most powerful lessons we carry with us are lessons we learn from the stories we have read or were read to us. What are some of the important stories

that you read or were read to you as a child? ▪ Examples

Stories that teach a moral lesson are called didactic stories

The little boy that cried Wolf Cinderella Three little pigs The little train that could

Listening to the voices of our parents—what are some of their favorite adages or sayings?

Listening to the voices of our parents—what are some of their favorite adages or sayings?

Even a blind squirrel will get an acorn once in awhile. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop Early to bed, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and

wise. The early bird gets the worm Birds of feathers flock together A fool and his money is soon parted Worthless as tits on a boar Fools rush in where angels fear to tread It is easy for someone who has never faced adversity to be brave You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs Let sleeping dogs lie They’re all hat and no saddle Even a stopped clock is right twice a day

Adages, sayings, axioms, maxims—what are they telling us?

Inter-generation transmission of values, beliefs, wisdom

Lessons about morals and ethics Understanding the difference

between intelligence and wisdom Lessons across generations and time

Interest in stories in professions Bibliotherapy—reading stories to children to

facilitate communication, explore difficult topics, emotions

Criminal justice intervention/prevention—learning through watching mistakes of others

Psychotherapy—use of stories to help people think through their situations

Cross-cultural or multicultural understanding Philosophy—stories to explain difficult theories,

explore the richness in literature and films

The importance of Stories Why are stories relevant for moral

philosophy? All cultures have narratives, and often facts are combined with fiction in the story.

What is the narrative of American Culture? Often narrative are passed down through oral

traditions. But also through art, music and literature. Oral vs literate culture

So what are the major themes of American culture?

Robert Fulghum (1988) wrote

…All I really Need to Know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain but there in the sandpile at Sunday school. These are the things I learned…page 4.

Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found

them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt

somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balance life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon When you go out into the world,

watch for the traffic, hold hands and stick together

Beware of wonder LOOK.

Importance of Stories

Feel good Group bonding Stories knit the group together by

illustrating rules and boundaries that define the group

Stories pass on legacies, identities and values

Stories are often intertwined in religious teaching, the creation story, birth of important leaders, miracles performed, etc.

Fact, Fiction or Both

Stories that are historically true Stories that never took place but have a special

truth to them—a poetic truth example Little Red Riding Hood. Lesson—Don’t talk to strangers, beware of

wolves

Interest in stories and the lives of public figures…what accounts for this? Princess Diana Elvis Titanic Bill Clinton’s personal life

Types of Stories

Myths- Never actually occurred but serve to remind us of proper conduct/behavior

Fairy tales Source of lessons▪ Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Snow

White and the Seven Dwarfs Parables—an allegory story for adults; it is

supposed to understood as a story about ourselves and what we ought to do. Good Samaritan, prodigal son, Abraham and Isaac

Stories with Role Models

Fictional characters—sometime they’re role models—display qualities we can identify with or would like to emulate—Superman, Batman, Robin Hood, John Wayne, Harry Potter

Visualization—even in pre-literate cultures—murals or stained glass told stories or displayed role models.

Tales for adults

Archetypes – stories that return over and over Bargain—someone bargaining with fate The Good Twin and the Bad Twin▪ Two personalities▪ Or Two people who are closely related but are quite

different The Quest▪ Moby Dick or Jaws, DaVinci Code, Raiders of the Lost Ark

Wartime Stories- (question of duty)How young men were initiated into manhood through armed conflictThe Longest Day, Bridge too Far, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk DownWesterns (Deals with hard choices)1865-1885Evolution of westerns—interesting patterns of lessons or themes

Tales for adults (continued)

Science Fiction: What future do we want? (desirable vs undesirable futures) Two types▪ End of civilization▪ Good times are emerging…

Mystery and Crime: The Fight Against Evil (questions of good and evil, and what do with evil)

Stories: Purpose vs Intent/harmful vs beneficial

Ancient stories often dealt with tragedies—family passions, speculations on the nature of fate, blood shed, violence

Modern day version—video games and television—violence, sex, drugs, language,

Does viewing these videos incite some to become deviants? 1. Plato—believed in censorship—he didn’t trust people to

know what was good or bad2. Aristotle saw benefits to overall mind for to experience

tension, emotions, etc associated with violence

Whether one agree with Plato or Aristotle, the important point is that stories affect us, and often differently

What one movie/video that deeply impacted you?

Why is it important to you? What was the central message of the

movie? What ethical lessons were embedded

in the movie?

In your group presentations consider:

Using stories, video clips, music, and other resources to highlight, supplement or provide understanding of the readings.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Relevance Interest What are the key points….