Teaching morality through critical thinking and open inquiry

Morality: Do you think that it is it possible to be taught morality without religious or secular agendas? And if so, how can we protect ourselves?

Although it may seem impossible in today's politically divisive climate, it is possible to teach morality in a way that is not laden with ulterior motives or agendas. Critical thinking is essential to ethical decision-making. Without stating whether a particular viewpoint is right or wrong, students can be asked to research and reflect upon the potential biases of, for example, sources such as the New York Times or Fox News, and reflect upon how that bias impacts their reception of apparently objective data. Although the actual facts may be correct, students must be made aware of how subtle biases influence their moral perceptions of a factual situation, and color their views of what is right and wrong. Critical thinking is not a concept that is owned by the right or the left; nor Christians or Muslims. It is an essential tool of rigorous scrutiny that must be brought to all areas of life, given the media-saturated environment we live in today. Moral choices are endemic to the human condition, but morality must begin with critical, cool, assessment of the world around us.