Talk With Your Kids: Conversations About Ethics -- Honesty, Friendship, Sensitivity, Fairness, Dedication, Individuality -- and 103 Other Things That Really Matter
Parker (author of Doppelganger, a novel), a philosopher, educator, and deputy headmaster of Senior School at Cranbrook School in Australia, believes that while schools focus on academic achievement, not enough emphasis is placed on ethical development. As he asks parents, Your child may be smart, but is he or she good? Ethics and values, he asserts, should be discussed regularly. Parker encourages parents to become part of a venerable tradition and take an Enlightened approach (as opposed to Authoritarian or Permissive) that encourages discussion. To aid parents and kids (ages 10–15) on this path, Parker presents more than 100 topics—including lying, animal rights, alcohol use, ethical treatment during war, and bullying—to spark debate and independent thinking. He also weaves in the philosophies of some of the world's greatest thinkers, including Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Readers are encouraged to use the book as they see fit, picking and choosing topics; upsetting topics come with an M rating, as in the discussions of torture or killing animals for food. Parents who are struggling with ethically challenged offspring or who want to drum up lively ethical discussions will find this to be a creative and useful handbook. More than 100 b&w illus. (Aug.)