Some people believe that teaching morality should be the foundation of education. Others believe that teaching a foundation of logical reasoning would do more to produce a moral society.

In a world of eroding morals and values, it is crucial to understand if, and how, can morals be inculcated into children, and what role does education play in this. The following discussion attempts to outline the issues surrounding teaching of morality.

At the outset, the idea that morality should be "taught" seems absurd. Values and sound principles are imbibed by observation and interaction in the society, rather than being formally taught. Since morality cannot be "taught", virtues such as honesty, integrity and others should be passed on through example. If a child observes moralistic individuals in the society around, he/she will learn the same.

In addition, morals are subjective and differ across societies and cultures: what might be considered moral in one society might be deemed immoral in another. As a result, teaching morality may not always be plausible.

On the other hand, assuming that teaching logical thinking can engender morals is also quite precarious. Although logical reasoning can be taught objectively, the supposed link it has with morals is not clear. For instance, it is possible that in Hitler's mind, what he did was logically justified; however, his acts have been denounced and criticized unequivocally. Further, there is little reason to believe that an individual who reasons logically will not indulge in immoral acts. Thus, it would be unreasonable to assume that teaching a foundation of logical reasoning could produce a moral society.

In sum, it may not be unreasonable to assert that both teaching morality or teaching logical reasoning are not sufficient to inculcate morals in children and youngsters. Although a sound education plays an important role, the true onus lies on society that can lead by example, so that youngsters learn the importance of leading a principled life.