Why Kant's Ethics Cannot Be Taught in School The Problem of Critical Interpretive Controversy

Some philosophical classics are so highly esteemed that they are considered an important, if not indispensable, part of any good school curriculum. However, for all the emphasis placed on the importance of such classics, a fundamental problem is often overlooked that makes teaching them very difficult, if not practically impossible. We call it the “Problem of Critical Interpretive Controversy” (“PCIC”). PCIC occurs when there is a critical controversy about what an author intends to express. In this paper, we illustrate PCIC using the example of Kant’s ethics. In the case of Kant’s ethics, we argue, PCIC is so profound that even the basic features of this theory cannot fruitfully be taught in school, making it an unsuitable subject for school teaching.