TITLE:
Ethical Issues of Globalizing Liberal Education: The Case of Japan
AUTHORS:
Christian Etzrodt
KEYWORDS:
Sociology of Education, Liberal Education, Japanese Education, Globalization of Education, Japanese Area Studies
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.11 No.1,
January
8,
2020
ABSTRACT: Is it ethically justifiable to teach liberal education in non-Western countries, which might have a negative impact on the career of those programs’ graduates, because they could be regarded as troublemakers, who destroy their own culture? In this paper,I will show that a fundamental value conflict exists between liberal education with its emphasis on autonomy and Japanese culture with its emphasis on harmony. But if this is the case, is the application of liberal education in Japan not cultural imperialism? I will argue that the moral dilemma can be dissolved by infusing Japanese area studies throughout the curriculum of a liberal arts program with its emphasis on the Western tradition. Such an integration would not privilege any kind of knowledge, and would give students real choices about what kind of values are better for their life and their society.