Buddhist Ethics in Korean Moral Education

Abstract

Buddhist Ethics in Korean Moral Education

Heejeong Shin* & Gyunyeol Park**

Abstract: This study analyzes how Buddhist ethics are integrated into the Korean moral education curriculum and examines the impact of Buddhist ethics on students’ ethical maturity and character education. As a moral principle, Buddhist ethics start from observing the Five Precepts and serve as an important educational tool through philosophical concepts such as Dependent Origination (緣起), Loving-kindness (慈悲), and Emptiness (空), helping students reflect on human life and relationships. Furthermore, Buddhist ethics play a key role in understanding Korea’s cultural and ethical identity. This study explores how Buddhist ethics are reflected in the goals, nature, and content elements of the moral education curriculum. Then, we analyze how Buddhist ethics was systematically addressed in high school ethics textbooks and offer some alternative suggestions to improve them.

Key Words: The Korean Moral Education Curriculum, The Korean Moral Education, Buddhist Ethics, Ethical Maturity, High School Ethics Textbooks

□ Received: Oct. 19, 2024, Revised: Oct. 28, 2024, Accepted: Oct. 30, 2024 ＊ First Author, Lecturer, Korea National Univ. of Education, Email: fusco@daum.net ** Corresponding Author, Professor, Gyeongsang National Univ., Email: pgy556@daum.net