Dilemmas and Decisions: A Critical Addition to the Curriculum

In Dilemmas And Decisions The Author Argues That Dilemmas, Medical, Political And Personal Are Clearly Universal, Requiring Decisions With A Painful Choice. Nevertheless, We Are Witnessing An Increasing Tendency Amongst Opinion Leaders, From Management Consultants To Religious Fundamentalists, To Inform Us That Dilemmas Either Do Not Really Exist Or Are Merely Problems Awaiting The “right” Solution (which They Happen To Possess). Such Moral Certainty Is Dangerously Mistaken, Breeding Extremism And Undermining Democratic Values. Education Can Become A Kind Of Preparation For Multiple Choice Question-type Exams Or Tv Quizzes, With Facts Recalled Under Pressure Of Time And Problems Needing Fast Solutions. Problems, However, Are Different From Dilemmas; They Have Solutions And Disappear As Soon As These Are Found. Dilemmas Leave You With An Aftertaste And A Sense Of Regret About The Rejected Alternative. Front Matter -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Prologue -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- What Is A Dilemma? -- Do Dilemmas Really Exist? -- Evidence From Secondary School Teachers And Counsellors -- How Awareness Of Dilemma Can Enrich Education -- Preparation At School For Public Responsibility -- Conflict, Common Sense And The Thinking Society -- Young Adults, Dilemmas And Decision Making -- Learning To Live With Marginal Decisions. Patrick F. Miller. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.