On the Cultivation of Children's Moral Imagination

Abstract

Moral imagination, as a psychological activity that creatively explores moral situations, aims to construct a positive link between "self" and "others". Under the guidance of traditional moral cognition theory, children's moral education emphasizes their understanding and compliance with norms, strengthens the "discipline" of children, and neglects the stimulation of moral imagination, which hinders the establishment of children's moral relationships and affects the effectiveness of moral education. Children's moral imagination is a kind of "creative imagination", which is manifested not only in the ability to creatively explore moral situations, but also in the ability to perceive "what things are" through "what things can be", and also in the ability to project empathy. To cultivate children's moral imagination, the first step is to trigger moral perception and cultivate moral imagination in situational creation. Secondly, it is necessary to promote moral understanding and cultivate moral imagination in perceiving others. Finally, it is necessary to stimulate moral empathy and cultivate moral imagination through shared feelings and contracts.