Drama as Ethical Education

In this article the author outlines a theory of drama as ethical education. He contrasts his theoretical and philosophical framework, which is grounded in the writings of Mikhail Bakhtin, with what he argues is the neo-Aristotelian approach developed by Joe Winston. In an analysis of several practical examples he examines the pedagogical implications of both frameworks and illustrates differences in assumptions about what it means to become ethical. He considers the relevance of a theory of discourse for analysing how ethical understandings can develop in dialogue about narratives. Further, he discusses how the concept of positioning can complicate our view of the ethical dimension of ongoing interactions in and out of role. Finally, the author shows how dialogic sequencing can create conditions in which students may begin to re-examine the ethical assumptions of their discourses. He closes by raising what he considers to be some of the more pressing questions about drama’s potential as ethical education.