Rediscovering Comenius’ principles for moral education—A study on national curricula in four European countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Finland and Estonia

John Amos Comenius (1592–1670) is widely considered to be the father of modern education. This article explores to what extent his educational principles related to moral education are reflected today, specifically in the national curricula of Czechia, Slovakia, Finland, and Estonia. In line with Comenius, the virtues (prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, and prosocial behavior) as goals of moral education, and the educational principles (anthropological realism, non-violence in education and alignment with nature) in realizing moral education were utilized as deductive analytical frameworks. The results show that the virtue of prudence is the most esteemed goal, manifesting mainly in cognitive skills in all curricula, but also in the moral domain in developing moral responsibility. Comenius’ educational principles related to the malleability of human qualities, the importance of human rights, and support for students’ individualities were identified in all curricula. The implications for moral education and curriculum development are discussed.