A Study on the Necessity of Moral Education - Focusing on Moral Judgment and Moral Sensitivity -

Moral education emphasizes correct knowledge, belief, and practice, and reveals limitations when relying solely on major-centered education, which often focuses on technical proficiency over ethical reflection and transmits value-neutral knowledge. Since the notion of “rightness” is an abstract concept subject to individual interpretation, a clear standard is required to define what is considered right or wrong. In this context, morality serves as the guiding standard for determining the appropriateness of actions. To examine the necessity of moral education, this study focuses on the two key concepts of moral judgment and moral sensitivity. Using text mining analysis of research abstracts on these topics from the past 20 years (2005–2025) retrieved through the Korean Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), the study found that moral judgment education has mainly targeted early childhood development through activity-based methods such as music and folktales. In contrast, moral sensitivity education has predominantly been applied to nursing students, focusing on science, social issues, and civic engagement. These findings suggest that moral judgment education should not be limited to early childhood but is also essential at the university level. Furthermore, there is a strong need to enhance moral sensitivity education within general liberal arts curricula. Ultimately, universities should promote moral education in a way that enables students to apply both moral judgment and sensitivity in real-world social contexts.