Abstract: Moral education theory originates from moral education practice and provides theoretical guidance and value orientation for addressing the challenges faced in moral education.In an era characterized by globalization,pluralism,and modernization,moral education encounters numerous dilemmas,such as the mismatch between moral norms and their application contexts,widespread disputes over the content and basis of moral norms,and the lack of effective methods for implementing moral education.Against this backdrop,the practitioner-oriented rational moral education theory has emerged.This theory focuses on two core issues of moral education:"what to teach" and "how to teach." From a rationalist perspective,it redefines the goal of moral education as achieving full moral commitment.For reasonable,controversial,and unreasonable moral norms,it proposes corresponding approaches,including moral cultivation,guided moral inquiry,and non-guided moral inquiry,respectively,constructing a classification-based framework for guiding moral education practices based on both content and methodology.Rooted in the soil of Western rationalism,rational moral education theory fosters equality,rule of law,and justice,helping to alleviate the constraints of traditional Chinese moral education,which has long emphasized emotion over reason.Its pursuit of universal values promotes the integration of moral education theory and practice in the new era.

Key words: morality, moral education, theory of rational moral education, children, Michael Hand