Abstract:

This theoretical, critical study focuses on answering key questions regarding ideologising or indoctrination in education from the point of view of relevant pedagogical documents of the national education and training programs in the Slovak Republic (2019). Indoctrination is closely related to manipulation, and manipulation is a serious threat to human dignity, freedom and democratic principles. Today's society is full of half-truths, fake news, manipulative advertisements, unfounded subjective opinions of influential people, or conspiracy theories. In this whirlwind of various views, approaches, intentions and motives, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from fiction, or opinion from fact, science from pseudoscience.
Based on this theoretical rationale, the author defines and differentiates ideology from indoctrination and aims to answer whether it is possible to educate and raise without indoctrination in the current Slovak schools. Indoctrination is noticeable most often in the formation of children's moral character, and the author asks himself whether it is necessary; and if it is possible to educate without indoctrination, then why, when and how. It answers the question of how to talk about controversial topics in school and how critical thinking is related to the phenomenon of indoctrination, human dignity and democratic values.
The study is a part of a wider research project entitled Use of the Philosophy for Children Program for the Development of Pupils' Moral Consciousness.

Keywords:

Ideologization, indoctrination in education, manipulation, human dignity and democratic values, critical thinking.