Purpose

Western liberalism believes that values are diversified, and the government must stand on the position of value neutrality. The educational ideal should not presuppose a specific good life style, but cultivate students' autonomy. For people with religious beliefs, it is to rely on God for their happiness. Whether parents teach their children religious beliefs violates their autonomy has become an important academic issue. This study intends to explore this topic, and puts forward the implications for Taiwan education.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is a philosophical study. T. H. McLaughlin, the scholar of London Line, tried to justify that parents have the rights to educate their children for religion which would not transgress the ideal of liberalism — educational autonomy. However, E. Callan and P. Gardner worried that it could be suspected of indoctrination. And McLaughlin responded to their challenges. The author investigates the validity of their mutual claims by philosophical arguments.

Findings/results

McLaughlin tried to justify that parents have the rights to educate their children for religion which would not violate the ideal of personal autonomy of liberalism, on the grounds of primary culture parents and children both attach to, the organic unity of family members, and contributions of religious participation to understand religion. However, E. Callan and P. Gardner worried that it could be suspected of indoctrination. When children are young, their thoughts are not fixed and religious education is carried out too early, which will result in persistence beliefs to harm their development of autonomy in the future. The author examines the arguments on both sides and stands by McLaughlin’s points. As long as parents adhere to the spirit of liberalism for their children on religious upbringing. they can defend the challenges from other opposed scholars.

Originality/value

There are few studies on religious education in Taiwan. Some of the existing studies start from religious doctrines, and some studies discuss important court cases of religious education in the United States. The philosophy of education can reflect on education comprehensively, and the analytical philosophy of education is expected to make conceptual analysis and arguments on the practical issues of education. In view of the educational policy discourse in Taiwan, there are few rigorous philosophical arguments, let alone analytical philosophical arguments. This study will provide an argument example of analytical philosophy to explore religious education for Taiwan academic circles.

Suggestions/implications

This paper argues that parents have a right to religious upbringing for their children, and schools do not need to ban religious materials involving to campus in the name of value-neutrality. But both parents and schools should embody liberal spirit and must guard against religious indoctrination.