This paper draws on an extensive thesis-based study and explores education for civic morality within Kamal Junblatt’s philosophical framework. Junblatt was a key Druze figure and a highly influential actor in Arab political and intellectual life. As a politician, philosopher, and visionary leader, he promoted Pan-Arabism and ethical principles that transcended sectarian boundaries. His beliefs and public actions were closely intertwined with his educational philosophy and his commitment to cultivating civic virtues in Lebanese society, as reflected in his books, speeches, and philosophical writings.

The study examines Junblatt’s educational philosophy, emphasizing his understanding of civic morality, spiritual development, and social responsibility as essential foundations for individual and societal advancement. Although Junblatt was not formally an educational theorist, he was a socialist political thinker whose writings reveal a coherent educational vision. Accordingly, the study adopts an interpretive and theoretical approach, extracting educational insights from his broader philosophical and political texts.

Through close textual and theoretical analysis of Junblatt’s major works, the study identifies the core elements of his educational philosophy. These include a holistic worldview integrating spirituality, ethics, and politics; a strong emphasis on civic virtues such as justice, responsibility, solidarity, and moral courage; an understanding of education as a transformative process aimed at personal freedom and ethical self-liberation; and a conception of the ideal citizen as an active, morally committed participant in social and political life. In Junblatt’s perspective, education extends beyond formal schooling and is intrinsically connected to civic action, community engagement, and moral struggle.

Educational philosophy provides a crucial framework for examining how such virtues are cultivated. It addresses key questions concerning the aims of education, the formation of citizenship, and the moral responsibilities of educational institutions. This study employs this framework to analyze Junblatt’s conception of education as a formative moral practice shaping civic identity and ethical judgment. A central analytical lens is the philosophical tension between “is” and “ought” - the gap between moral ideals and lived social realities. The study explores how Junblatt positions education as a mediating practice through which individuals and communities navigate this tension via ethical reflection and civic participation.

The study also highlights Junblatt’s engagement with the cultural and social values of the Druze community. His educational philosophy emphasizes civic identity, social cohesion, and ethical leadership while remaining grounded in spiritual and cultural traditions. Although rooted in the Druze context, his thought offers insights relevant to broader Arab societies and minority communities confronting contemporary political and social challenges.

Engaging with philosophical debates on civic virtue, moral education, and citizenship central to European educational discourse, this study positions Junblatt’s thought in dialogue with wider international traditions of civic and democratic education. It thus introduces a non-Western yet universally relevant perspective into debates that have been shaped mainly by Eurocentric frameworks.

The study addresses the following research questions:

1. What role do civic virtues play within Junblatt’s educational philosophy, and how are these virtues defined and mobilized in relation to his broader political objectives?
2. What are the core tenets of Junblatt’s educational philosophy, and how do they integrate with his overarching political and ideological commitments?
3. What implications can be drawn from Junblatt’s educational philosophy for civic education, particularly within the Druze community and comparable minority contexts?

Finally, the study calls for future research on how Junblatt’s educational ideas are interpreted and applied in contemporary academic settings, particularly within Druze communities in Arab countries and in Israel. By foregrounding Junblatt’s educational philosophy, the study offers a normative and comparative contribution that repositions education as a moral and civic project within international debates on citizenship, democratic renewal, and social responsibility in pluralistic societies.

Eliciting an implicit educational philosophy requires a nuanced methodological approach that integrates textual analysis, historical contextualization, and philosophical interpretation. Political texts primarily define power, rights, and social order; however, they also encompass assumptions regarding how citizens should learn, deliberate, and morally evolve. Consequently, this research adopts a theoretical and interpretive framework to elucidate Kamal Junblatt’s implicit educational philosophy as articulated through his political writings, speeches, and manifestos. The central premise is that political discourse is inherently non-neutral pedagogically: concepts such as justice, solidarity, and revolution intrinsically convey educational directives pertaining to human development, moral cultivation, and civic engagement. The analysis is grounded in philosophical inquiry into Junblatt’s ontology, epistemology, and ethics, recognizing that these dimensions fundamentally shape educational thought. Junblatt’s engagement with Western philosophy, Eastern traditions, and mysticism—often emphasizing harmony, interdependence, and moral responsibility—suggests a holistic educational vision oriented toward ethical self-formation and social reform. Because Junblatt did not articulate his educational ideas in formal pedagogical texts, the study requires an approach capable of extracting educational meaning from political, ethical, and spiritual discourse. Accordingly, the study employs a hermeneutically informed Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Hermeneutics enables interpretation of deeper meanings within texts and their educational implications (Gadamer, 1977), while CDA examines how language operates as social action, revealing power relations, moral assumptions, and ideological positioning (Fairclough, 1995; Wodak, 2014). This combined approach allows the study to identify how Junblatt’s emphasis on social justice, democratic participation, and solidarity implies an educational model aligned with civic empowerment and ethical engagement. Paulo Freire’s concept of critical consciousness (Freire, 1968) provides a complementary theoretical lens for understanding education as a practice of liberation and civic agency. The primary corpus consists of five foundational texts spanning Junblatt’s political, spiritual, and social thought: the Charter of the Progressive Socialist Party (1950), A Revolution in the World of Humans (1967), his Speech at the Opening of Al-Irfan School (1974), Towards a More Humane Socialism (1976), and This is My Testament (1977). These texts were digitized, translated into English with back-translation verification, and coded using NVivo. Following Fairclough’s three-level model, the analysis proceeds through textual description, discursive practice, and social practice. This framework situates Junblatt’s educational vision within Lebanon’s post-colonial context, Druze minority politics, and socialist mobilization, revealing education as a central mechanism for cultivating civic virtues, ethical leadership, and social cohesion.

The findings of this study indicate that Kamal Junblatt articulated a coherent and holistic educational vision that addresses the formation of pupils, teachers, curriculum, schools, and society as interrelated dimensions of civic and moral education. Although his ideas are embedded within political and philosophical writings rather than formal pedagogical texts, they reveal a comprehensive model of education oriented toward ethical self-formation and social transformation. Pupils are conceived as “whole human beings” rather than passive recipients of knowledge. Education aims to cultivate critical thinking, moral courage, imagination, and social responsibility, alongside physical vitality and lifelong learning. Knowledge, in Junblatt’s view, acquires meaning only when it is translated into ethical action and public service. Teachers occupy a central moral role as intellectual leaders and civic guides. Junblatt envisions educators as exemplars of integrity, humility, and social commitment who actively shape character and civic consciousness rather than merely transmit content. Teacher education, therefore, is inseparable from ethical formation and reflective practice. The curriculum is understood as a holistic and integrative framework that combines humanistic studies, scientific and vocational learning, civic reasoning, and spiritual inquiry. Rather than technocratic specialization, Junblatt advocates a curriculum that fosters ethical judgment, empathy, ecological awareness, and responsibility for the common good. Schools are positioned as democratic communities of practice embedded within society. Junblatt emphasizes participatory governance, engagement with nature and community life, and institutional structures that promote equality, cooperation, and social justice. At the societal level, education functions as a foundation for civic renewal, particularly for minority communities, balancing cultural identity with democratic participation. Overall, this study concludes that Junblatt’s educational philosophy offers a culturally grounded yet universally relevant model for forming ethically responsible citizens and strengthening democratic life in pluralistic societies.

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