Trinity Forum Conversations Can Character Be Taught? with William Inboden
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Nov 4, 2025 
William Inboden, a historian and provost at the University of Texas, dives into the significance of character in education. He discusses how the shift away from teaching character has impacted society and the need for a focus on virtues like loyalty and integrity. Inboden explores the role of community, the effects of digital life on students’ yearnings, and practical methods for teaching character in classrooms. He champions the idea that universities can foster moral formation, crucial for rebuilding trust and unity in a pluralistic world.
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Self-Government Requires Personal Character
- Individual self-government is the foundation for a healthy democracy because collective self-rule depends on citizens who govern themselves.
- William Inboden argues character shapes our passions and aligns personal virtues with civic responsibilities for stable self-governance.
Why Universities Stopped Teaching Character
- Universities retreated from explicit character formation due to cultural upheaval and a turn toward vocational training.
- Inboden says moral relativism plus professionalization left a vacuum that other movements then tried to fill.
Restore A Core Curriculum On The Good
- Require a core curriculum that engages classics and asks what is true, good, and beautiful to form civic-minded students.
- Teach virtues like honesty and integrity explicitly while allowing debate on particulars.
