Formation of Character: On the Connection of Kant's Moral Education and Moral Ideal

According to his idea of morality, Kant claims that the ideal of education is to make human beings free moral agents. However, how can we cultivate moral freedom, which is a transcendental idea, in students by means of empirical method of teaching? Here we face a problem whether we can have an account of the connection between moral education and moral ideal. In this article, I firstly state Kant's moral ideal. Then I point out the possible difficulties of moral education, in particular from the viewpoint of Lewis White Beck. To respond to Beck's criticism, I explain the development of moral character which is considered by Kant the core of education, and I argue that for the fulfillment of moral ideal, Kant's moral education is effective because it provides students with necessary capacities to lead a moral life. From here we can justify a connection between Kant's moral education and his moral ideal.