Notwithstanding its obvious educational importance, the idea of an ethics o
f belief has been little explored by educational philosophers. The notion t
urns out to be more complex and to involve more difficulties than is usuall
y supposed. Exploring these complexities and difficulties opens up many ave
nues of philosophical and educational inquiry. These in turn can enrich our
reflections on contemporary educational developments and on ethical aspect
s of teaching. In particular they alert us to the need for educational theo
rists to give overdue attention to the intellectual virtues.