Zeal – An Anachronistic or Timeless Category: Its Types and Meaning in Theoretical and Applied Pedagogy

Abstract

This article thoroughly analyses a category that is rarely examined scientifically – zeal. It is presented here as an idea, a moral and volitional virtue, a character trait (or personality trait/positive disposition), a component of moral and civic attitude and the ideal of education, and one of the educational goals. By examining zealotry thus, it becomes apparent that the issue belongs to the specifics of many fields of study, especially the social sciences and humanities. Besides the introduction, the initial part of the text presents lexical explanations of zeal, defining it as the diligent fulfilment of duties or the performance of a certain activity, as well as religious fervour. Among the main types of zeal, it was possible to distinguish and describe civic, professional and religious zeal. It was emphasised that zeal is accompanied by other expected human qualities such as faithfulness, prudence, courage, justice, and magnanimity. For children and youth to imbibe this important quality, it is worth applying the methods, forms and educational means proposed in the final part of the article, which can work in many educational environments. Before this happens, however, the educator should learn to recognise zeal in his students or pupils, or patiently shape this trait in them.