Teaching Art Theory

Author: Li Rumi
Editor-in-Chief: Sui Qiancun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-08-02
Features:
Excerpt: The Sophists) traveled around the country, making rhetoric their profession. This "art of persuasion through debate" was full of dialectical thought, and "dialectics originates from the ancient Greek word 'dialego,' which means to engage in conversation or debate. In ancient times, dialectics referred to the art of seeking truth by revealing contradictions in others' arguments and overcoming them."① The famous educator Socrates (Sokrates, 469-399 BC) used methods such as dialogue, questioning, hinting, cross-examination, and induction in his teaching to stimulate students' thinking, encouraging them to actively seek answers. This was known as the "Socratic method," a highly skilled teaching art. His method mainly consisted of two steps: Step one is irony. He often engaged in conversations with various people, discussing life issues that interested them. In his conversations, he pretended to know nothing, asking others for advice and inviting them to express their opinions. He did this to guide people to realize contradictions in their own understanding, become aware of the confusion in their thoughts, doubt their existing knowledge, and force them to think actively and seek answers to the questions. Step two is the Socratic method. This step serves to guide someone who has recognized the confusion in their understanding and rejected their previous knowledge toward the correct path of understanding, gradually leading them to truth and forming concepts.② Plato (Plato, 427-347 BC), Socrates' student, believed that when "the way of education is suitable," "rhythm and harmony" could become a force of beauty to nourish the soul. He said: "I think there must be an art that can achieve this with convenience, that is, the transformation of the soul, not by placing the eyes on the heart, because it already has this ability, but by correcting the tendency of the heart to face the right direction."③ He even suggested that to prevent the influence of "evil, debauchery, vulgarity, and obscenity" on students, one must "find skilled artists who can depict the beautiful aspects of nature, so that our young people can live in a pleasant and healthy environment, surrounded by everything that is beneficial to health. By constantly being exposed to beautiful works, they can breathe the fresh air of a serene realm, absorbing their positive influence. This will unconsciously cultivate a love for beauty in them from a young age and develop the habit of integrating beauty into their souls."① Isn't this the art of education that nurtures people through beauty? And Aristotle (Aristoteles, 384-322 BC), Plato's student, also believed: "Education must be based on three principles—moderation, possibility, and appropriateness," and "we should also consider the use of melody and rhythm in education."② It is said that he often lectured while walking along the shaded paths of the Lyceum, earning him the name "Peripatetic," which had a touch of artistic romance. The Roman educator Cicero (Cicero, 106-43 BC) applied many of his views on rhetoric education theory to teaching art. He once said: "In my opinion, unless he possesses various important knowledge and all liberal arts, he cannot become a versatile orator, because a person without real talent will inevitably have artificial language and tedious, unbearable verbosity, and his speeches will also be empty and childish." "One thing is undeniable, that a skilled speech possesses a beautiful and elegant style, with unique rhetorical techniques and brilliance." He also particularly pointed out: "Public speaking is controlled by the body, gestures, eye contact, and the regulation and variation of the voice, all of which have a tremendous impact on the speech itself." Another educator, Quintilianus (M.F. Quintilianus, 35-95), was an "extremely detailed educational theorist who studied teaching methods," and he believed that teachers should "first evoke in themselves a parental affection for their students," "pay attention to the differences in wisdom," and pointed out that "teachers should not be too hasty or too lenient when dealing with students who need correction. They should be sincere in their teaching, patient in their work, and very dedicated, without being overly demanding. They should be willing to answer questions and help students cultivate a love for beauty."
Postscript: The manuscript of this book has finally been published. Two years ago, the excitement of writing has gradually subsided, allowing me to examine the shortcomings and deficiencies in the book with a clear mind. The profound and mysterious subject of teaching art requires its researchers to possess comprehensive and profound academic literacy, and my limited knowledge and superficial learning will inevitably lead to many naive, careless, and erroneous places in the book. I sincerely hope that experts, colleagues, and readers will kindly point out any flaws. I have developed a strong interest in teaching art, which has been more than ten years. When I transferred from the Chinese Department to the Education Department in university, I began to think about researching teaching art. Especially after my first paper, "An Initial Exploration of Teaching Style," was published in the Journal of Educational Research (Volume 9, Issue 1986) sponsored by the Central Institute of Educational Sciences, I was greatly encouraged and determined to continue my research. Since then, I have thought about each topic one by one and successively written a series of papers, which were kindly published in dozens of domestic educational theory magazines. After the articles were published, they received good responses. Some were included in university professional textbooks, some were recommended for college students to read and reference, some were designated as teacher training materials, and some were reprinted or cited in books and journals. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the relevant newspapers, magazines, and editors for publishing my articles! The process of writing this book is a research process, but also a learning process. During the writing of this book, I read a large number of books and periodicals, often with a mountain of books piled on my desk. Whenever I read something excellent, I would forget about writing the book. When planning and writing, I was often excited by new ideas and concepts that suddenly occurred to me, and many of the words in the book are the result of emotional inspiration. Therefore, when the manuscript was completed, I also gained two things: first, I read a lot of books and periodicals, gaining a wealth of knowledge and inspiration; second, I fell deeply in love with the research topic of teaching art and was willing to "spend for her, thinning my waist but never regretting it." It is particularly important to point out that during the writing of this book, I referred to and quoted the achievements and materials of many researchers, and I sincerely thank the relevant authors and publishers or magazines for this! The writing and publication of this book were supported by the care and support of many teachers and friends. Professor Tang Wencai, the director of the National Teaching Theory Professional Committee and the Institute of Educational Sciences at Harbin Normal University, and Professor Xiong Ming'an of the Institute of Educational Sciences at Southwest Normal University, took the time to review and write the preface, their earnest expectations and encouraging words left me deeply grateful. The care and help I received from the leaders, teachers, and colleagues at Qufu Normal University are unforgettable. Here, I sincerely thank all the teachers and friends who and supported the writing and publication of this book! Finally, I would like to express my special gratitude to Shandong Education Press! Under the current difficult conditions of academic book publication, they invest huge sums of money every year to establish teacher publishing funds to encourage teachers to write and publish, which has made great contributions to the development of education. Without their care, support, and help, this book would not have been published. Li Rumi June 8, 1995, at Qufu Normal University