Necessary Utopia: A Historical Examination and Construction of Educational Ideals

Author: Yin Yanqiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Throughout history, both in China and abroad, the history of education can be said to be a history of the construction and realization of educational ideals. In this long river of history, countless educators and thinkers, with their passionate convictions and unwavering beliefs, have continuously constructed ideals of education and pursued its true meaning, addressing the shortcomings of social and educational realities. From Confucius, who "forgot to eat when diligent and forgot to worry when joyful, unaware of old age's arrival," to Tao Xingzhi, who "bore a heart full of devotion, without taking half a blade of grass." From Plato, who sought to cultivate the "philosopher-king," to Rousseau and Comenius, who pursued the free development of the individual. From Dewey and Whitehead to Jaspers—due to the continuous construction and pursuit of educational ideals, the treasure trove of human educational thought has been filled with splendid colors and brilliant wisdom, practical educational activities have been constantly moving toward new goals and heights, and human society has been continuously perfected and advanced. In this sense, without the ideal pursuit of what constitutes good education, without the ideal depiction and expectation of what a person educated should be, neither education nor the practice of education can be realized. It is precisely because of the pursuit of educational ideals that education has been able to advance hand in hand with the development and perfection of individuals, the transformation and progress of society, complementing and reinforcing one another. Therefore, as humanity strides toward the 21st century, it is equally necessary for us to construct a new educational ideal that reflects the spirit of the times. The author believes that this construction should be grounded in the philosophy of Marxism, with "practice" as the ontological philosophical foundation for cultivating people through education, based on the completeness of human nature, rooted in the diverse, open, rich, and dynamic life world that reflects the completeness of human nature, unifying the adaptation and transcendence of society and individuals in practical educational activities, and pointing toward the transcendence of education.