The Theory of Educational Cycles in China: Philosophy of the History of Chinese Education (First Issue)

Author: Jiang Guojun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This book is not only a history of Chinese education but also a history of its rise and decline. From the perspective of "big history," it employs the tools of quantitative history to explore the cyclical development of ancient Chinese education, elucidates the long-term, structural factors that dominate its cyclical changes, and provides a grand and innovative description of the history of Chinese education, offering a fresh perspective for understanding ancient Chinese education. The rise and fall of education affect the rise and fall of dynasties. Ancient Chinese education was essentially an education for cultivating officials, requiring them to have a sense of responsibility for the world, the ability to stabilize the state, and a moral commitment to the well-being of the nation. As a result, periods of educational prosperity often saw the emergence of outstanding officials, political clarity, and what could be called a golden age. Ancient Chinese education emphasized the harmony of knowledge and power, neglecting the cultivation of creativity and innovation in education. This led to the often inclusive nature of ancient Chinese educational thought and the continuity of its educational systems. However, at the same time, educational structures often had flaws, with excessive replication in the same period and insufficient innovation, making educational transformation difficult. The three developmental cycles of ancient Chinese education succeeded one another, spanning thousands of years, upholding the ideal of a harmonious balance between substance and form, and internal and external coherence. We may now be at the critical point of a new historical cycle, bearing the historical mission of reviving education. This book uses long-term theory and quantitative history methods to study the cyclical development of ancient Chinese education, proposes a new periodization method for the history of ancient Chinese education, analyzes the processes and reasons for the reconstruction and collapse of educational structures in each cycle, clarifies the internal logic and driving forces of the development of ancient Chinese education, and discusses the similarities and differences between the cyclical development of Chinese and Western education through comparative methods.