Facing Moral Conflicts—Reflections on Quality Education

Author: Chen Xiaoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: This book is both a reflection on morality and a discussion on quality education. On the surface, it seems to involve two different fields, but this is not the case. First, these two aspects are closely related. As the great philosopher and educator John Dewey once said, "In every country, those who speak of education universally agree that its highest and final purpose is moral education." Second, both moral reform and educational reform involve the deepest layers of social reform. Am I not currently undergoing a social reform from rule by man to rule by law? It must be noted that the foundation of law is morality. Is China not currently undergoing a reform from exam-oriented education to quality education? It must be emphasized that educational reform is not merely a partial reform but one that concerns the entire society. As Dewey put it, "Social improvement depends entirely on schools because schools are a major tool for creating a new society, eliminating old problems, developing in new directions, and preparing children with undiscovered abilities to serve society." It is clear that the content discussed in this book belongs to quality education and also involves the urgent issues of China's current social reform. Problems of education and society can be approached from various angles, such as political, economic, or sociological perspectives. This book primarily focuses on a philosophical perspective. It starts from some of the most common social phenomena and delves into profound philosophical questions, such as the two problems raised by David Hume: the problem of "ought" and the problem of the rationality of induction. The former concerns moral philosophy, while the latter concerns innovative thinking. In simple terms, the former question asks how to derive value judgments from factual judgments and how an economic man becomes a moral man. This book will provide a unique answer to this question. The latter question is more abstract, and this book only touches on it to broaden the reader's horizons while leaving a sense of suspense. The author's answer to this question is already provided in his book Inductive Logic and Inductive Paradoxes and will be further refined in another philosophical monograph.