Wandering Thoughts: Law and Education in the Perspective of Modernity

Author: Cao Yisun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-10-01
Features: This book includes 16 papers on the fields of law and education, such as "Reflections on Fundamental Issues in Metaphysics of Law," "On Philosophical Jurisprudence," "Critique of Locke's Theory of Property Rights and Its Origins," "On the Nature and Levels of Educational Purpose," and "A Tentative Discussion on the Nature, Object, and System of Legal Pedagogy." The book is rich in content, unique in perspective, and thorough in argumentation, possessing high academic value. The renowned contemporary French scholar Michel Foucault once pointed out that our era lacks original thinkers, and history has destined us to confront history, to bear the task of listening to what has already been said. Therefore, to avoid becoming absurdly impoverished and to earn the respect of future generations, the best approach is to turn to the past, study historical legal thinkers, especially the great masters of modern Western legal thought. From the great historical figures, we can seek the depth of thought and the meaning of existence.
In Plato's view, the mission of education is to compel the best souls to see the Good itself and rise to that height. When they have reached this height and seen enough, they must descend into the cave with the prisoners, share their toil and honor, and take on the of lower-level secular life. This education is a long and arduous process of soul transformation. The mission of university teachers is to disseminate the sacred ideas they possess, cultivating in learners the sensitivity to accept these ideas through determined conceptual forms and appropriate teaching methods.