教育與意義世界的開啟

Education and the Unlocking of the World of Meaning

龔鵬程(Peng-Cheng Kung)

《通識教育季刊》 5卷3期 (1998/09) Pp. 1-19

https://doi.org/10.6745/JGE.199809_5(3).0001

摘要

通識教育的提倡與推行，必然會遭遇專業教育的質疑與阻力。這是毫不奇怪的事，因為提倡通識教育原本就是為了革專業教育的命。而專業教育所建構的教育體系及權力網絡，當然也不會束手就戮、坐以待斃，它必然也會從專業的角度來質疑通識教育的理念及其可行性。
因此，通識教育在現實處境中想要生存，即不能不進行策略性妥協，先求取與專業並存的地位。例如：宣稱通識也者，只是專業教育的輔助者或救援者。因專業教育容易造成偏狹，專業之間也會形成隔閡，通識即可使之跳脫專業的框框。又例如：把通識與專業描述成一種上下層的關係，說大學教育可先實施通識教育，以為基礎，待三四年級再施行專業教育，進行分流，以致通識教育竟成了專業教育的預備。這些做法，其實等於承認大學教育之目的仍然在於讓人獲得專業訓練，專業教育仍然是教育的主流勢力。
目前採取這些做法，固然有不得已的苦衷，但我們不能不提醒大家：通識教育不是專業教育的輔助與救濟，也不是專業教育的預備。它與專業教育，在性質與目標上都是迥然異趣的兩套教育思維。
專業教育是依職業與技術界定其「業」，以期使受教者獲得足以應世諧俗之技能和職業，故它面向現實世界，具有實用、職業、技能的導向。通識教育，則是面對意義世界，希望能使受教者理解其自身存在之意義，進而賦現實社會予意義。
故通識教育必然要以經典為其核心。每一文化都以其經典，做為該文化意義的來源。唯有不斷與經典對話，才能深入意義世界，重新開啟意義之門。
本論文即擬說明通識教育之基本性質，進而申論經典教育在大學通識教育中之地位，再以佛光大學南華管理學院實際的課程設計與教學經驗，說明中西經典如何實際運用於大學之中。

關鍵字

通識教育 ； 專業教育 ； 意義世界 ； 經典

並列摘要

The advocate and promoting of general education will inevitably encounter cynicism and resistance from the field of professional education. It is not surprising, however, since general education is advocated to reform professional education. On the other hand, professional education has established its own education system and power network. It is unlikely that people working in this field will welcome change to this power system and sit passively for the end of this system; they certainly would attack the ideology and plausibility of general education from the perspective of professional education.
Therefore, strategically compromising with professional education and striving for an equal standing with professional education is a must, if general education is to survive in current situation,. For example, it is proclaimed that the so-called general education is only a supplement and relief to professional education. Professional education can easily biased toward to narrow direction and create barriers between professions. General education can help breaking these professional barriers. Furthermore, general and professional education are said to exist in a hierarchical relationship. That is, general education is adopted in the beginning of tertiary education as the basic and students will be directed to different professional education when they are at their third and fourth year of studies. In other words, general education is prepared for professional education. What is reflected in these approaches is the recognition that the aim of tertiary education is to gain professional training and hence professional education is the mainstream of tertiary education.
It is difficult to make understood why current approaches are adopted, but one
is to be reminded that general education is not a supplement or relief to professional education , nor is it prepared for the latter. It is, in its essence and goal, an educational philosophy completely different from that of professional education.
Professional education defines ”profession” according to occupations and skills. It aims to teach people occupational skills, so that students will be ready to face the real world when they graduate. It is practical, utilitarian and skill-oriented in nature. General education, on the other hand, teaches people how to face the world of meaning. It aims to teach people to understand the meaning of their existence, which in turn gives meaning to the society.
Hence it is necessary to include classic studies as the core of general education. Classics exist in all cultures and are the origins of meaning to that culture. Only constant dialogue with classics can one enter the world of meaning and reopen the door to meaning
This article intends to explicate the essence of general education, and then discuss the status of classics education in general studies at tertiary education. A true example of the curriculum design and teaching experiences at Nanhua Management College, Fo Guang University, will be given to illustrate how eastern and western classics can be taught in universities and colleges.

並列關鍵字

General Education ； Specialised Education ； Platonic World ； Classics