荀子的教育思想及其價值

Xun Zi's Thought on Education and Its Importance

陳福濱(Fu-Bing Chen)

《哲學與文化》 34卷12期 (2007/12) Pp. 5-20

https://doi.org/10.7065/MRPC.200712.0005

摘要

教育是人類文明社會中不可或缺的一項社會活動與社會制度；人類藉著教育，來謀求個人和團體之生存和發展，以及社會文化之傳遞與發揚；人類生活之所以能逐步改善，人類文化之所以能日益進步，教育實為主要之力量。先秦儒家思想以孔、孟、荀為代表，認為教育重在人性的啟發，通過倫理道德以造就完美之人格，並期使能止於至善。孔子的教育思想以「仁」為核心，教育目標在使人成為「君子」，進而達到「聖賢」之境；教育方法重「因材施教」，注重人格感化；「有教無類」的精神，更為後世所欽崇。孟子主張「性善」，以「即心言性」言四端之心為人所本具，重道德自覺與道德實踐之體證，教育應發揮人之本有善性，在教育方法上重「啟發」、重「存養與擴充」，並貞定以落實仁教。荀子主張「性惡」，人欲為善則須通過「師法之化」、「禮義之道」去「化性起偽」；本文將從荀子的：一、教育思想的人性基礎；二、教育目的與功能：積善全盡以為聖；三、教育方法與學習：積偽、重學；四、教育內容：禮義與樂教；五、尊師重道的精神等五個面向作一論述，並希冀從此一探究中能對荀子的教育思想及其價值有扼要的理解。

關鍵字

性惡 ； 化性起偽 ； 虛壹而靜 ； 積善全盡 ； 社會化 ； 人文化成 ； 禮

並列摘要

Education is an essential social activity and social institution of a civilized human society. Through education, we pursue the survival and development of individuals and groups as well as the transmission and expansion of the culture of the society. Education is the major building block of the improvement of our life and the progress of our culture. The Pre-qin scholars, with Confucius, Mencius and Xun Zi as their representatives, believed that the focus of education was to inspire human nature and achieve the perfect character of the highest good by means of ethics and morality. ”Ren” (kindness) was the key to Confucius's thought about education. In his mind, the goal of education was transforming one into a ”gentleman” and, furthermore, a ”sage.” The Confucian methodology of education was ”teaching students in accordance with their aptitude,” stressing the reform of their personalities, and Confucius's spirit of ”teaching without distinction of classes” was highly admired by later scholars. Mencius believed in the ”goodness of human nature,” emphasizing the confirmation of moral awareness and practice. As education was supposed to develop the goodness of human nature, in terms of methodology, he pointed out the importance of ”inspiration,” ”cultivation and expansion,” as well as the persistence in the education of ”Ren.” On the other hand, Xun Zi believed in the ”evilness of human nature;” goodness had to be achieved through the ”transforming influence of a role model” and the ”principles of propriety and righteousness” to ”eliminate the evilness of human nature.” In order to have a pertinent understanding about Xun Zi's thought on education and its importance, this article is addressing the five aspects of Xun Zi's doctrine of education: first, the humanistic foundation of his thought about education; second, the goals and functions of education; third, learning and the methodology of teaching; fourth, the substance of education; and fifth, the spirit to ”respect teachers and value tao.”

並列關鍵字

Evilness of Human Nature ； Eliminating the Evilness of Human Nature ； Making Mind Simple and Peaceful ； Having accumulated goodness and wholly completed its cultivation ； Socialization ； Humanistic Cultivation