The aims of education : know thyself from a study of the analects of Confucius to self-examination = 教育之目的 : 認識自己由學習論語至內省吾心

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to explore the aims of education, and I assume that understanding the self is vital during the educational journey. I try to investigate Confucius’s philosophy of education by studying the Analects of Confucius [lun yǔ]. I realise that self-cultivation is essential for character development. In Confucianism, the ultimate goal of learning is to be sage spiritually and to be a leader in the world. To fulfil this objective, each person has to be aware of pure knowing [liang zhī] through self-examination. According to Wang Yangming’s philosophy of heart-and-mind [xīn xue], every human nature has a moral sense and innate knowledge. Education is not investigating external things only but also understanding the self. In the introduction part, I am going to write the self-reflection for my childhood, spiritual, learning, and working experiences in different periods. Then, I will have a brief introduction about the educational issues in Hong Kong regarding private tutoring, rote learning, and competitive local universities’ places. In this part, I will develop three research questions for exploring the aims of education. In the literature review, I will study about the Analects of Confucius [lun yǔ]. I will try to explore how Confucius explained the intrinsic human values, such as benevolence [ren], courage [yǒng], righteousness [yi], sincerity [xin], and wisdom [zhi]. I also want to understand Confucius’s ideas of exemplary men [jūn zi], learning [xue], propriety [lǐ], social responsibility, and self-cultivation. In the discussion part, I will study about the current social issues in Hong Kong and question about how educators should implement moral education in school settings. I also try to investigate about the self and how humans can cultivate intrinsic human values through selfexamination. Then, I will discuss Wang Yangming’s philosophy of heart-and-mind [xīn xue]. He claimed that everyone has pure knowing [liang zhī], and learners can develop innate knowledge through self-cultivation. Then I will use Laozi’s ideas about Tao and virtue as a compass for examining myself and understanding my life purpose. Through researching the aims of education, I want to understand the essence of education and explore how to nourish humans’ hearts and minds during the educational journey.