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The Changes of Paradigms in Chinese Education －Centering on Confucius’ Idea of Education－

  • Journal of Humanities
  • 2015, (56), pp.121-148
  • Publisher : Institute for Humanities
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : December 31, 2014
  • Accepted : January 28, 2015

Kim Dug-Sam 1,  lee kyung ja 2

1대진대학교
2경상대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study is aimed at examining Confucius’ idea of education that hasexerted an enormous influence not only on Chinese but also on East Asianeducation in general. This study will, first of all, focus on how theeducational changes promoted by Confucius led to a paradigm shift ineducation and how such a transformation exercised an effect not only oneducation but also on other external areas of politics, economy, and societywith regard to their social correlations. The final aim of this paper, therefore,is to figure out, based on these studies, the changes of educational paradigmsand their social correlations. The changes of educational paradigms instigated by Confucius were basedon a philosophical foundation that learning and enlightenment can beintegrated into one idea. Such changes also brought about the establishmentof private education, the following brisk activities of intellectual class, andthe subsequent promotion of knowledge and social changes. Inside the realmof education, the changes generated an integration of learning andenlightenment, pursuance of educational equality, implementation of a privateeducation system, and a sharing of knowledge. Outside the realm of education, it exerted diverse influences on social communities andorganizations, politics, economy, and culture. The Confucian idea of education raised by Confucius and his disciplesgave rise to the promotion of private education and expanded reproduction ofknowledge, thus leading to social changes. Such trends could be consolidatedand accelerated thanks to education and educational institutes. The idea ofConfucius, however, has taken a new turn amid the changes of modern andcontemporary periods some 2,500 years after its emergence. It is becauseintellectuals have lost the spirits and a sense of conduct upon whichConfucius and his followers made use of up-to-date and broad knowledge,developed old learning by incorporating the thoughts of many people, andattempted to settle the hitherto unsolved problems in society. This study has reaffirmed that educational changes and social changes areclosely related and deeply affect each other. When the relations are not smooth,however, society and education have to suffer from transformation. Although theexisting paradigms are denied and replaced by new ones with the accumulationof outcomes resulting from diverse attempts, the new ones cannot be sustainedpermanently but will undergo a process of generation, development, decline,and replacement. In conclusion, education should not only remain in passingdown the old and time-honored legacies but also take an active part inexamining new changes and in requirements and finding solutions.

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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.
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