Confucian philosophers often suggest that having good and bad examples plays a critical role in moral education and motivation. How do good examples figure into our ethical education, and how do bad examples help us discover vices or shortcomings in our selves? In this episode, we discuss this wide-ranging issue in connection with the Analects of Confucius, beginning with Confucius’s famous remark that he can find a teacher in just about any social setting (even when out walking with at least two other people chosen at random). Continue reading →
Category Archives: Education Models
Episode 33 of “This Is the Way”: Carrots, Sticks, and Rituals
What’s the best way to fight corruption: harsh laws and fear of punishment, or rituals and moral transformation? In this episode we discuss a deep disagreement that takes its inspiration from the political philosophies of the Confucian philosopher Xunzi and the Legalist philosopher Han Feizi. We are also happily joined by Professor Daniel Bell of the University of Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading experts in Chinese political thought. Bell reimagines the views of Xunzi and Han Feizi in his book Why Ancient Chinese Political Thought Matters: Four Dialogues on Chinese Past, Present, and Future. There he stages he stages the debate as a dialogue between a modern-day Professor Xun and his student Han Fei, set against the backdrop of the recent anti-corruption campaign in the People’s Republic of China. The conversation ranges from the psychology of rewards and punishments to meritocracy, institutional design, the question of whether good governance can ever be decoupled from good character, and whether Confucians might be the true realists after all. Continue reading →
Approaching ancient philosophy globally at Oxford
A promising, inclusive approach to ancient philosophy is on display in the Oxford Network for Ancient Philosophy, which describes itself as follows:
The Oxford Network for Ancient Philosophy (ONAP) brings together faculty and students specializing in ancient philosophy across the University of Oxford. Oxford is an extraordinarily rich environment for the study of ancient philosophy, with leading researchers working on ancient Chinese, Greek, Indian, Roman philosophy, and more across a range of Humanities faculties. This forum seeks to support the vibrant community of staff and students working in all areas of ancient philosophy by providing up-to-date, cross-departmental resources and information geared to the study and teaching of ancient philosophy within Oxford.
The ONAP homepage is here. If you are familiar with other, similarly inclusive/boundary-crossing approaches to ancient philosophy, please share in the comments! (I know they’re out there….)
Question about education in Confucius’s time
I am posting this on behalf of a graduate student at University College London…
Dear All,
I am interested in discovering about the schooling/education that Confucius would have received, but have found great difficulty in locating readings on this. I know Confucius studied at his local village school and then went to the state capital to continue his studies. Would anybody be able to provide some information on this, and or recommend any texts (in English) on the ‘education system’, the curriculum and any fees that might have been paid in Confucius’ time, and who might have been permitted to study?
Thank you in advance for your kind consideration.
Qasir Shah
Confucianism and Household Servants?
This post expands a question I asked once in the old Discussions section.
It is sometimes said that the (or a) Ruist picture of moral psychology stresses family because Ruists stress the development of moral sensibilities starting with people’s earliest relationships, which are their childhood relationships at home. So … what about household servants?
CFP: The Future of Whole Person Education in East Asian Higher Education
Invitation for proposal (abstract) submission for the conference on “The Future of Whole Person Education in East Asian Higher Education: Its Philosophy and Endeavour from Within and Abroad,” 2019
With the support of generous donation from Tin Ka Ping Foundation, the Department of Religion and Philosophy and the Centre for Sino-Christian Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University are going to organize a conference on the theme “The Future of Whole Person Education in East Asian Higher Education: Its Philosophy and Endeavour from Within and Abroad”, to be held at Hong Kong Baptist University on Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, 2019. The conference is organized to pay tribute to the late Dr. Tin Ka Ping, a renowned education benefactor in the Greater China Region. The Foundation has provided funds to more than 90 tertiary institutions, 166 secondary schools, more than 40 primary schools and kindergartens, and over 1,650 suburban libraries across 34 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the mainland China. In Hong Kong, more than 20 primary and secondary schools, kindergartens and elderly and youth care centers are named after Dr. Tin. We anticipate that the conference will share the vision of the importance of moral education and develop a culture of service and virtue cultivation in Chinese and East Asian Societies.
CFP: Comparative Approaches to Moral Education
The Journal of School & Society is the John Dewey Society’s journal of intelligent practice. The Journal is pleased to announce its next issue: Comparative Approaches to Moral Education: Somatic and Democratic Practices in an Intercultural Philosophical Horizon. This issue will be co-edited by Kyle Greenwalt and Joseph Harroff at Temple University.
This issue is part of the John Dewey Society’s commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of Dewey’s trip to China. Read the call to learn more; it’s available on the website (schoolandsociety.org) or directly at:
http://www.johndeweysociety.org/…/Invitation-for-Participat…
Confucian Education in a Global Context this Saturday at UMass Boston
A workshop on “Confucian Education in a Global Context” will be held at UMass Boston this Saturday, Nov. 4, from 2-5pm. More information is here.
CFP: Education East and West
Education East and West: The Third Annual BSU Colloquium for Global Philosophy and Religion
17-18 March, 2017, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
Analects 1.6, and how Confucius envisioned moral progress
Confucius’ remark at Analects 1.6 is often cited to show that he thought proper moral development begins with filial piety and then extends that attitude to ever-larger groups of people (ever less intensely). I shall argue that the remark does not display such a view. Confucius did not in general envision moral progress as extension.
