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Educational modes of thinking in Neo-Confucianism: a traditional lens for rethinking modern education

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Abstract

This article discusses the distinctive educational modes of thinking in Neo-Confucianism, with an interest of extracting Confucian reflective views for modern education of traditionally Confucian East Asia. Neo-Confucian typical modes of thinking on education are characterized as “heart-mind centered” and “learning as self-cultivation centered.” Neo-Confucianism regards education as the very task of perfecting as well as realizing the heart-mind, and furthermore puts emphasis on learning characterized as self-cultivation in accordance with the educational goal to perfect the heart-mind. Comparatively speaking, Neo-Confucian modes of thinking on education are more integral, essential, and convergent, whereas modern ones are more differentiated, functional, and divergent. When illuminating through the Neo-Confucian lens, modern education needs to intensify the perspective of integration and essentiality, as well as the perspective of appropriate differentiation, especially concerning the issues of the subject and content of education or learning.

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Notes

  1. In this article, “modern education” means the education in recent decades after the Second World War, especially of East Asia. Here, East Asia covers the countries which have been developed under the influences of Confucian tradition as well as Western modernity, like as China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In recent decades, East Asian countries have shown their similar educational features characterized as the “high educational fervors and competitions for examination or social success” and “excessive concentration on the knowledge education,” which are the distinct scenes of “modern education” that this article notices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-749, Korea

    Keumjoong Hwang

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Glossary

ai

愛

bowen

博問

changxingxing

常惺惺

Chanxilu

傳習錄

chengyi

誠意

Cheng-Zhu

程朱

chuanxin

傳心

Confucius

孔子

dao

道

daotong

道統

dawenxue

道問學

Daxue

大學

Daxue Huowen

大學或問

de

德

Doctrine of the Mean

中庸

gewu

格物

gongbu

工夫

gongburon

工夫論

Great learning

大學

haoxue

好學

jiao

敎

jing

敬

Jinsilu

近思錄

Joseon

朝鮮

Mengzi Jizhu

孟子集註

Mencius

孟子

Ming

明

Mingmingde

明明德

li

理

lixue

理學

qi

氣

Qin

秦

ren

仁

Seonghakjipyo

聖學輯要

Seonghaksipdo

聖學十圖

shen

身

shenxinzhixue

身心之學

shu

恕

si

思

Sishu

四書

Song

宋

tian

天

tianrenheyi

天人合一

Toegye Jeonseo

退溪全書

Wang Yangming

王陽明

Wang Yangming Chuanzhi

王陽明全集

Weijizhixue

爲己之學

wenguerzhixin

溫故而知新

xeiji

爲己

xiaoxue

小學

xin

心

xinfa

心法

xing

性

xinjili

心卽理

xinmin

新民

xinxue

心學

xiuji

修己

xiushen

修身

xue

學

Xun zi

荀子

Yuan

元

yueli

約禮

yi

義

zhengqiyansu

整齊嚴肅

zhengxin

正心

zhixingheyi

知行合一

zhizhi

致知

zhiyuzhishan

至於至善

zhong

中

zhong

忠

Zhongyong Jizhu

中庸集註

Zhuxiji

朱熹集

Zhu xi

朱熹

Zhuyiwushi

主一無適

zundexing

尊德性

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Hwang, K. Educational modes of thinking in Neo-Confucianism: a traditional lens for rethinking modern education. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 14, 243–253 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-013-9243-3

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