| The purpose of this study is to explore Mao Zedong's philosophy of adult education. For half a century, Mao Zedong not only led the Chinese Communist Revolution, but also personally directed some of China's communist adult educational programs. And from his revolutionary practice and Marxist philosophy, he developed his philosophy of adult education, many aspects of which are still being followed in China now.; Chapter 1 introduces Mao's life, the history of the Chinese Communist Revolution and Mao's activities in adult education. From 1917 when Mao organized the Changsha Worker Evening School to his death in 1976, Mao never took his attention away from adult education.; Many of Mao's ideas on society (Chapter 2), human beings (Chapter 3), and knowledge and learning (Chapter 4) are borrowed from Marxism. However, facts show that Mao also inherited a lot from the Chinese heritage especially in the education of cadres, party members and the Chinese people as a whole.; Chapter 5 reviews Mao's ideas on purpose and content of adult education. Generally, Mao held the notion that adult education was for the revolution. Specifically, adult education was for political indoctrination, moral cultivation and general educational studies and skill training. These three aspects make up the content of Mao's adult education.; Chapter 6 describes Mao's unique methods of adult education, which includes criticism and self-criticism, the setting up of models, the mass line, the going to the countryside and the launching of national campaigns.; Chapter 7 searches Mao's attitudes and beliefs toward the relationship of teachers and students. All his life, Mao challenged the authoritarianism of teachers, criticizing teachers and intellectuals. Mao's views of ideal teachers and students are also described.; Analyzed in Chapter 8, the last chapter, are four strengths--the realization of a radical approach of educational philosophy, the learning society, the mass line and the moral cultivation, and four weaknesses--the over-emphasis of class struggle, the way of defining needs, political indoctrination and thought control, and the denigration of intellectuals and academic knowledge. Since Mao died only twelve years ago, this assessment is a preliminary one. |
