The Modern Value And Practices Of Pre-Qin Confucian Thoughts On Moral Education

Abstract:Based on the new interpretation of the Confucian thoughts on moral education before the Qin Dynasty, this paper seeks to clarify its content elements, characteristics and classification, unique features of contents and other theoretical problems, and tries to explore its inspirations and significance to moral education for college students at present.Part One is the historical background and theoretical basis of the Pre-Qin Confucian thoughts on moral education, which is based on Confucian theory of human nature. The leading figures of Confucianism stress the need for people to continuously enrich, improve or shape the morality, thus demonstrate that the moral education is not only possible, but also necessary.Part Two is devoted to the Pre-Qin Confucian ideology of moral education and its characteristics. Confucianism demonstrates and stresses that the moral education plays an irreplaceable role in administering state affairs well and ensuring national security. Based on it, thoughts on moral education are put forward, of which the teaching objectives are to cultivate the perfect gentlemen's ideal personality and the contents are Ren(humanity) and Li(propriety). The Confucians have summarized a set of teaching methods of moral education. The features of thoughts on moral education are reflected in the facts that greater priority is given to morality than to wisdom, individuals live in harmony with groups, learning is encouraged, the transcendence of moral education objectives is pursued; the cultivation of moral feelings is emphasized in the process of moral education and that certain moral subjectivity and consciousness are stressed.Part Three concerns the modern value of Pre-Qin Confucian thoughts on moral education, including continuing with the past and opening up the future to reestablish a new starting point to reshape moral education, discarding what has outlived its time and developing the new to perfect new concepts of personality development and improving the environment to better the new ideas of moral education.Part Four deals with the reality and practices of Pre-Qin Confucian thoughts on moral education and its influence upon university moral education. The main examples are listed as follows:the Pre-Qin Confucian moral education and the building of a harmonious society; the Pre-Qin Confucian thoughts on moral education and the education practices of college students'views on moral education.This paper points out that the modern value of moral education is closely related to college students'moral education, which mainly refers to cultivating ideas on moral education and improving qualities of moral education. The Pre-Qin Confucian thoughts on moral education exert a guiding influence on the cultivation of college students' views on moral education. The content elements of Pre-Qin Confucian views on moral education have an obvious influence upon the college students'qualities of moral education, which is reflected in college students'selections and inclinations towards interests in moral education, abilities and performances of moral education and other aspects. College instructors in moral education should make timely use of certain teaching strategies, build an effective mode of cultivating views of moral education, develop students'Pre-Qin Confucian views on moral education, guide students' interests, thus improve the qualities of students'moral education.This paper focuses on the detailed description of the relevance of the above-mentioned issues and coping strategies. In this process, research method like data' studies is used to retrieve "Pre-Qin Confucian moral education", "moral education of college students," and a series of basic theory and related results of practical issues, for the purpose of reference and speculation.