| John Milton(1608-1674)was an outstanding British writer,political theorist,and educator in the 17 th century.He has made outstanding contributions in many fields of society.Based on a more comprehensive investigation of Milton’s many works and related historical materials,this article makes a more systematic analysis of Milton’s liberal education thoughts.The basic idea of Milton’s liberal education is to promote the all-round development of people through learning a wide range of knowledge,especially natural science knowledge,and to achieve spiritual and spiritual freedom.To achieve this goal,we must break through the barriers of 17 th century British scholastic philosophy.Therefore,based on the pedantic scholastic philosophy at the time,Milton conceived a new type of liberal education school—academy based on empirical epistemology,dualism of human nature,philosophy of natural law,and social contract theory,and had a huge impact on subsequent education in Europe and the United States.Milton and the liberal education thoughts reflects and represents the transition of British education from medieval scholasticism to modern education.Due to the differences in the background of the times,we need to explore and analyze Milton’s free education thought in combination with the actual development of education today,and continue to give it new meanings,and make Milton’s free education thought innovative development on the basis of reference..As my country’s education circles are relatively unfamiliar with Milton’s liberal education thoughts and lack of research results,this research has certain difficulties and challenges.The biggest difficulty in studying Milton’s free education thought at this stage is how to extract Milton’s free education thought more accurately and comprehensively from Milton’s many works,and to absorb the essence of his free education thought in order to explore Enlightenment to my country’s education.Based on the above considerations,this article chooses Milton’s "On Education","A Simple Way to Establish a Free Republic","Paradise Lost" and other representative works,as well as Mark Pattison’s "Milton Biography",Ding Yayi "A Brief Introduction to John Milton","Milton" edited by Dennis Danielson and other relevant Chinese and foreign historical materials to study Milton’s free education thought.First of all,taking the British social development in the 17 th century as a clue,combing the characteristics of the era of British social politics,economics,and cultural development,as well as discussing Milton’s family background and personal life experience,in order to explore the background of Milton’s free education thoughts;Secondly,analyze the theoretical basis of Milton’s liberal education thought,explore the relationship between his liberal education,empirical epistemology,social contract theory and other theories,and find a theoretical basis for his liberal education thought;Thirdly,combing the connotation of free education in different eras from ancient Greece to the Renaissance,and extending Milton’s structural transformation of the concept of free education,and then expounding Milton’s ideological system of free education,including the purpose of free education,Function,curriculum,education stage,teacher-student outlook,etc.Finally,Judge Milton’s liberal education thoughts,affirm its important position in the history of British education,analyze its progress and shortcomings,and explore several enlightenment of Milton’s liberal education thoughts to our country,such as giving full play to students The role of subjectivity,to build an interactive teacher-student relationship;to pay equal attention to the arts and sciences,to promote the full development of students;to respect educational differences,to promote the development of students’ personality;to read classics to enhance students’ inner spirit. |
