On The Transcendent Spirit Of Wang Guowei’s "Perfect Character"

The era in which Wang Guowei lived was one of chaos and darkness,with foreign powers invading and peasant uprisings occurring internally.The country was corrupt and ineffective,and people lived in dire circumstances.Therefore,"saving the nation" and "strengthening the country" became the main theme of struggle for advanced Chinese intellectuals in modern times.Against this backdrop,many people concerned about current affairs were also paying attention to the issue of education,and Wang Guowei was one of them.His educational viewpoints were different from others and appeared unique.However,in the field of educational research,Wang Guowei has always been marginalized.In his essay "The Purpose of Education," Wang Guowei proposed the idea of the "complete person." The concept of the "complete person" includes both physical and mental abilities,with the latter comprising elements such as intellect,emotions,and willpower.In order to achieve comprehensive development and harmony between the body and mind,education is necessary to attain this goal.Wang Guowei advocated for the parallel development of physical and mental education to shape a truly meaningful "complete person" and to realize the ideal of truth,goodness,and beauty.The "complete personality" he advocated represents an individual personality that transcends the limitations of utilitarianism in society and the state.This paper aims to study the transcendental nature of Wang Guowei’s concept of the "complete person" in the context of the dual variations of "saving the nation and enlightening the people." Based on Wang Guowei’s essay "The Purpose of Education," we will explore the profound meaning of education enlightenment and attribute it the status it deserves.This study will inform and deepen educational theory research from a contemporary perspective by drawing on the essence of these ideas.The paper is divided into four parts.The first part mainly explores why Wang Guowei could become such a person and under what influence he proposed the idea of the "perfect person".The second part studies the specific content of Wang Guowei’s transcendent spirit of the "perfect person",which is divided into three parts: the purpose,approach,and function of transcendence.The third part discusses the theoretical characteristics of Wang Guowei’s transcendent spirit of the "perfect person".Wang Guowei’s thinking is profound,his rationality is highly pure and idealized,and he has a utopian flavor.In this countercurrent of historical trends,Wang Guowei’s proposal of the idea of the "perfect person" is an idealization of progress.The position of a person in the history of thought may sometimes lag behind,so we should not overlook the value of the history of his ideas.Therefore,the fourth part of this paper will discuss the reference significance and value of the idea of the "perfect person" in today’s society.