重审保罗·赫斯特的博雅教育观及其知识形式理论

Reexamine Paul Hirst’s View of Liberal Education and His Theory of Knowledge Form

20世纪六七十年代,保罗·赫斯特针对博雅教育与知识性质关系的研究,产生了广泛而深刻的影响。赫斯特秉承古希腊博雅教育的悠久传统,认为古希腊博雅教育关注追求知识的历程,通过知识追求培养理性心灵和实现良善生活,在此意义上是教育的最终形式。他以知识形式为切入点,讨论如何优化教育内容,主张博雅教育要摒弃政治、经济和宗教方面的功利追求,不以信息堆集和具体能力培养为目的,而要通过掌握知识形式来帮助人类理解各种经验,提高学生的心智水平。赫斯特提出了知识形式的衡量标准,梳理了七种不同的知识形式,奠定了中小学课程设置的基础。赫斯特的博雅教育观和知识形式理论对当今教育既有重要的启示价值,同时也存在自己的局限性。

In the 1960 s and 1970 s,Paul Hirst’s research on the relationship between liberal education and the nature of knowledge had produced extensive and profound influence.Adhering to the long tradition of ancient Greek liberal education,Hirst believed that ancient Greek liberal education was concerned with the process of pursuing for knowledge,cultivating rational mind and realizing good life through the pursuit of knowledge,which was the final form of education in this sense.He took the knowledge form as the starting point to discuss how to organize the content of education.He advocated that liberal education should abandon the utilitarian pursuit in political,economic and religious aspects,and not aim at information gathering and specific preference,but help human beings understand various experiences and improve students’mental spirit by mastering the knowledge form.Hirst put forward the standard of knowledge forms,sorted out seven different forms of knowledge,laid the solid foundation of school curriculum.Hirst’s view of liberal education and his knowledge form theory have important enlightenment value to today’s education,but also have their own limitations.