书院与古代文人的“自由精神”

A Textual Research into the Relation between the Ancient Academies of Classical Learning and “the Spirit of Freedom” of Ancient Literati in China

书院是我国封建社会一种特殊的教育和学术研讨机构,它的繁荣兴盛与我国古文人的“自由精神”密切相关。书院首先体现了书院大师或文人的“学术自由精神”,其办学和教学形式、人才任用方式、政治上的独立精神和社会批判精神都体现了书院文人的自由精神。但这一“自由精神”在当时的历史条件下具有局限性。

As a special species of education and academic studies, the Chinese ancient academies of classical learning have close connection with “the spirit of freedom” of ancient literati. One of the most distinctive features of the academies is that the scholars advocate the spirit of academic freedom, which manifests itself in the ways of running school and selecting talent, in teaching forms, in the scholars’ independent political stand, and in their sharp criticism of society. Of course this spirit of freedom has its own defects due to historical conditions.