人的早产与教育起源——兼评理查德·利基《人类的起源》的教育价值

Prematurity of Humankind and Origin of Education——Comments on Pedagogy Value of Richard Leakey's "Origin of Humankind"

教育起源是教育理论研究中的基础问题,而人类起源是教育起源研究的逻辑起点。人科系统在演化过程中发展出脑子明显较大的一个物种——"直立人。"从"直立人"到"现代人"的确立,人属动物的脑体积出现不断扩大的趋势。脑体积的扩大与产妇骨盆尺寸的有限导致了人的早产并引发个体生命的无力自助和童年期的相对较长,从而需要父母给予更长时间的照顾的同时也有利于建立一种良性的师生关系。于是,以人的早产为中心的人类独特的生命现象便成为教育起源研究的历史逻辑。

The origin of education serves as the basis in the study of pedagogic theory, in which origin of humankind is the logic starting point. In the process of human evolution, Homo erectus emerged as a species with larger brain. From Homo erectus to modern human, human-like animals＇ brains have the tendency of becoming larger in its evolution. The growing volume of human brain and the limitation of women＇s pelvis led to the prematurity and physical frailty of individuals and relatively long childhood, which means parents need to spend more time to take care of children and it is helpful for the establishment of a positive teacher-student relationship. Hence, the unique life phenomenon centering on prematurity of humankind turns out to be the historical logic in the study of origin of education.