“美育即情育说”商榷

Remarks on the Assertion that Aesthetic Education Is Sentimental Education

"美育即情育说"的来历是:以康德对心灵能力的知、情、意三分法为出发点,从席勒那里拿来美育的概念,由此形成了"美育即情育"的观点。实际上,这个观点既偏离了康德的美学思想,又偏离了席勒的美育思想。美育的原生的、基本的使命是促进鉴赏力。美育可以辅助情感教育,不过那是它的衍生的、次级的作用。情感教育跟美育是两码事。情感教育有两项内容,一是对受教者施行人生观、价值观的教育;一是使受教者学会用理智来引导和控制情感。所以,把美育定性为情感教育是不恰当、不准确的。跟情感教育相比,美育即促进鉴赏力的教育别有一套内容和方法。

The assertion that aesthetic education is sentimental education stems from Kant＇s tripartite division of the mind in- to knowledge, sentiments and will and Schiller＇s concept of aesthetic education. In fact, this assertion departs from the aes- thetic ideas of both philosophers. The original and basic objective of aesthetic education is to enhance the ability to appreciate beauty. True that aesthetic education can assist sentimental education, but this function is only derivative and secondary. We must not confuse aesthetic education with sentimental education which is composed of two parts. In the first part, the recipi- ent of the education is taught a philosophy of life and a system of values ; in the second, he learns to guide and dominate his feelings with reason. So it is incorrect and inappropriate to define aesthetic education as sentimental education, because the former, with the promotion of the ability to appreciate beauty for its goal, has contents and methods that are different from those of the latter.