实用主义哲学视野中的高等教育——关于布鲁贝克和他的《高等教育哲学》

Higher Education in the Sight of Pragmatism Philosophy——Comments on Brubacher and His Book of On the Philosophy of Higher Education

随着知识的现实作用越来越突出,当代高等教育已经无法回避价值问题而回到纯粹客观研究的"象牙塔"状态中。布鲁贝克看到了这一事实,在他回应美国高等教育合法性危机问题的时候,他一方面肯定传统高等教育追求客观真理的理性传统,另一方面也强调高等教育对使得自由求知得以可能的社会具有义务。在其《高等教育哲学》一书中,他以实用主义哲学为依据,确信在民主主义社会生活模式下真理和价值结合的可能性,由此提出高等教育应以民主主义原则处理高等教育事务,并在理性与民主平衡下不断敞开对"高深知识"及其价值后果的探求,使高等教育在能继承其客观性传统的同时,亦能理性承担社会责任。

With knowledge becoming more and more powerful, higher education can＇t avoid value intervention and re- turn to ＂ivory tower＂ of purely objective research any more. This fact has been noticed by Brubache. In response to Amer- ican higher education legitimacy crisis, Brubache confirmed the rational tradition to pursue objective truth, and at the same time he emphasized higher education＇s obligations to the society which can make knowledge pursuing possible. In the book of On the Philosophy of Higher Education, which is based on pragmatism philosophy, Brubache convinced that it is in democratic society that truth and value could combine together in social life. He then put forward that higher education should handle its issues on democratic principles, and keep on seeking ＂higher learning＂ （expertise） and its values on the balance of ration and democracy, so that it can inherit its objectivity tradition and undertake its social responsibilities at the same time.