质疑教育研究中的相对主义

Questioning the Relativism in Education Studies

本文分析了教育研究中的相对主义现象。相对主义主张,教育研究的观点或思想是基于个人立场的,不同的观点之间具有相对性,而不具有普遍的理由判断真假。相对主义是知识论上"唯我论"者。这种"唯我论者"把思想、知识、真理也理解成私人的,从而造成教育研究的平面和平庸,造成理论思想的贫瘠,也造成教育实践的混乱。本文在反思相对主义的基础上,主张教育研究是一种基于普遍的理由而提出正确观点的认识过程,研究意味着客观、理性的认知,其目的是表达可辩护的论点,这是按照理据推论出有理由即合理的结论的过程。这意味着研究者要尽量排除个人立场、偏见、利益取向,基于普遍的理性、理由、理据判断自己的观点是否合理,并使自己的观点接受公共理性的检验。对于教育研究而言,超越相对主义是一个迫切的方法论任务。

This paper discusses the trends of the relativism in education studies.According to the relativism,thinking and ideas are based on personal affections,stands,bias and perspectives.Ideas are relative as there are no universal reasons to make right-wrong judgment among them.Epistemologically,the cognitive relativism is solipsism in knowledge,which regards thoughts,knowledge and truth as personal and private.This leads to perishing theories,confusion in practice,poor and mediocre educational studies.This paper critically reflects on the relativism and argues that educational studies imply the reasoning processes in which the right ideas are presented according to the universal and objective reasons.The aims of educational studies are to make rational and defensible conclusions through reasoning.Thus researchers and scholars ought to eliminate personal biases,private preferences and affections in the process when examining with public reasons,have critical reflections on studies and researches,and lay the claims or ideas on solid foundations supported by evidences,warrants and reasons.For current education studies,it is an urgent task to surpass the cognitive relativism.