自由教育及其可能——基于列奥·施特劳斯《什么是自由教育》

Defending the Liberal Education Imperative:An Interpretation of Leo Strauss “What is Liberal Education?”(1959)

列奥·施特劳斯秉承自由教育的古典精神,将自由教育与文化紧密关联起来,认为自由教育是在文化之中或朝向文化的教育。自由教育能唤醒人类的卓越,能让人们拥有德性和智慧,借自由教育可以促使我们从大众化的现代民主提升至原初意义上的民主。他认为自由教育可以通过以适当的态度研读那些最伟大心灵留下的杰作来实现,通过自由教育能引导人们透过现代浮华世界,探索通往未来美好生活的方向。列奥·施特劳斯的自由教育思想虽带有精英主义和保守主义的色彩,但其对教育真谛之阐释和对自由教育的追求仍对我国高等教育有着重要的启示意义。

Advocating the restoration of the spirit of classical liberal arts,Leo Strauss( 1899- 1973) hold that'liberal education is education in culture or toward culture.''Liberal education consists in reminding oneself of human excellence,of human greatness. 'In pursuit of wisdom and virtue,liberal education is'the ladder by which we try to ascend from mass democracy to democracy as originally meant'. Liberal education also'consists in the constant intercourse with the greatest minds'. Through liberal education,people can see through the shallowness and emptiness of modern life,and find ways to live a good life. Though Leo Strauss' ideas about liberal education are rather elitist and conservative,they can still provide helpful insights for higher education reform in China today.