“形而上学”的憧憬或拒斥:赫钦斯与杜威论争之实质

The Vision or Rejection of Metaphysics:The Essence of the Debate between Hutchins and Dewey

基于古典形而上学及其真理观,赫钦斯批判了当时美国高等教育的混乱状态,即职业主义、孤立主义与反理性主义等。杜威赞同赫钦斯所提出的旨在改变现状的教育计划,但并不认可他为推行这一计划所找寻的理论基础,即一种具有形而上学倾向的关于知识与实在关系的论说。受工业革命与现代科学影响,杜威坚信,实在源于实践的型塑,并随着实践深化而发展。人的努力可以改变实在,同时也改变着"真理"与人生,而具备了这种意识与能力的人才堪称智慧而又自由的人,教育所要做的就是依据新的自由观与智慧观来培养人。从现实出发还是从原则出发,理论、经典是被看作教条还是行动的工具,在这些问题上,杜威与赫钦斯有了鲜明的分歧从而引发了学术史上一场有名的论争。

Based on the classical metaphysics and its theory of truth, Hutchins criticized the chaotic state of American higher education of the time, namely, professionalism, isolationism and anti-rationalism. Dewey agreed with the plan of education proposed by Hutchins aiming at changing the status quo of education, but he didn＇t agree with the theoretical basis for the implementation of that plan, namely, a theory about the relationship between knowledge and reality with metaphysical tendency. Influenced by the industrial revolution and modern science, Dewey believed that reality was originally shaped by practice and developed with the deepening of experience. Human can change reality through effort and change truth and life at the same time. Human who have the awareness and ability can be considered as intelligent free man. What education has to do is to cultivate human based on the new theory of the liberty and wisdom. Dewey and Hutchins have distinct differences on many questions, such as starting from the reality or prin- ciples; theory and classic works being regarded as dogma or tools. All those differences led to a well- known debate in academic history.