昆体良的自由教育思想及其现实意义

On the Ideas of Liberal Arts Education of Quintilianus

昆体良针对急功近利、不注重基础知识的教育时弊,提出在学习雄辩术之前应施以自由教育,以使专业教育建立在广博的知识基础之上。他通过系统的论证说明自由教育不仅是必要的,而且是可行的。他认为教育的终极目的就是求知,而自由教育正是通往这一目的的起点。昆体良关于自由教育的见解有助于我们更好地认识今日大学通识教育的理念及意义。

In view of the problems of Roman education which was utilitarian and neglected the learning of basic knowledge,Quintilianus proposed that liberal arts education should be performed before studying rhetoric to base academic education on erudition.Through systematic reasoning,he demonstrated that liberal arts education is not only necessary but also feasible.He argued that the final aim of education is acquiring knowledge,to which the first step is liberal arts education.His views of liberal arts education would help us know better about the idea and significance of general education at universities today.