康德论道德教育

Kant on Moral Education

康德的道德教育思想十分丰富,除了在《论教育学》和《系科之争》中阐发了他多年的从幼儿到青少年的教学经验以及对国民教育的见解之外,在《道德形而上学奠基》、尤其是在《实践理性批判》的"方法论"部分,全面系统地展示了他关于道德教育的哲学意义和具体步骤,论证了道德教育的本质不是外在的教条灌输,而是对每个人的理性本质的内在的启发,道德教育的方法虽然可以把榜样的示范当作初级入门的手段,利用人的感性初步形成某种道德习惯,但这还只是道德教育的准备性的第一步,真正的道德教育却在于从这种榜样的感性激动作用中领会到它的理性的普遍法则、并最终归结到自己心中的自由意志的自律,这才能使学习者摆脱伪善,从表面的合法性进到真正的道德性。最后,在《道德形而上学》的"伦理学教学法"中也提出了由道德教师来酌情掌握的三阶段的技术法规,即面授法、问答法和对话法,这是很实用的。

Kant expressed his comprehensive insights on moral education in different works.Besides his illustration of his thoughts on preschool education,adolescent education and national education in his Lectures on Pedagogy and The Conflict of Faculties,Kant systematically demonstrated the philosophical significance and concrete steps of moral education in Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and Critique of Practical Reason,especially in the"Doctrine of Method"in the latter.Kant argued that the essence of moral education has nothing to do with dogmatic preaching,but constitutes itself by inner illumination of the rationality of every human being.To set examples,or to form some habits of moral conduct by sensory stimuli,is no more than the first step of moral education.The authentic moral education,according to Kant,is much more about making progress from sensory inspiration(examples)to the comprehension of the universal validness of the moral law and the autonomous power of free will.Only by these steps,could the moral agents as rational beings free themselves from hypocrisy,and grow from mere external legality of behavior to inner morality of motivation.Besides that,three methods provided by Kant in the Doctrine of the Methods of Ethics of Metaphysics of Morals,namely,the methods of lecture,dialogue and catechism,are all quite pragmatic and efficient in the process of moral education.