论贺拉斯·曼教育改良社会的思想

On Horace Mann’s Thought of Improving Society Through Education

教育改良社会的思想是贺拉斯·曼公共教育思想的重要组成部分,通过不断探索教育与人性、国家以及社会之间的关系,贺拉斯·曼形成了教育是人类趋向完善的加速器、教育是捍卫共和国自由的堡垒以及教育是稳定社会秩序的道德事业等教育思想。贺拉斯·曼教育改良社会思想的形成受到第二次宗教大觉醒运动中人性进步观念、社会改革精神以及颅相学教育观念的影响,源于他对通过教育解决美国社会问题的不断思考与实践。贺拉斯·曼的公共教育思想与实践促进了美国公共教育的复兴和共和精神的传播,但公共教育却并非是治愈美国社会弊病的解药。

Improving society through education is an important part of Horace Mann’s public educational thought. By constantly exploring the relationship between education and humanity,the state and society,Horace Mann formed the educational thought that education is the accelerator of human tendency to perfection,that education is the fortress of defending the freedom of the Republic,and that education is the moral cause of stabilizing social order. The formation of Horace Mann’s thought of improving society through education was influenced by the concept of human progress and the spirit of social reform in the Second Great Awakening,and the concept of moral education in phrenology,and it originated from his constantly thinking and practicing of solving American social problems through education. Horace Mann’s educational thought and practice promoted the revival of American public education and the spread of republican spirit,but the public education wasn’t a solution to the problems of American society.