英国古典教育演进历程中的若干问题及启示——兼谈对我国大学通识教育中经典著作学习的启示

On the Issues and Enlightenment of British Classical Education Evolution:Also on the Enlightenment on Classics Study of the General Education in Chinese Universities

在英国博雅教育演进历程中,古典教育曾发挥着重要作用,曾一度是博雅教育的代名词。16世纪初,尼德兰人文主义教育家伊拉斯谟到访英格兰是引发英国古典教育的因素,圣保罗公学古典课程的开设是英国古典教育萌芽的标志。英国古典教育兴盛的标志表现在四个方面:古典课程在公学和文法学校普遍开设,古典教育在英格兰和苏格兰的古典大学受到重视,古典教育在19世纪按照功利主义原则建立的伦敦大学也有一席之地,19世纪建立的以强调实用学科为特征的城市学院也承认古典教育的价值。兴盛的原因主要有三个:古典教育是绅士的教育,受到中上社会阶层的推崇;大学考试发挥了古典教育的推进器作用;教师的讲授激发了学生的兴趣。19世纪末,英国古典教育出现了式微现象。尽管英国大学的古典教育从兴盛到式微,表明它已经不再是今日英国博雅教育的主要内容,不再是博雅教育的代名词,但依然是英国博雅教育的组成部分,同时对我国大学通识教育中经典著作的学习有四点重要启示。

In the evolution of liberal education in Britain,classical education has played an essential role,and was once synonymous with liberal education.In the early 16th century,the visit of Erasmus,a Netherlandish humanist educator,to England was the factor that triggered British classical education,and the opening of the classical course at St Paul’s School was the germination of British classical education.The sign of its prosperity is shown in four aspects:classical course was widely offered in public and grammar schools,classical education was valued in classical universities of England and Scotland,and classical education had a proper place in the University of London,which was founded on the principles of utilitarianism in the 19th century,and Civic Colleges,which were founded in the 19th century and emphasized practical discipline,recognized its value.The prosperity derived from the fact that classical education was a kind of gentlemen education and was highly respected by the middle and upper social classes,university examination promoted the development of classical education,and teacher’s lectures stimulated students’interest.At the end of the 19th century,British classical education began to wane,indicating that it is no longer the main content of liberal education in Britain today and synonymous with liberal education.However,it is still an integral part of British liberal education and has enlightenment on the study of classic works of the general education in Chinese universities.