人的可塑性与教育的可能性——荀子教育思想的再解读

The Plasticity of Human and the Possibility of Education--Reinterpret Xunzi’s Thoughts of Education

把荀子所言的'性恶'理解成性本恶,性已然为恶,这会带来逻辑的矛盾。荀子认为人性的'恶'是潜在的,同时人也能求善,实际上人是未定型的,具有可塑性,这是荀子教育思想的前提。他采取从'天道'到'人道'的思维模式结合'心知'官能的理性成分论证了'礼'作为主要教育内容的合理性。人具有多种发展方向,因而教师、环境对人的引导起着关键性的作用。与孟子相较,荀子的教育思想具有更多'强制性'的色彩,同时也更为注重受教育者发展的可能性和多元性,这对现代教育有借鉴意义。

To interpret the Xinge(Human nature Is Evil) of Xunzi as man is innately evil will bring logical contradictions. Xunzi believed that human nature is potentially evil, and at the same time human is able to pursue good. Actually, human is not case-hardened but plastic, which forms the premise of Xunzi’ s education thoughts. To demonstrate the rationality of "Li" as the main content of education, he combined his thinking mode from Tiandao to Rendao, and the rational constituent of the cognitive capability of the mind or Xinzhi. Since a person may develop in multiple directions, the guidance of teachers and the environment will play a key role. Compared with Mencius, the education thoughts of Xunzi is more compulsory and pays more attention to the possibility and the pluralism of the educated, offering reference for contemporary education.