book review 2
There seems to be no end to the debate about college education, and for me, I have been thinking about it since I entered college two years ago. Perhaps because of this, reading this article has caused more resonance. Newman's article, which is full of idealism and humanistic feelings, is from a distant voice more than 150 years ago, but it still plays a strong role of reference and reflection at present, especially at the moment when humanistic education in university is lacking and utilitarianism is rampant.There seems to be no end to the debate about college education, and for me, I have been thinking about it since I entered college two years ago. Perhaps because of this, reading this article has caused more resonance. Newman's article, which is full of idealism and humanistic feelings, is from a distant voice more than 150 years ago, but it still plays a strong role of reference and reflection at present, especially at the moment when humanistic education in university is lacking and utilitarianism is rampant.
The core point of Newman's article is that "knowledge itself is the end". In his view, university, as a place of education, should provide students with a platform for free study and communication, expand the scope of university subject teaching, and form a pure and clear ideological atmosphere among many scholars. Students should receive "free education" and form "philosophical habits".
From Newman's point of view, the problem is obvious from the point of view of Newman. First of all, the subject teaching in colleges and universities in our country focuses on the acquisition of professional subjects. After entering the university, most of them only need to focus on the course of this major, and lack of strong humanities general education as the basis. Sophomore, in addition to the professional basis, although there are seemingly interdisciplinary knowledge of the relevant elective courses, but. As those who have attended classes know, these courses in most schools are only "water lessons" for students to cope with the customs, and they simply do not play a role in constructing their own vast subject knowledge system. And all the branches of knowledge are interrelated and integrated, and all majors, no matter what major they are studying, are all concerned.
A wide range of knowledge of various disciplines, especially books on humanities and deities. Even if they do not seem to be relevant, they can give us more wisdom, a broader vision to better, Ia test study and life, but also to their own more subtle impact.
Second, the education in the system of our country is too far away from the word "freedom", and the political interference in school education is seriously excessive. We often say that intellectuals should pursue the spirit of independence, and the same is true of individual learning knowledge and educational thinking. These in themselves should be free, pure and independent. As the inscription of Mr. Wang Guowei on Tsinghua University campus: "the spirit of independence, the thought of freedom, thousands of sacrifices, and the sky for the same time, a total of three light and eternal light." However, under the Chinese system, knowledge itself is difficult to seek for its simple purpose, often become some means and tools, resulting in great constraints and restrictions on teachers and students. Under such circumstances, where does "free education" begin?
Third, utilitarianism is seriously spreading in Chinese colleges and universities, and officialdom is infecting the campus soil. After receiving the influence of college entrance examination-oriented education and the influence of the social environment, many students enter the university with a strong purpose to learn knowledge. Of course, this purpose is by no means knowledge itself, replaced by quite utilitarian material and realistic needs, delivery, good work, buying a car and buying a house to live a good life, and so on. To take a course is not to pay attention to the knowledge it contains, not to seek truth, not as a search for self-discovery, but to pay attention to how to get through, how to get high marks, and how to brush GPA. Knowledge has become a useful tool, a bridge for certification.
Knowledge has become a useful tool, a bridge of proof, the so-called means of getting ahead. "knowledge itself is an end", which emphasizes more free enjoyment in the process of learning knowledge than other purposes and outcomes. Of course, I need to add that when I talk about this point of view, I agree with Newman's point of view and support the preservation of the purity of knowledge. But utilitarian is also a kind of self-chosen attitude and way of life. Any utilitarian has its meaning of existence, and there is no clear difference between error and correctness. By implication, I oppose utilitarians, but respect everyone's self-choice.
Such as this, the domestic university education is indeed far from Newman's ideal university concept. (mainly reflects on domestic education through Newman's words, temporarily neglecting the inevitable personal limitations of the times in Neuman.)
Nevertheless, we should not be overly pessimistic. We should see the summer university in China in recent years, Wanmen University.
The youth space of a big city and so on belong to the emerging folk forces. They all see the lack of some education in the domestic campus today, and try to make up for it outside the system.
By the pursuit of education and the search for the spirit of the university. As an individual, what I want to say is that the brave save themselves and the saints save themselves.
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