孟子의 도덕교육론 - 性善의 확충을 위한 교수작용의 측면을 중심으로

Abstract

The moral categories in the Mengzi have a close affinity with those of Kongzi. Mengzi fostered the Kongzi’s teaching on virtuous rule and moral government, and taught benevolent government based on the virtue of benevolence. Mengzi set up a basis for Confucian teaching on human nature, and his teaching of the essential goodness of human nature has been accepted by most Confucian intellectuals. This study explores the Mengzi’s teaching of moral education focussing on his instructional method to expand the goodness of human nature. Instructional method refers to educator-centered transmission of values, and it concerns mainly on how to deliver the educational goal and content meaningfully to the educatee. The main concerns of Mengzi’s instructional method are teaching-standard setup, delivery of lecture key points, understanding of students’ talent and situation, and encouragement of students’ initiative. These points are all based on Mengzi’s assertion of good human nature, and aim at forming a ideal personality. Confucian ideas of education lie in raising the well-rounded person through moral education. The well-rounded person can be characterized by noble men and sages with benevolence and righteousness. This means that the ultimate goal of well-rounded education is to lead people to attain the sublime moral stage through education.