經典敎育 硏究의 성과와 전망

Abstract

This article aims to examine previous discussions on Confucian classics and classics of all philosophers contained in Chinese classics textbooks to find a future direction for classics education. This is an approach of educational history to teach Confucian classics, one of the classic texts transmitted in East Asia and also examination from the view of subject matter education over sentences of classics and classics of all philosophers from the perspective of matters consisting of Chinese classics textbooks along with poems, novels, or prose. The discussion is largely divided into two parts. One is that classics education should be recognized as an inclusive, social matter and approached from the perspective of Chinese classics’ necessity and significance. This opinion is accompanied by the theory of developing cultural contents. And the other is to examine the discussions on the theory of classics education as theory of Chinese classics subject matter education from the view of subject matter education. This requires analysis on Chinese classics education comparatively with the elements of other subject matter education. This examination on the results of the discussions led to the consciousness of following problems. According to the result of inclusive and social approaches, we need clearer and more persuasive opinions on ‘what do we need to teach and why’. Among the Oriental traditional ideas contained in Confucian classics and classics of all philosophers, what could be the ones that can be highlighted in this age newly without damaging its meaning in the original context? Regarding this, researchers of classics education should be more careful and considerate. The problem left in the examination of classics education as the theory of subject matter education is that in subject matter education using Chinese classics textbooks, what kinds of educational materials classics education should select in more detail and how they would be arranged. The learning elements of Confucian classics and classics of all philosophers should be distributed and arranged within the text of Chinese classics subjects, and clear criteria for learning are needed for that. Here, it is necessary to consider synthetically not only ideological context but overall gravity and directional issues regarding syntactic elements, difficulty and hierarchy, and social demand of the times. Other than this, it is also inevitable to arrange sentences containing the contents of classics harmoniously with literary or historic prose in the Chinese classics textbooks and to establish ‘identity for the Chinese classics subject’. Regardless of any region or period, no classics have maintained their absolute status. Also, in that textbooks reflect periodic circumstances more directly than any other educational materials, classics education as subject matter education still internalizes valid and substantial meaning and infinite possibility of alteration.