『논어』 도덕교육론의 당위성과 보편성

Abstract

The Analects of Confucius contains a variety of theories about the education between Confucius and his pupils, who lived in the confusing Spring and Autumn Period, when the old social order was collapsing, found the solutions in education, and particularly emphasized moral education. Today we are living in an era of confusion when the old social order is collapsing and a new one is not formed yet. Morality and moral education are emphasized as a means of solving all kinds of absurd social phenomena taking place in this era of confusion. Assuming that there were similarities between today’s social situations and the Spring and Autumn Period, this study set out to examine the facts about the necessity of moral education between Confucius and his pupils and explore universal elements to consult when providing moral education today. Confucius believed that people had similar innate qualities and varied in moral personality and social position due to acquired habits. Based on the belief, he tried to bring up political talents with moral dignity and thus build an orderly moral society through acquired education along with his pupils in an era of collapsing moral orders in society. They also attempted to complete an ideal person through moral cultivation. Furthermore, they granted various meanings to simple moral concepts in ancient Confucian books like the Book of Odes and the Scripture of Documents including humaneness, righteousness, courtesy, knowledge, filial deity, politeness, loyalty, trust, and forgiveness, thus enriching moral theory and offering moral education based on it. The study found elements for today’s moral education to consult among the moral education theories in The Analects of Confucius, and they include a harmonious educational attitude between the past and future, between learning and thinking, and between theory and practice and also an educational attitude of taking the initiative and setting an example. The study especially emphasized the importance of practice education as much as theory education in moral education. It stressed that moral education should go beyond the school walls and proceed in cooperation of all members of society instead of only in the dimension of social education or only by educators. For those reasons, the study argued that some theories about moral education between Confucius and his pupils in The Analects of Confucius should have some values to consult even today, which is the necessary and universal significance of the moral education theory in The Analects of Confucius.