南京國民政府 初期 自由主義 敎育思想의 實驗 ― 蔡元培의 大學院制․大學區制 ―

Abstract

In the period of Nanjing Nationalist Government, carrying out a system of the board of education and the district of university was an experiment based on liberalism which was pushed ahead in educational part. The three goals that Ts'ai Yuan-pei pursued through the system were, to propagate scientific research and method, to foster the custom of labor, and to arouse an interest for arts. Among these, generalization of science and art (when the scientification aims just, wealth and power country, the distribution of art is to be learned the value of mentality and the beauty of nature) was an esthetic education among five educational goals that Ts'ai Yuan-pei, the Minister of Education in the early Republic, suggested in 「an opinion about a course of education」(「對於敎育方針之意見」). In this article, he insisted that it should be separated with educations subject to and not subordinate to politics, and an educationalist should transcend the boundary of nation and pursue universal values for the future. Thus, he claimed that the ultimate goal of education is the human evolution and that the things lead the evolution are scientific research, artistic work, and the mind of "Sacrifice oneself for the good of many people"(舍己爲群). In this way, he tried to transplant the universal value to chinese students for the future. Also, the goal for fostering custom of labor is based on the 'sacred labor' already advocated in 5.4 movement. It was to break down the tradition that the intellectuals influenced by Confucianism made light of manual labor. it can be said that there were influences of Anarchists participated in the educational reform as well. The district system of the board of education and university was not only a big experiment to realize the educational ideal but also an important reform against old structure to achieve educational and academical independence. In practical, however, this ideal of Ts'ai Yuan-pei, as he pointed in 「Statement about the system of the ministry of education」(「關于大學院組織之談話」), had a limitation from its birth because it was progressed in a hurry by Ts'ai Yuan-pei, Li Shih-tseng, Wu Chih-hui who were once absorbed in Anarchism when Nanjing Government was focused on military affairs to conquer the north so that it couldn't afford to support national education. After the success of the expedition Kuomintang soon took a policy which rules over China by the party itself(以黨治國), and emphasized a unification of ideologies. However, Ts'ai Yuan-pei’s liberal ideology intended independent education against politics and it was reflected to the district system of the board of education and university. Educational independence and the academic freedom can't coexist with 黨治思想, an idea of governing the country by Kuomintang. Education cannot but subordinate by politics under the idea and the governor would take education under his control. It can be said that the people in the party who criticized the district system kept the idea in mind. 14th of August, 1928, in the fifth general meeting of Kuomindang, the party reorganized a government based on Sun wen's 「The general principle for founding a country」(「建國大綱」) and resurrected ministry of education. Ts'ai Yuan-pei noticed that the board system wouldn't maintain no longer and therefore, resigned. After the revoke of Ts'ai Yuan-pei’s board system, the district system was kept up in a hard way. However the blames were becoming severely because of followings. First, the district system of university which aimed to internalize the administrative organs of education into school itself couldn't pass over government officials' class-consciousness. Secondly, the president of university had huge managing works. Thirdly, a social recognition that the principle who was in charge of compilation of the budget laid disproportionate emphasis on university in the distribution of educational budget caused intense discontents among secondary schools. The conflict between Ts'ai Yuan-pei and Li Shih-tseng which was caused by naming Beijing University and Peiping district of university was also the reason for the reproach. However these are unessential problems and it can be improved through the enforcement of the system. The problem was that as Kuomintang defined the idea of governing China by itself(以黨治國, one-party rule), the experiment of liberal education should stop in China. Furthermore, an elder statesman, Ts'ai Yuan-pei who had a hatred for and rejected military clique and Communism thoroughly couldn't deny Sun wen's ruling principle. Afterwards, as a director of central institute, he devoted to research and cultivation of men talented. 1920's when nationalism was overflowing the period and absorbed by dictatorship of either the Left and the Right, liberalism was always outsider in every part of society. Nevertheless it cannot be concluded that the ideal of liberalists had failed because that the love for humanity of sacrifice(舍己爲群), customization of labor and scientification, distribution of art which can enlighten people to experience the value of mental world and the beauty of nature are Ts'ai Yuan-pei's educational ideals and these are universal values which the Chinese at the present days should pursue.