Kant said: Man is not only the only existence that needs education, but also the only existence that can be taught. So why are people teachable? Different scholars have different views on this issue. Some people advocate that "human nature is good", "human nature tends to be good" or "human beings have innate moral endowment" People who are "good in nature" believe that moral education is only to cultivate those transcendental moral endowments that exist in human nature, and it is to "inspire" and "awaken" people's moral consciousness and moral conscience. So far, the theory of "human nature is good" has no scientific empirical basis in physiology, genetics and psychology. It is obviously unscientific to explain human civilization with "human nature is good", which can only lead to "moral spontaneity". The author believes that the possibility of ideological and political education mainly lies in the educatability of the educational object. This can be explained from the following aspects.
First of all, the essential attribute of human beings is the social foundation of the object of education.
Ideological and political education is a practical activity about people's ideological work. Whether this activity can improve people's ideological and moral realm will be restricted and influenced by many factors, but the first factor is undoubtedly people's own characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary for us to explore the possibility of ideological and political education from the perspective of human nature.
The problem of human nature is one of the themes that philosophers have been thinking about. They tried to reveal the essence of human beings from various angles, but because they failed to grasp the essence of human beings from reality, most theories could not stand the proof of practice in the end. Marx dialectically absorbed the ideological essence of philosophers of all ages, explored human nature based on human reality, and clearly pointed out that "human nature is not an abstract thing inherent in a single person, but in its reality, it is the sum of all social relations." ① "The essence of human being is the real social connection of human being." (2) Marx's exposition on human nature laid a social theoretical foundation for explaining that people can be educated.
1. The essential attribute of human beings shows that human beings are social animals and can only survive and develop in society. As Marx pointed out: "Man is the most veritable social animal, not only an animal in Zhong Hequn, but also an animal that can be independent only in society." ③ People's ideological and political views in a certain social relationship are neither innate nor unchangeable, but are constantly formed and developed under the influence of social environment, communication and education. People's thoughts, feelings, concepts and other ideologies must meet the requirements of society in order to adapt to the society in which they live. As an important social education practice, ideological and political education is to find out the laws of people's thoughts and behaviors, and make people's thoughts change in the direction required by social development. The ideological views, political ideas and moral norms put forward meet the current or long-term development requirements of society. Then, as the object of education, as long as people want to stand on and adapt to this society, they will inevitably have the inherent need to accept the political ideas and moral norms put forward by ideological and political education, which is closely related to their own survival and development interests, and is also the value choice they must make to adapt to this society. For example, today's society vigorously advocates socialist morality with collectivism as the core, which is an important content of socialist spiritual civilization and also the requirement of today's social development. As a member of society, if you don't accept this kind of education and cultivate this kind of moral quality unconsciously, you will be selfish in your work, study and life, and you will be spurned by your colleagues, classmates or neighbors, and eventually you will be out of tune with society and eliminated by society. The essential attribute of human beings shows that human beings are always social animals and can never be separated from the society in which they live. The more society develops, the more individuals cannot live without society, and the more they need to internalize the ideological, political and moral requirements put forward by society.
2. The essential attribute of human beings determines that the object of education has the tendency of group cooperation and belonging. In real life, the object of education always has relations with others and survives and develops in the complicated social relations and criss-crossing social networks, so it can communicate with others, establish various social relations including educational relations, actively absorb all kinds of ideological information sent by the educational subject and receive education. This tendency of group cooperation and belonging also determines that the object of education can be influenced by others and social environment. Through reflection, we can change or deepen our original ideological understanding in order to gain the affirmation of others and society, so as to transform and improve our own thoughts.
3. The essential attribute of human beings is morality in social life. Animals are completely dominated by instinct in their communication with the same kind, and there is no distinction between good and evil in their behavior. On the other hand, people are different from animals. In social life, in the process of interacting with others, I can be aware of the consequences of my actions and the responsibilities I should bear. They can evaluate and reflect on their own behavior according to the standards of good and evil about social life formed under certain social and historical conditions, affirm the praiseworthy virtues of others, and reflect their most common interests, intentions, wishes and hopes for the future through "goodness". A person may be illiterate because he has no cultural knowledge, and may be ignorant of law because he has no legal knowledge, but he cannot be a person without any moral concept because he has nothing to do with morality. Morality is a special social ideology, which has a strong history and inheritance. As a specific value concept, psychological phenomenon and behavior mode, it can be passed down from generation to generation. In social life, the moral and cultural psychology gradually accumulated by human beings in the long-term social life is acquired by the educated objects through hearing and understanding, and it is their internal trend of pursuing truth, goodness and beauty, which determines their internal need to accept the ideological and political views and moral norms representing "goodness" ideologically and psychologically.
In a word, human nature, that is, human sociality, determines that people can be edified in ideological and moral aspects, thus making it possible to carry out scientific ideological and political education for "people" in real society. In this process, educators should grasp the characteristics and laws of ideological and political morality of educational objects from the perspective of complex social relations, strive to seek people's thoughts and their changes from the status quo and changes of social relations, and fully realize the concreteness, complexity and dynamics of people's thoughts. The essential attribute of human beings requires educators not to work from the perspective of human thought in isolation, but to use and mobilize various social forces to educate the educational objects according to the influence and function of social existence, social relations and social environment on human thought. Only in this way can we correctly set educational goals and adopt appropriate educational methods so that the educated can receive our education.
Second, human's natural attribute is the physiological basis of the object of education.
The natural attribute of human beings provides a physiological basis for ideological and political education to choose educational methods.
1. The natural attributes of human beings include physiological structure, physiological function and physiological needs, which are the characteristics that distinguish human beings from other animals in biology. Natural attributes make people become living natural beings, and provide people with living life as the "spirit of all things" for the existence of ideological and political education objects.
2. The most basic manifestations of human nature are appetite, sexual desire and self-preservation, which are the material prerequisites for the existence and development of all human nature. If ideological and political education is based on people's natural attributes, follows people's natural needs, and adopts reasonable material incentives, the educated object can consciously cultivate moral qualities affirmed and recognized by others and society, and implement ethical behaviors, that is, the educated object can accept the ideas or theories conveyed by ideological and political education. If people's natural attributes are put aside and natural needs are completely replaced by spiritual needs, the object of education is simply unacceptable and the possibility of ideological and political education cannot be transformed into reality. Therefore, any education must conform to human nature in order to be accepted by the object of education. Ideological and political educators must never adopt a pseudo-scientific view and an ascetic attitude. We should treat human nature with a correct attitude and scientific vision, respect and care for people, fully understand the rationality of the legitimate material needs and instinctive desires of the educational objects, carry out ideological and political education on the premise of reasonable satisfaction, and enhance the human touch of ideological and political education. This is an education that conforms to human nature and a modern ideological and political education that is "people-oriented". Only in this way can we build an emotional bridge between the object of education and educators, impress people with emotional power, and lay a psychological foundation for the object of education to receive ideological and political education in the deep heart. Ideological and political education should be based on people's natural attributes, choose reasonable educational methods and improve the effectiveness of education.
Third, people's subjective initiative is the practical basis of educational objects.
Animals act by instinct and are passive, while people are purposeful, conscious and pragmatic. People have subjective initiative. People's subjective initiative plays an important role in practical activities, which stipulates that practical activities develop in the direction of achieving goals. The subjective initiative of people in practical activities determines that the object of education will never receive education passively, but actively, and can cooperate with the educational subject to implement the education plan, complete the education task and realize the education goal.
1, the educational object has self-driven practical initiative. They can mobilize themselves, according to their own needs (such as thirst for knowledge, learning needs), interests and value standards, and actively obtain all kinds of ideological information about political positions, ideals and beliefs, values and moral norms sent by educators, others and society. In fact, any external role and influence can not be separated from the choice and internalization of the educated object. In the final analysis, any progress of the object of education is achieved through one's own will and efforts. The transformation of educational objects is actually the result of self-transformation of educational objects under the action of external factors. Therefore, the effect of ideological and political education depends more on the internal understanding and self-practice of the educational object than on simple indoctrination and preaching. People's self-drive determines that the educational object can not only master all kinds of information, but also actively identify, select, transform and internalize all kinds of beneficial ideological information, that is, to realize spiritualization in the psychological world of the educational object, which is embodied in the formation of correct political concepts, the improvement of ideological realm and the cultivation of moral behavior.
2. The object of education has the conscious initiative of outward introspection. They can selectively reform and deepen the ideological and political theories they have learned, reflect and test all kinds of ideological information sent by educational subjects, analyze, judge, choose and learn. They can also perceive and reflect their thoughts and behaviors as knowledge objects, and have the ability of evaluation, introspection and self-control. The initiative of this kind of consciousness determines that the object of education can take the initiative to examine the external information, and even after accepting the wrong ideological information, it has a tendency to discover and transform it in time. With the development and wide application of the Internet, the conscious initiative of educational objects is particularly important in the practice of ideological and political education. The online world is an "open world" and a "virtual world". There is no "natural barrier" on the network, and the mixed information on the network may bring negative influence and impact to ideological and political education. It is important to restrain people's unhealthy online activities by establishing network moral norms and network legal norms, but its consciousness initiative plays a decisive role in making the educated consciously "civilized online" and "moral online". Only when the educational object has the conscious initiative of outward introspection can it take the initiative to examine the online information and think about what information should be believed and accepted and what information should be resolutely discarded. Recognizing and respecting the initiative of self-reflection of educational objects is an important prerequisite for effectively improving the ideological and moral quality of educational objects in online ideological and political education.
3. The object of education has the subjective initiative of self-education. Self-education refers to the education in which the object of education regards itself as a combination of subject and object, that is, self-learning according to the needs of social development and their own needs and interests, so as to make themselves a highly introspective, self-disciplined and energetic educational activity. In the process of self-education, the educated can consult the required ideological and political information in various ways, exchange experiences with others or discuss a political event or moral issue, and take the initiative to ask relevant questions to educators to clarify misunderstandings. Man's initiative in self-education is manifested in that the object of education can actively choose and learn political, economic, cultural and moral knowledge that is beneficial to his own development and social progress, and can actively improve his knowledge level and ideological and political consciousness through self-learning. Self-education plays an irreplaceable role in the field of ideological and political education with its unique charm of initiative, enthusiasm and rationality. It shows that the object of education is not only "teaching by others" but also "self-study". This is the internal mechanism and way of ideological and political education with the possibility of educating people.
Fourth, people's beliefs are the psychological basis of the educational objects.
What is faith? The author understands it as people's deep worship and "ultimate belief" in something (people, things, theories, etc.). ), reflected in their persistent beliefs and persistent pursuit. Belief is universal and a psychological objective existence. Faith is a profound emotional sustenance and supreme spiritual pursuit. It can give believers the spiritual basis and sacred experience of practicing faith, and it is an eternal call and commitment to people's spiritual life. Once a person has a certain belief in his heart, even if he can't reach it, he will have enough courage and perseverance to pursue it persistently. Comrade Deng Xiaoping particularly emphasized the role of faith, believing that faith is a spiritual motive force. He once said: "Why can we struggle out under very difficult circumstances in the past and overcome thousands of difficulties and dangers to win the revolution?" It is because we have ideals, Marxist beliefs and communist beliefs. "People are always looking for a sense of belonging in ideology. People's belief in a certain ideological concept, value orientation, moral norms or political system is their psychological basis for accepting ideological and political education, which can effectively enhance the effect of ideological and political education. Aside from the psychological support of faith, any education of ideals, beliefs and values is pale and powerless. Even if the educated can be forced to passively accept and obey, it is difficult for them to internalize from the depths of their hearts and consciously take this as the criterion of action. When a certain ideological and political theory is internalized as the belief of the educational object, it can internally determine its ideological and moral realm and even the whole mental outlook. As long as ideological and political educators actively explore effective ways of faith education and implement them in specific work, a benign interaction mechanism between faith education and ideological and political education will be established. Based on this, ideological and political education will get twice the result with half the effort.
Fifth, people's self-development needs are the dynamic basis of educational objects.
The object of education has the inherent requirement of self-development. In the social practice of understanding and transforming the world, people urgently need scientific theoretical knowledge to arm their minds and guide their actions. They hope to improve their thoughts through study, so as to establish correct values, political stance and moral consciousness, and make themselves a modern person who knows how to deal with the world and adapt to social development. This self-development shows that the object of education can be developed and shaped, which provides a powerful internal motivation for the object of education to actively accept the scientific knowledge transmitted by ideological and political education and consciously internalize it into correct ideas. Educators should take various effective measures to stimulate the potential development desire of educational objects and develop their physical and mental potential. The starting point of ideological and political education should focus on the development of educational objects, infiltrate educational guidance into their diversified activities, organically combine their internal development needs with external norms and guidance, and make them consciously internalize and actively implement educational content. In this process, educators should actively encourage and guide the correct development tendency of educational objects, and strive to create and provide various material and spiritual conditions to help them develop; For the wrong development tendency of the educated, we should carefully analyze the reasons, do their ideological work patiently, persuade them to give up their hobbies that are not conducive to social progress and individual growth, and gradually improve the self-development ability of the educated, so that they can consciously choose correct values, ideals and beliefs and moral norms in ideological and political education to develop their own ideological and political ethics.