Confucius and Plato are recognized as great educators in the east and west, and they live in the same era. Their educational thoughts have a far-reaching influence on later generations and are of great significance, which is still worthy of attention today. But their thoughts also have some limitations. In today's society, the significance of their thoughts to future generations is indelible.
Second, educational thought.
Confucius and Plato's educational thoughts are very rich, thus ensuring the all-round development of students. They attach great importance to education and think that education should be the top priority of the rulers.
Confucius taught students that only by studying hard can they learn knowledge. He said, "I wasn't born to know, so old and eager to seek." [1] It means that even my teacher is not born with knowledge. Confucius said, "A gentleman is knowledgeable in literature, so he can make it polite and serve his husband." [2] This shows that he attaches great importance to the extensiveness of reading and uses etiquette to restrain his words and deeds so as not to deviate from the right path. Another example: Confucius said, "Prosperity lies in poetry, courtesy lies in ceremony, and success lies in joy." [3] However, Plato's educational thoughts are also quite rich. "So, what is this education? It seems hard to find anything better than the education we have found. This kind of education is to exercise through gymnastics and cultivate sentiment with music. " [4] Here are the teaching contents of music and physical education. From this point of view, Plato's educational content mainly includes three aspects, music and sports, geometry and astronomy. However, his content is far more than that. Plato's teaching content is not only rich and varied, but also attaches great importance to cultivating students' critical thinking ability.
The main idea of the two men when they treat the educational objects is the idea of equal treatment and equal treatment. Confucius advocated "teaching without class" [5] Plato said, "Then, in order to use women equally, we must educate women in two courses and also in the military." [6] Confucius advocates that everyone learns knowledge and everyone is equal, but at the same time he opposes students' ploughing and growing vegetables, which is very wrong. But Plato's education mainly wanted to train rulers for the country, and he advocated elite education.
As far as educational methods are concerned, Confucius said, "Don't be angry, don't be angry, don't be unhappy." If you don't turn around for three times, it won't be there. [7] It can be seen that he advocates heuristic education and teaching methods in accordance with their aptitude. According to the different characteristics and levels of each student, different teaching methods are adopted. This can make students full of confidence in their studies, and also allow them to give full play to their respective advantages. Plato, on the other hand, does not advocate forced learning, and puts forward the method of learning knowledge by playing games. He believes that learning knowledge is a kind of pure happiness without pain, but it is not the happiness that most people can have, only a few people can have it. But this is mainly reflected in the education of young children.
Third, reference and enlightenment
In the 2 1 century, quality education has become the most concerned issue in the field of education. It is related to many important issues such as the training objectives, training modes and talent specifications of education at all levels in various countries, and it is also the key to the rapid development and growth of every country and nation.
The so-called quality generally includes two aspects: one is the innate physiological and psychological characteristics of individuals; The second is the quality gained through environment and education. This is what Confucius called "sex" and "learning", that is, "sex is similar, learning is far away." [8] refers to people's temperament is similar, but gradually different due to different habits and dyes. Confucius said "sex" refers to human nature; "Learning" means learning and dyeing, which refers to the quality acquired under the influence of acquired environment and education. Therefore, it is emphasized that a person's success depends on his own efforts. The idea of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude and heuristic education advocated by him has been used to this day and has become the guiding ideology of education. Especially for higher education, his heuristic education thought is widely used. Fully encourage and stimulate students' thinking ability. Thus, Confucius' educational thought has an important influence in the history of China and even today's society.
Plato's educational thought also had a very important influence on later generations. Rational training and the cultivation of critical thinking ability are the main characteristics of Plato's teaching thought. In the whole teaching process, Plato always takes the development of students' thinking ability as the ultimate goal. Therefore, teachers must guide students, combine learning and thinking, and finally classify them as ideas. Teachers should be good at enlightening, inspiring and inducing students to enter this realm, so that they can suddenly realize their rationality after thinking hard. In addition, he attached great importance to the development of students' thinking ability and emphasized the discussion of the nature of things, which had great influence and enlightenment on later educators.
Their educational thoughts also have some defects. Confucius' universal education does not mean everyone. His contempt for women and women's education has always been a theoretical tool for the feudal ruling class in China to oppress and enslave women. At the same time, students are opposed to farming and vegetables, and they discriminate against agriculture. Plato exaggerated the importance of rational development in teaching. The teaching process of memory and meditation advocated by him reflects the idealistic tendency of understanding knowledge. In particular, he made reason absolute and isolated, which made reason opposite, thus becoming the theoretical basis of dogmatic teaching method of scholasticism in the Middle Ages. Moreover, because he advocated elite education, he did not fully show the popularity of education and failed to realize the popularization of education.
Four. conclusion
Confucius and Plato are great educators in the East and West, who have made great contributions to the development of world education and have irreplaceable positions. Their educational thoughts are very similar in many places, such as educational methods and educational contents. But they also have many opposite ideas, such as differences about whether people are born to know or learn to know. Although there are some shortcomings in their thoughts, their main ideological connotation still applies to today's education. It is important to take the essence and discard the dross, and make necessary changes according to the actual situation.