First, the source of aesthetic education
1, Cai Yuanpei listed aesthetic education as one of five kinds of education (the other four are military nationalism, materialism, moralism and world outlook) in 19 12, and translated the word "aesthetic education" from German.
2. Cai Yuanpei was influenced by western philosophy and aesthetics, especially Kant's thought. He believes that aesthetic feeling is a bridge connecting the phenomenal world and the physical world, which can transcend the interests, break the separation between people and me and cultivate noble and pure habits.
3. Cai Yuanpei was also influenced by China's traditional aesthetic thought. He believes that the rites, music and books in ancient education in China all contain aesthetic elements, and the literature, art and architecture of past dynasties have played an aesthetic role in informal education.
Second, the content of aesthetic education
Cai Yuanpei believes that aesthetic education includes two aspects: appreciating beauty and creating beauty.
2. Aesthetics is to cultivate the feeling and understanding of beauty and improve aesthetic ability and taste by watching natural scenery, appreciating literary and artistic works and visiting art galleries.
3. Creating beauty means expressing one's views and feelings about beauty through painting, sculpture, music and poetry, and showing one's personality and creativity.
Third, the purpose of aesthetic education.
Cai Yuanpei believes that the purpose of aesthetic education is to cultivate a lively and keen mind and a noble and pure personality.
2. Aesthetic education can improve people's spiritual realm, make people reach the material world from the phenomenal world, and pursue transcendental value.
3. Aesthetic education can promote harmony between people, eliminate xenophobia and prejudice, and realize humanitarianism.
Science and religion of aesthetic education
I. Aesthetic Education and Science
1, Cai Yuanpei believes that science and art are the two pillars of modern western culture.
2. Cai Yuanpei respects science and advocates science education, but he also points out that science cannot solve all problems and satisfy human's pursuit of the meaning and value of life.
3. Cai Yuanpei advocates that while advocating science, we must advocate art (that is, aesthetics) in order to reconcile knowledge and emotion and realize the benign development of culture.
Second, aesthetic education and religion.
1, Cai Yuanpei put forward a controversial point in the article "On replacing religion with aesthetic education": replacing religion with aesthetic education.
2. Cai Yuanpei believes that although religion can meet the needs of human beings for transcendental value, it also brings many disadvantages, such as superstition, prejudice and conflict.
Cai Yuanpei believes that aesthetic education can achieve the effect of religion, but it gets rid of the disadvantages of religion, because aesthetic education can make people contact with the concept of the material world without believing in any god or dogma.