Source: Chapter VI of The Analects of Confucius: Studies and Articles of Confucius Disciples and Returned Disciples during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Confucius' education takes moral education as the core, puts the cultivation of students' moral concepts in the first place, and puts the cultural learning of book knowledge in the second place. Historically, due to the needs of the class, whether it is the slave owner class, the landlord class or the bourgeoisie, education serves politics, paying special attention to students' moral conduct and political performance, and putting "virtue" before "knowledge".
Confucius is to achieve this goal, cultivate all kinds of talents and meet the requirements of the class. "Morality" is more important than "knowledge". First, improve students' moral conduct, and then talk about learning. Therefore, Confucius asked his disciples to devote themselves to filial piety, faith, love for the masses, kindness, and cultivate good moral concepts and behaviors. If they still have free time, they will use it to study ancient books and increase their cultural knowledge.
Extended data:
Appreciation of Learning and Writing in Chapter 6 of The Analects of Confucius
In this chapter, Confucius talked about three levels. The first level is "filial piety is filial piety, filial piety is filial piety": filial piety, filial piety to parents and filial piety to brothers are all about ethical family love. Love your parents and brothers first, which is the basis of being a man.
The second level is "faith, love, public, kindness." To go to the society, we should be cautious, sincere and trustworthy, love everyone with the heart of loving relatives, get close to people with kindness and learn from others. If a person can do this, he will walk out of his own love, have great love in the world, and be able to do more things and go further for the society.
If the above two levels are achieved, Confucius put forward the third level, that is, "study literature if you have spare capacity." If you still have spare capacity, then learn cultural knowledge. Here, words and actions are integrated, which means that you should practice the teachings of sages.
These three levels are progressive. Confucius first demanded the love and filial piety of blood relatives to their parents and brothers. Then, it will develop into kindness to all people in the world and achieve "sincerity, faith, love for the public and kindness." After cultivating good virtues, it will further educate itself by learning cultural knowledge and achieve a higher level of progress.
In fact, this is the correct process of a person's personality growth pointed out by Confucius. The seven things of "filial piety, filial piety, honesty, faithfulness, love for the public, kindness and learning literature" are interlocking and progressive. Only with seven things can we think of people. Only when these seven points are achieved can we call them "people". We must first learn to be a man, and then learn knowledge and skills.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Learning and Writing of Analects of Confucius
Baidu Encyclopedia-Disciple Rules (one of the three major readings of traditional enlightenment in China)