Uncle Jia: Wang Yangming put forward the educational thought with "to conscience" as the core, which still has reference significance for modern education, which is embodied in the following aspects: first, the standard of being a man, and second, the method of education.
In terms of living standards, Wang Yangming asked everyone to be "conscientious". He said: "Conscience is the big mind of learning, and it is the first meaning that saints teach people. If the cloud looks at the ending of the story, it is crazy and has fallen into the second meaning. " He also put forward the purpose of "sincerity", that is, learning knowledge on the premise of correct thinking and pure motivation. If the idea is correct, the unity of knowledge and action means that words and deeds are consistent, and no lies are told and no harm is done. These thoughts are basically consistent with modern people's ideas of independent personality, self-awareness, free will and equal treatment of others.
In terms of educational methods, Wang Yangming emphasized that education should follow the natural laws of human development. Excerpt from the Manual:
"Generally speaking, children's temperament is to love to play and hate constraints, just like a grass and a tree just sprouting, which can grow rapidly and flourish; If we urge and suppress them, they will only weaken and dry up.
"People who educate children only urge students to read sentences and practice their homework every day, asking students to restrain themselves and not know how to use etiquette to induce them; I only hope that students are smart and dexterous, but I don't know how to cultivate them with kindness; Treat students who make mistakes as prisoners and only know how to draw ropes. In this way, children regard the school as a prison and refuse to go to school; Treat teachers as enemies, but don't want to see them. So, they took the opportunity to play truant, lie and make trouble for fun; Therefore, it is wanton and naughty, and gradually tends to be frivolous and obscene. In this way, we inadvertently drive them to do evil, but hope they do good. The two will only contradict each other, how can they work?
"To practice etiquette, you must meditate and be serious. Teachers should carefully observe the etiquette details of students and examine their looks and manners. They should not be negligent, lazy, complacent, shy, casual or rude. Calm, but not pedantic and dull; Practice hard, but don't be nervous. After a long time, manners can be perfected and virtues can be firm.
"The teacher lectures not in quantity, but in whether you are good at it. According to the student's qualification, if he can know 200 words, call him 100 words. If students are always full of spiritual strength, then they will not hate learning because of their efforts, but will be willing to learn because of their own gains. When reading through, students must concentrate, read aloud and think, word for word, and ponder repeatedly; Syllables should be cadenced and thoughts should be broad and empty. Over time, students will be polite to others, and their wisdom will increase day by day.
"What schools do is to achieve virtue. People have their own strengths, some are good at music, some are good at politics and religion, and some are good at soil and water management and planting. This requires further training their talents according to their achievements in school ... "
Obviously, Wang Yangming's educational thought is consistent with the viewpoint of modern psychology. His words are like criticizing some current educational phenomena. Wang Yangming devoted himself to education, mainly in the form of running an academy, through which he taught "conscience". Many people admire Yangming's theory of mind, worship Wang Yangming as a teacher and become his disciples.