对赫钦斯通识教育大学理念的再认识

美国著名的高等教育理论家和实践家赫钦斯针对当时盛行的实用主义教育思潮之弊端,提出了一整套以通识教育为核心的高等教育思想。他认为通识教育是整个社会教育尤其是大学教育的基础,它对抽绎永恒人性,培养学生良好个性,加强大学凝聚力等方面都起着积极的作用。主张大学应担负起引导社会前进的职责,而不应为迎合市民大众的浅近需要而盲目地随波逐流。认为大学教育的目标应执着“人性”而非着眼“人力”。赫钦斯的高等教育理念对美国乃至世界高等教育的发展产生深远影响,对当今我国高等教育改革与发展仍具有积极的启示和借鉴意义。

Revisited the Hutichs' Idea of General Education in Higher Education

R.M.Hutchins,one of the most prominent educators in American history,advanced a comprehensive set of higher educational ideas aiming at the prevailing malpractice of pragmatism.He deemed that general education was fundamental to higher education and played a positive role in developing the eternal humanity,in cultivating students' excellent personalities and in enhancing the cohesive force in universities.He affirmed that universities should take on the responsibility of steering the society rather than catering for the public injudicious needs and blindly drifting with the tide.Therefore,he upheld the aim of higher education should be on humanity rather than on manpower.His penetrating judgments produced a profound influence on American higher education.His ideas of university still bear positive inspiration and reference to the reform and development underwent in China.