What timeless and universal educational values exist within Confucianism that can inform teaching and learning in my life and in my classroom?
First off, I would point out that from my reading, it seems appropriate to reference Confucianism rather than directly referencing Confucius since he was most likely not even around when these Analects took written form. Confucius can certainly be credited with inspiring a tradition of educational and cultural philosophy, which many disciples and followers have taken up to ultimately create these Analects. (Arthur Waley warns, however, that a couple of the books in the Analects have been, in his opinion, carelessly assembled within this text, but they do not represent authentic Confucius thought. Therefore, I will be paying most attention to the books within the Analects that are suggested to be the most Confucian.)
With those caveats, I'll turn back to my question. I believe that there are timeless and universal values within education practice that do not need to be lost in a world of constant reform and innovation.
Confucius' philosophy is directed at teaching the proper "Way" for which noble gentlemen and ladies should follow to be superior in character and behavior (p. 34-35). (I am taking the liberty of modernizing his philosophy to be inclusive of women.) Therefore, it is important from the outset to recognize that a primary (if not the) "instructional goal" of Confucianism was in the development of moral character his students to have the integrity, work ethic, and sincerity that ancient rulers have mastered before them. To achieve a harmonious society, this cultural legacy must be honored. Those who can honor and live by the "Way" can contribute to a more harmonious society; those who do not would be considered a small or common person. While Confucius most likely educated wealthy noblemen during his era, his philosophy is not limited to any one class. Anyone who would follow his teachings would merit the identification of the "chun-tzu" as opposed to a common person (p. 34).
The "Chun-Tzu" is a term for noble gentleman or lady who maintains superior character and behavior in his or her life. As far as I can understand from this point of my reading, the purpose of the Analects and the education associated with it is to develop this "Chun-Tzu" cultural identity within those who study it.
This point is interesting to me because in modern schools, I am not aware of many explicit standards or educational expectations that students be taught values of integrity or good moral character. They are penalized if they do not have it, but we do not have standards to teach and explain integrity in the same way as I have standards to teach and explain how to write an essay. In addition, we live in a post-modern society with so many different views on what is and is not "moral" that this may be more difficult to do today. When I think of where my students learn their moral character, it seems to only explicitly come from their parents or their religion if they have one. Moral development in my classroom comes implicitly through the process of learning together in a shared space. Despite our post-modern society and moral relativism, I believe that it may still be possible to inquire into these values that Confucius wants us to consider. As far as I know, integrity, respect, and kindness in social interaction seem universal enough to at least explore and inquire into more explicitly in a classroom setting.
Next, I will be diving into the actual Analects themselves to expound on how they could inform education practice both in and out of the classroom.
