洛克對通識教育的批判與建議

Locke's Criticism and Suggestions about General Education

10.7041/SCJLA.201201.0063

徐永誠(Yung-Chen Hsu)

洛克 ； 通識教育 ； 效益主義 ； John Locke ； general education ； Utilitarianism

實踐博雅學報

17期（2012 / 01 / 01）

63 - 83

繁體中文

洛克（John Locke, 1632-1704）是英國近代經驗主義大師。當時社會階級明顯，有錢有閒的自由人(即紳士)才能接受「博雅教育」（liberation education）。早期西方大學的「博雅教育」，即「自由（人）教育」，目的在培養通達智能而非專門技能的學生，類似現代大學的通識教育（general education）。洛克主張通識教育除應重視理性的開展，亦應兼具效益性和可行性。他強調教育乃在培養未來公民具備理性的能力，應重視禮貌和禮節，需具藝文氣息，懂得算術和法律的認知能力，了解地理和歷史，學習外語以利吸收新知、溝通或旅遊，強化基礎的學科能力以利未來深造，更重要的是紳士應其良好的品德和身體，以適應變遷的社會。洛克對通識教育的主張，強調效益論點（Utilitarianism），作為衡量學習或課程內容的標準，他批判不合時宜的課程與不適當的教學方法，所以他提醒教師教學時須瞭解課程本身的內容屬性，更應掌握教材由近而遠、由淺而深的次序，以利紳士（學生）學習。以現代眼光來看，洛克當時所欲垮養未來良好公民就是「紳士」，雖多少也受三百多年前英國社會狀況的影響，不過這些看法中有批判或建議，皆值得現今辦理通識教育者之參酌或做啟示。洛克主張「健康第一、以智養德」，以培養身心健全的人，並對通識教育提出以下建議：一、開展人的理性：通識教育的根基與核心目標。二、道德行為優先：教師應以身作則，身教重於言教。三、重視養身之道：透過通識課程，以培養學生良好的生活作息、技能和健康。四、課程學習在於奠定基礎能力。五、培養學習興趣和方法。六、快樂學習：多鼓勵少懲罰。

John Locke (1632-1704) was a contemporary British empiricist when the society was highly stratified in which only wealthy freemen, or gentlemen, could receive liberal education. In the early times, liberal education, like today's general education, was intended to educate students to develop a large range of interests and knowledge instead of be skilled in a particular field. Locke proposed the effectiveness and feasibility of liberal education besides the development of reason. He stressed that education should be intended to develop future citizens with reason, manners and etiquette, art and cultural qualities, cognizance of arithmetic and law, knowledge of geography and history, fluency of foreign languages to expedite knowledge gaining, communication and travelling, enforce academic fundamentals for advanced studies; above all, a gentleman should keep up high moral standards and be good in physical health to adapt to the changing society. Locke advocated utilitarianism as an approach to general education to assess the learning progress and the curriculum. He criticized out-of-time curriculum and inappropriate teaching methods, and therefore reminded teachers to understand the nature of the subjects and adopt a top-down approach that suits the gentlemen (or students). From today's perspective, the future good citizens that Locke was trying to develop are ”gentlemen”, whose views were more or less influenced by the British social context 300 years ago, but contain criticism and suggestions that can also serve as a reference and inspiration for educaters involved in general education. Locke advocated ”put health above all the things while developing virtue with wisdom” to develop physically and mentally healthy people, and made the following suggestions about general education: 1. Development of reason: the base and core of general education; 2. Moral behaviors first: teachers should set an example beyond lip-service 3. Stress on health: help students develop healthful body clocks, skills and health 4. Curriculum intended to establish fundamentals 5. Development of interest in learning and of methodology 6. Happy Learning: more encouragement, less punishment.

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