Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Reason and Education pp 7–18Cite as

Rationality and Human Dignity — Confucius, Kant and Scheffler on the Ultimate Aim of Education

  • Chapter

Abstract

This paper argues that certain influential views to the contrary, without an overall aim of education no philosophy of education is neither complete nor intelligible. On this assumption, it intends to show i) that in spite of the absence of the explicit statement, a certain view on the ultimate aim of education implicitly underlies all specific educational views of Professor Scheffler, which should be defined in terms of rationality constituting human dignity, and which the author of the paper is convinced to be the most adequate among other competing views, and ii) that in this respect Professor Scheffler stands on the same line at least with two great philosophers of education: Confucius and Dewey.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Notes

  1. Peter is impatient with the endless talks about the aims of education. He argues that the talks about the aims of education are in reality the talks about ‘procedural principles’. But procedure is necessarily procedure of something, which presupposes certain objectives. Without deciding the aim or value we want to seek, the concept of procedure is unintelligible. Aim and procedure should not be confused. On this issue, see Richard S. Peters, ‘Must an Educator have an Aim?’ in Steven M. Cahn, ed. The Philosophical Foundations of Education (N.Y.: arper & Row, 1970) as well as ‘Aims of Education in R.S. Peters, ed. Philosophy of Education (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Quoted by James Conant’s Introduction in Hilary Putnam, Realism with a Human Face, J. Conant, ed. (Cambridge, M.A., Harvard University Press, 1990), p. XXX.

    Google Scholar 

  3. See James Conant, Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

  4. See Donald & Barbara Arnstine ‘Rationality and Democracy: A Critical Appreciation of Israel Scheffler’s Philosophy of Education’ in Synthese, January 1993, p. 30.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Israel Scheffler, Of Human Potential (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985), p. 15.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Israel Scheffler, In Praise of Congnitive Emotions (N.Y.: Routledge, 1991), p. x.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Israel Scheffler, Reason and Teaching (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1973), p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  8. In Praise of Cognitive Emotions, p. X.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Israel Scheffler, Philosophical Models of Teaching, in Reasons and Teaching, p. 62.

    Google Scholar 

  10. See his works: for instance, The Anatomy of Inquiry (N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, 1963) Science and Subjectivity (Indianapolis: Bobbs Merrill, 1966), Inquiry: Philosophical Studies of Language, Science and Learning (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  11. See Israel Scheffler, ‘Science, Morals and Educational Policy’, Reason and Teaching.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Israel Scheffler, Four Pragmatists (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1974) p. 254.

    Google Scholar 

  13. See Of Human Potential, p. 93.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ralph Barton Perry, quoted by Israel Scheffler, Of Human Potential, p. 123.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Of Human Potential, p. 124.

    Google Scholar 

  16. ‘Reflections on Educational Relevance’, in R.S. Peters, ed. in Philosophy of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Synthese, 1973, p. 131?

    Google Scholar 

  18. In Praise of Cognitive Emotions, P. X.

    Google Scholar 

  19. ‘Philosophical Model of Teaching’ in Reasons and Teching, p. 76.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Of Human Potential, p. 39.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ibid., p. 39.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ibid., p. 103.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ibid., p. 103.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ibid., p. 38.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ibid., p. 77.

    Google Scholar 

  26. See ‘La psychanalyse existentielle’ in Jean Paul Sartre, L’etre et le neant (Paris: Gallimard, 1943).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Confucius, The Analects, tr. D.C. Lau, (N.Y. Penguin Books, 1979) (2/7).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ibid., (12/1).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ibid., (3/17).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Herbert Finarette, ‘A Confucian Metaphor’ in Roger Eastman, ed. The Ways of Religion (N.Y. Harper & Row, 1975) p. 238.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

  32. See William K. Frankena, Three Historical Philosophers of Education (Scott, Foresman and Company, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  33. See Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. POSTECH — Philosophy, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea

    Ynhui Park

Authors
  1. Ynhui Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248054, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

    Harvey Siegel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Park, Y. (1997). Rationality and Human Dignity — Confucius, Kant and Scheffler on the Ultimate Aim of Education. In: Siegel, H. (eds) Reason and Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5714-8_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5714-8_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4362-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5714-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation