Whole-Preson-Education-翻译

WhatisthepurposeofWhole-PersonEducation?Thepurposeofwhole-personeducationistohelpstudentsbecomecreative,compassionate,thoughtful,problem-solverswhofindhappinessasindividualsandwhocontributetothewell-beingoftheirfamilies,communities,societies,andtheworld.Itistohelpstudentsbecomewholepeopleinawholeworld.WholePersonEducationseekstoavoidthetrapsofnarcissismandcollectivism.Wholepersoneducationrightlyseekstoavoidtwotraps:narcissismandcollectivism.Thefirstistofocusonindividualhappinessattheexpenseofthewell-beingofsociety.ThisisatrapintowhichliberaleducatorsintheWestsometimesfall.Theycanbetoostudent-centered,wronglyencouragingstudentstothinkthattheirownindividualhappinessandthataloneiswhatismostimportantinlife.Wheneducatorsfallintothistrap,theyencouragenarcissism.IntheUnitedStatestoday,manythoughtfuleducatorsaretryingtodeterminehowtoavoidthetrapofexcessiveindividualism,whichhasbeenaproblemintheWestsincetheriseofmodernity.Theyareemphasizingcommunityserviceandundergraduateresearchaimedatsolvingpracticalproblemsintheworldasintegralaspectsofholisticeducation.Thesecondtrapistofocusonsocialneedandgroupcoherenceattheexpenseoftheindividual.ThisisatrapintowhichChineseeducationsometimesfalls.Itistoosociety-centeredandauthority-based,wronglyneglectingthevalueandworthoftheindividualstudent.InChinatodaymanythoughtfuleducatorsaretryingtodeterminehowtoovercomethisproblem,bothforthesakeofthestudentandforthesakeofthenation.Theyareemphasizingthatawholenationneedswholepersons,andthatamorestudent-centeredapproach,tailoredtotheneedsofindividuals,isgoodforthestudentsandgoodforthenation.Wholepersoneducationisbuiltupontheproposal–thehope--thatseekinghappinessatapersonallevelandcontributingtothewell-beingofotherscanbecomplementaryratherthancontradictory.Itsimplicitmottois“WholePersonsinaWholeWorld.”WholePersonEducationaimsatbeauty.Awholepersoncanalsobecalledahappyperson.ByhappinessIdonotmeanpleasurealone,althoughpleasurecanbeanimportantpartofhappiness.InsteadImeanasenseofsatisfactionthatcomesfromfulfillingone’screativepotentialanddwellinginharmonywithotherpeople,thenaturalworld,oneself,andthelargercontextoflifeorheaven,inagoodorvirtuousway.IborrowtheideathathappinessandvirtueareconjoinedfromAristotle,whobelievedthatthecultivationofhappinessandthecultivationofvirtuearetwosidesofasinglecoin.AndIborrowtheideathatvirtueconsistsofharmonywithotherpeople,thenaturalworld,one’sownheart,andheavenfromTheWesternInscription,shortarticleofonly253characterswrittenbyZhangZai(1020-1077),aNeo-ConfucianphilosopherintheSongDynasty.Mysuggestion,then,isthatthefourhorizonsofharmonyarealsofoursourcesofhappiness.Sometimessomeofthesesourcesarenotavailabletousandwemustlookelsewhere.Weareunhappyinourrelationswithotherpeoplebutweturntothenaturalworldorheavenforsolace.Wearedoubtfulaboutourrelationswithheavenbutwefindsomethingdivine–oratleastsacred–inourrelationswithotherorwiththenaturalworld.Inthecourseofalifetimepeoplemayturnfromonesourcetoanother,buttheidealistobenourishedbyallfour.Ofcourse“happiness”isnottheonlynameforhappiness.InWhitehead’sphilosophyotherwordsandphrasesarealsousedtonametheaimorgoalofanindividual’sjourneyinlife:satisfaction,richnessofexperience,harmonyandintensity,adventure,peace,andstrengthofbeauty.Beautyisespeciallyimportant,becausethereisindeedanaestheticdimensiontohappinessthatissometimesneglectedifwelimitourselvestoethicalcategories.IndeedWhiteheadbelievesthatthewholeuniverseandeverycreaturewithinitisalwaysseekingbeauty,understoodasacombinationofharmonyandintensityintheenjoymentofexperience.ForWhiteheadevenheaven–evenGod–seeksbeauty.God’sbeauty,thinksWhitehead,isGod’slovefortheworldandGod’sreceptionoftheworldintothebeautyofthedivinelife.WholePersonEducationrecognizesmultipleformsofintelligenceandemphasizesempathy.Herebeautyisnotanameforbeautifulobjectsperceivedbythesenses,thoughsuchobjectscanindeedbebeautiful.Insteadbeautyisakindofrichnessthatemergesin,notapartfrom,relationswithothers.Inhumanlifeandalsoindivinelife,thisrichnessincludessadnessthatarisesthroughempathy.Empathyisbynomeanslimitedtohumanbeingsor,forthatmatter,adivinebeing.Studiesshowthatotheranimals–elephantsandchimpanzees,forexample–canalsoempathize.Empathyis(1)acapacitytounderstandandappreciatetheperspectiveofotherpeople,includingpeoplewhoareverydifferentfromthemand(2)acapacitytosharein,andbeaffectedby,thesubjectivestatesofothers.Itisperspective-takingandstate-sharing.Fromtheperspectiveofconstructivepostmodernism,then,oneoftheaimsofwholepersoneducationistohelppeoplebecomeempathic,notonlysothattheycanhelpbringaboutthewell-beingofsociety,butalsosothattheycanbecomehappierintheirownindividuallives.Empathyisaformofwisdominitsownright,complementarytootherformsofwisdomwhicharealsoimportant.AcognitivepsychologistandeducationaltheoristatHarvard,HowardGardner,speaksofempathyasoneofeightformsintelligence.Theyeightformsare(1)verbal-linguistic,(2)logical-mathematical,(3)visual-spatial,(4)rhythmic-musical,(5)bodily-kinesthetic,(6)naturalistic,(7)intrapersonal(self-awareness),and(8)empathic.Const