성리학과 현대교육 - 교육의 신비에 대한 영성적 접근을 중심으로 -

Neo-Confucianism and Contemporary Education - A Spiritual Approach for Mystery of Education -

Contemporary education, being conducted under the premise of regarding education as a means of achieving external goals, exposes problems mainly caused by the dichotomous separation of perception and practice as well as the instrumental view on education. As an alternative to overcome these problems, this author, with an aim of setting internal educational goals which emphasize the metaphysical realism as an ultimate goal, suggests a spiritual approach towards the mystery of education witnessed in the neo-Confucianism, by focusing on the internal value judgment criteria within the educational activities. This paper shall particularly discuss and prove that the “engagement of mystery”, which studies and puts into practice not from a limited individual level but from the universal dimension by sublimating the daily experiences of an individual into an ultimate reality through the existence of reverence(敬), the spirit of neo-Confucianism that integrates organically the mind and body, and the learning and embodiment of rituals(禮), a cultural flow system of neo-Confucian spirit, is viable from the perspective of practice, and from the theoretical perspective of “Nature is Principle(性卽理)” which sees nature is principle, the twofold structure of the world is linked to the dual structure of education via twofold structure of mind. Identifying an the individual with the universe(天人合一) and completing myself as well as others(成己成物) show well the educational goal of neo-Confucianism. In order to achieve such educational goals, neo-Confucianism sees the educational curriculum as a dynamic structure between the universal nature and the individual reality, and stresses the balance and parallelism between learning and thinking, and “honoring virtuous nature”(尊德性) and “maintaining constant inquiry and study”(道問學). The educational review of neo-Confucianism with the above-mentioned goals, structure and methodology shall contribute consistently to the expansion of potential in developing alternative educational theories and conducting actual education.