Applying The Thought Five Constant Virtues Of Confucianism To The Vietnamese Moral Education Today

It could be said that the value of an ideological theory is reflected in its vitality and spread. Confucianism is a political- moral theory that was originated from China over 2,000 years ago and until now, it has been fully powerful. It not only exists in the native country where it was born, but also spreads and deeply influences the surrounding countries including Vietnam. When mentioning to Confucianism, each Vietnamese also knows it because its closeness to their life.The thought “five constant virtues” is a basic content in the political- moral theory of Confucianism, and it was born and developed in connection with the birth and development of Confucianism. Undergoing thousands of years of existence, the thought “five constant virtues” has ruled and powerfully influenced the moral education for people not only in China but also in the countries influenced by Confucianism, including Vietnam. Along with Confucianism, the thought “five constant virtues” was early imported to Vietnam, combined and mixed with the thoughts of the Vietnamese forming a part of traditional moral values of Vietnam. Through historical periods, the thought “five constant virtues” has been always inherited and applied to the human moral education by dynasties as well as Confucian scholars of Vietnam creating a great number of generations with the comprehensive personalities and ethics.In Vietnam, in the modern society nowadays, Confucianism in general and the thought “five constant virtues” in particular no longer play a key role. However, as a part of traditional moral values which is a solid foundation of modern values, it’s essential to research and find out the positive values of the thought “five constant virtues” to inherit and apply to the human moral education today, especially in the stage that serious moral degeneration started to appear. As a result, I decided to select the issue “Applying the thought five constant virtues of Confucianism to the Vietnamese moral education today” as a research topic for my doctoral thesis. This thesis consists of 5 chapters and focuses on interpretation of some basic contents as bellows:1. Thesis confirms the sustainable vitality and Confucianism’s values in general and ideology of the five constant virtues in particular for social development, education and human morality. It is not only the value impacting directly on the country it was born, but even in those countries where it spreads to, that Vietnam is typical.2. The thesis confirms that Confucian has imported into Vietnam in the early days. Throughout the long-term survival, Confucianism in general and ideology of the five constant virtues particularly has entrenched gradually and become indispensable culture in the spiritual life of the people of Vietnam, contributing significantly in the creation of Vietnamese civilization. Imported into Vietnam, Confucianism has been fused and harmony in the thought way of Vietnamese people and gradually it has formed a part of the cultural tradition of Vietnam, become the Vietnamese Confucianism. Therefore, Confucians of Vietnam, Chinese and other countries have many similarities and differences.3. The thesis analyzes to clarify the inheritance and manipulate ideology of the five constant virtues into moral education of Vietnam people through the historical period of the Vietnamese Confucian such as Nguyen Trai, Le Thanh Tong; Nguyen Binh Khiem; Nguyen Dinh Chieu; Phan Boi Chau. Especially Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary inherited the basic contents of ideology of the five constant virtues to form his revolutionary ethics, and applied them to education of moral revolution for Vietnam People today4. Moreover, the thesis confirms that the process of penetration, osmosis of Western morality in Vietnam society, on the one hand, it has built, enriched moral values of the nation, but on the other hand it has corrupted the traditional moral values. Especially through the actual survey and the real analysis and evaluation, thesis confirms that in Vietnam today, the phenomenon of moral downturn and degradation has reached alarming level in the fields of social life, and in all segments of the population. There were so many unethical phenomenon occurring and spreading like a serious infection. The traditional moral values have been faded, despised, the spiritual values have been eroded, and the morality and human personality have been corrupted. These consequences are mainly due to the neglect of traditional moral education.5. On the basis of theories of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, The thesis initially indicates some ideas of applying the positive value of the five constant virtues into moral education of Vietnam people, expressed in three dimensions: family morals, school morals and social morals, namely: to be applied to: educate affection, the interior disciplines of the family home; to be applied to education "first respecting value of people morals, then learning literacy", "respecting the teachers and morality", "the heart and scope" of the teachers at the school; to be applied to education of professional ethics for leaders, for entrepreneurs, and for team of medical works.