On Theory Of Moral Education Space

There went a research tide and a study tendency towards the space in the west since “The Production of Space” by Henry Lefebvre was published in 1970 s. Some Chinese scholars started to study the widely defined space from a variety of perspectives, i.e. from philosophy, natural science, social science, astronomy and geography, architecture, aesthetics and they have made certain accomplishments. The study on moral education space, however, has not developed until recently. Many theories mushroomed in a series, e.g. Theory of Moral Education Process, Theory of Moral Education Value, Theory of Moral Education Governance, Theory of Moral Education Culture, Theory of Moral Education Dialectics, Theory of Moral Education Function, Theory of Moral Education Subject, Theory of Moral Education Resources, Theory of Moral Education Practice, Theory of Moral Education Opportunity, etc. All these theories have enriched and furthered the Moral Education Philosophy and carried forward the moral education research, but the structure of the Theory of Moral Education Space still need to be adjusted and perfected. The process of moral education is inseparate from moral education space, which plays a basic and key role in the process of moral education. Therefore, the author decide to take the Theory of Moral Education Space as her doctoral thesis subject.The thesis has explored the connotation, operation, predicament, application and construction of the Theory of Moral Education Space with the purpose of deepening the comprehension of it. Several methods are adopted in the research such as theoretical analysis method, comparative study, and method of integration of multi-disciplines. Theoretical analysis method is used to analyze many theories such as philosophical theories, ethical theories, psychological theories, social theories, spacial environmental theories, and to reach a rational conclusion at the end. Comparative study is adopted to obtain enlightenment from comparing our ancient Chinese philosophers’ educational theories with those of domestic and foreign scholars in the field of moral education space study. Method of integration is applied to expand the thoughts of research from the integration of philosophy and space, philosophy and psychology, philosophy and education. The body of the thesis consists of five chapters.Chapter One is the interpretation of Space Theory. The author mainly explains how Space Theory developed from three time perspectives, i.e., modern and contemporary Western, and Modern China, centering on three key points, which are “theoretical origin”, “theoretical reference”, and “theoretical support.” This chapters starts from the connotation of the concept, mainly illustrate the constituents, characteristics, types and functions of moral education space. As the concept is complicated, the author delves into its core from the surface, the way of peeling off an onion. The core includes the connotation and characteristics of material space, psychological space, spiritual space, and social space. Then the multi-angle analysis further moves into the constituents of moral education space, i.e., space forms, material forms, and cultural forms. Then a conclusion is reached that moral education space has four natures, which are objectivity and subjectivity, infinity and finiteness, sociability and authority attribute, stability and expansibility. The advantages and disadvantages of the fourteen types of moral education space are revealed too--natural space, man-made space, tangible and intangible space, collective and individual space, acquaintance and stranger’s space, conventional and unconventional space, virtuous and vicious space, open and closed space--which point out that moral education space has three major functions of protection, formation and cultivation.Chapter Two studies the basis and references of space theories. First, the thesis elaborates on Marx’s space theory and analyzes the global space production as well as the structure of the inner space within a city. Then it steps on the western space theories--mainly analyzing Lefebvre’s theory of space production, Bourdieu’s theory of field, Foucault’s view of ectopic, and Jameson’s postmodern view of space. It is followed by the exploration into the theories of relevant disciplines, e.g., the moral education view in Dewey’s educational thought and in the environmental psychology. Finally, analysis is made about the theories put forward by some Chinese famous scholars, i.e. space philosophy, theory of field in moral education, and universal education theory. The probe into the theories of the scholars home and abroad help set a solid foundation for the theoretical structure of this thesis.Chapter Three centers on the function of moral education space, mainly introducing the three functions of moral education space, i.e., protection, cultivation and restriction.In Chapter Four, the author gradually unfolds, from the surface into the essence, the discussion about the predicament for moral education space and its causes. After analyzing the misunderstanding about the cognition, separation and utilization of moral education space, the author tries to make readers perceive the current predicaments of moral education space in reality. In the space of cognition, this part of the thesis analyzes the problems that exist in the selection of spaces from the different spaces. In the space of separation, it analyzes the contradiction between the public and private spaces caused by the separation of space, as well as that between the bodies being in the field and out of the field. In the space of selection, analyses are made about why the usage of the space in the classrooms is greater than that of the space outside the classrooms; why the usage of the space on campus is greater than that of the space off campus; why the usage of the real space is greater than that of the virtual one; why the usage of non-daily space is greater than that of daily space. Then the author continues to explore into the reasons of the predicaments in selection of moral education space, centering on the misinterpretation of the virtue education, the exam-oriented education system, exaggeration of safety, etc. The cognition that takes virtues as knowledge together with the intellectual moral education and rational moral education have restricted the utilization and development of the spaces outside the classrooms. The safety factors being over-valued have made conservative and closed the utilization of moral education spaces. The severity of theoretical shortage has bounded the development and innovation of moral education space.The last chapter focuses on the choice and construction of moral education space. The author studies the practice of moral education space from the views of selection and construction. First, this chapter discusses the selection of moral education space from the perspectives of the subject, reference, principle, and strategies, pointing out that the subject of selection of moral education space is usually educators who possess the rights of space utilization, separation, and combination. The selection of moral education space should follow certain rules and should be made according to the goals, features, objects, and contents of the moral education, so as to make it more scientific and effective. In choosing the space, practitioners should stick to the coordination principle, complementary principle, consistency principle, and adopt the strategies of integration, advantages over disadvantages, and teleonomy. What’s more, the construction of moral education space is expounded in this chapter, with a conclusion that it should be performed in accordance with the principles of profitability, people foremost, and cooperation of multi-parties, in order to strengthen the real effects of moral education.