Ideological Research On Cai Yuanpei's Moral Education

Cai Yuanpei, one of the renowned bourgeois educators in modern China, has exerted a far-reaching influence on the history of Chinese education in view of his rich and diversified educational ideas. In particular, his moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and international view of education, together with his proposal of educational equality and independent education, are still a valuable cultural heritage. Moral Education, according to Cai, constitutes an extremely important part of civil education.The thesis consists of four chapters.The first chapter investigates the origin of Cai's moral education theory, who creatively integrated the Confucian theory of human nature with the relevant views of Aristotle, Kant, and other western philosophers educators.The second chapter presents a more comprehensive and systematic approach to Cai's ideological and moral education as the backbone of civil and moral education. It is argued that freedom, equality and fraternity established the moral framework of his theory, the various ways of and means to education are also discussed in details. The ultimate goal of his educational inspiration, as we argue, is to seek common prosperity and happiness for all through civil education. Finally, a critical analysis of Cai's Moral Educational theory, highlighting both the merits and demerits, is presented from a modern perspective.The third chapter presents an objective evaluation of the characteristics and the far-reaching significance of Cai's ideological and moral education in an integrative and innovative spirit.The last Chapter focuses on some modern implications of Cai's moral educational insights with a view to strengthen and improve the contemporary moral education.