Study On The Controversy About The Idea Of High Education In England And American During The First Half Of The 19th Century

The idea of the university is the rational knowledge about substantive characteristics of the university, which is also the educational concept formed when people try to pursuit it. The concepts of University in different times have different connotations, even in the same times, based on different philosophical and the point of different interests, there are different Ideas of University.With the development of the technology in the first half of the 19th century, Britain and American society developed rapidly. New types of universities emerged under such background. The traditional educationists felt unprecedented threat from these changes. The traditional idea of university thought that by the studying of classical cultural knowledge which has eternal value of things, people can develop high moral cultivation, good quality, and promote the harmonious development of humanity. However, the utilitarian think that the goal of education is to make people solve real needs, meet the requirements of knowledge, which must have a real effect. Because of multiple factors, the debate between the utilitarian in the new universities and traditional educationists in traditional universities broke out intensely in the fields of Britain and American higher education respectively. The debate started from the late 18th century until the early 20th century .The philosophy of humanism and utilitarianism is the theme of higher education. During the long period of the debate, the relationship between the parties is not to overwhelm the other but to develop their own. In the later period, the conflict between the two had slowly showing of a trend of convergence.By analyzing the debate about the concept of University, it provides experiences and lessons and explores the options for China’s education. To be more exact, first, we need to hold the concept of the freedom of university, encouraging the different concept holders to understand each other so as to find a suitable way for development of the university. Second, We try to tap the essence of traditional culture, by which to cultivated a noble sentiment , a sound personality and good morals with strong sense of social responsibility of qualified college student. Last, the traditional education will enhance the human spirit and cultivate people’s sentiments, scientific education cultivate reason, transformation of human capacity, though both the two education to realize ultimate values of human while promoting social development.