Reflection On Instrumental Rationality In The Goal Orientation Of Higher Education In China

The education goal plays a guiding role in all practices in the field of education. This essay discusses the deep association between the problems in China’s higher education and instrumental rationality in the goal-setting process. Therefore, to reflect on the values held in the reform and development process of China’s higher education helps us further grasp the essence of higher education so that we can gather more consensus and strength to help promote the development of higher education in its own logic.Firstly, starting from the definition of education goal, this essay analyzes the orientation of education goals and put forward the idea that the education goal should be oriented to cultivate the ideal personality of individuals, not the other ways. Secondly, through a historical investigation into the goal orientations in China’s higher education, this essay highlights four historical stages of values held in higher education and reveals the situation that instrumental rationality has been dominating China’s higher education ever since its beginning. In goal orientations, gaining social interests is above achieving personal benefits. People-oriented values have been marginalized economically and politically due to the exclusion from nations, societies and even interest groups trying to gain interests politically and economically. As a result, the value and independence of higher education itself no longer exist because an instrumentalized education goal will inevitably lead to a degradation of people’s own value. Finally, this essay gives some suggestions to China’s future higher education i.e. people-centered idea should be revitalized in higher education to reassure the value of higher education itself. Only when higher education can succeed in cultivating personality of individuals, can the social values be highlighted.