The Enlightenment To Middle School Moral Education From Zhuxi’s Moral Education Thoughts In Zhangju On The Great Learning

Being a famous thinker and educator of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhuxi is also an epitome of Science and a crowner of the ideology system of moral education in Confucianism. Zhuxi, whose moral education thoughts are particularly reflected in the article of Zhangju on the Great Learning, has a preference for the Great Learning and also attaches great importance to it, during his entire life of academic and educational experience. In this essay, on the basis of combing the background of his ideological system in this book, the author analyses its moral education thoughts, distinguishes the different periods of moral education between the Great Learning and the Elementary Learning, puts forward the moral education target of making one’s virtues shine, renewing the people and striving for perfection, straightens out the moral education steps of "things being investigated"、"knowledge becoming complete"、"their thoughts being sincere"、"their hearts being rectified"、"their morality being cultivated"、"their families being regulated"、"their states being rightly governed"、"their whole kingdom being made peaceful", and sticks to the moral education method of valuing action but not neglecting knowledge. By analyzing the existing problems of moral education in middle schools, the author discusses the reference of Zhuxi’s moral education thoughts on the moral education in middle schools, that is, prioritizing the moral education, constructing good environment, emphasizing gradual process, embodying learning hierarchy, focusing on individual differences, advocating teaching students in accordance of their aptitude, confirming subject spirit, carrying out the moral education of subjectivity, guiding the unity of knowledge and action, reinforcing social practice. However, Zhuxi’s moral education thoughts was a creation under the historical condition of feudal society, so it would have a great limitation. Therefore, we should adopt the scientific attitude of historical materialism, absorb its essence as it is, and then innovate continuously. Only in this way can we make Zhuxi’s moral education thoughts an important resource of innovation in the present moral education in middle schools.