On Hegel’s Educational Theory

In Hegel’s system of Philosophy, there is presented a reasoned, articulated account of the total organic round of Evolution. In Hegel’s point of view, education of the individual human being only can be complete by being at once physical, social and religious. The first specific formula of the evolutional process through which the students must pass mainly under the guidance of the teacher is that so-called "ages of man". There is a self-evident proposition that the evolution of the individual is to be raised to a relative perfection from a state of imperfection. And education is playing a really big role during this process. Hegel think highly of the imitation in children’s behavior, cause the imitation lead to habit, and habit is the established form of character. Indeed, with Hegel the true aim of all, education is just to transform the human’s second nature—natural—into the higher natural—rational. The process of instruction can be described as a subtle, progressive interaction between two minds, one is relatively mature, the other is relatively immature, which the latter submits itself under the guidance of the former. Hegel is in accord with thoughtful educators generally as to the superiority of ancient language over modern language for purposes of intellectual discipline. Those who claimed that the ancient language’s place in the course of study ought to be given up to some modern language is based upon a total misconception of the truly instruction and education. Form, serving as means to education, appears in the received course of study under three aspects:1. Geography; 2. Geometry; 3. Drawing. Hegel insisted that just as will begins in obedience, so also does thought. Therefore, obedience is the beginning of wisdom. Of course the obedience here means that conscious conformity to reason as such, not merely blind submission. It is the realization of self-harmony that through refinement in education that constitutes the central charm in a worthy life.