The Research On Herbart’s Educational Thought Of "Moral Character"

The cultivation of moral personality is an important theme of Ideological and political education.In recent years,the government attaches great importance to the "moral education" and takes the improvement of personality as an important goal of ideological and political education.Johann Friedrich Herbart(1776-1841)was a famous German educator,psychologist and philosopher,known as the "founder of science pedagogy" in the history of western education.The moral character theory based on his practical philosophy theory is the starting point of Herbart’s ideological system.Therefore,in view of the current situation that some teenagers have difference between knowledge and action in their personality development,the author tries to re-read Herbart based on the text,from the perspective of moral character,in-depth excavation of his moral education ideas,with a view to providing relevant inspiration to the current theory and practice of moral education in China.On the basis of discussing the theoretical background of Herbart’s "moral character" education thought,and aiming at the different viewpoints that still exist in the academic circles,this study puts forward that the ultimate aim of Herbart’s education is to move from intentional purpose to moral purpose,and ultimately to cultivate the strength of moral character.Through the investigation of "character" and "morality" in the context of Herbart’s practical philosophy,the author defines the connotation of Herbart’s "moral character" as: According to the moral concepts of justice and goodness,individuals can make aesthetic moral judgments of their existing will,and can consciously upgrade such moral judgments to moral decrees,and voluntarily obey such moral decrees to produce moral practice.Herbart firmly believes that the education of rationalism must be based on the inherent scientific mechanism of respecting students’ character and moral formation.Accordingly,this study explores the cultivation path of moral character.He believes that individual actions,ideological scope,quality and lifestyle affect the formation of moral character,and the formation of broad ideological scope is the main basis of moral character cultivation.Management,as a negative way of cultivating moral character,aims to restrain the tendency of evil in individual character,but management will be replaced by educational teaching and training.Educational teaching forms moral judgment of will by cultivating balanced interests in many aspects,expanding individual’s ideological scope,promoting the transformation of objective character to subjective character,and training aims at cultivating individual’s soul and has double effects on character cultivation,promoting students to upgrade their moral judgment consciously into moral decrees,and carrying out self-responsible moral actions.Corresponding to the forming process of moral character,Herbart believes that the cultivation of moral character should go through four stages: moral judgment,moral enthusiasm,moral decision and moral self-control.Finally,in light of the reality of moral education in China,this study holds that the current moral education in China can draw on the beneficial elements of Herbart’s moral character education thought,construct the character cultivation rationale of "ideological scope-moral judgment-moral action",take aesthetic cultivation of personality as the inevitable choice,take the cultivation of the concept of justice and goodness as the inherent requirement,give full play to teachers’ guide role in the field of ethics,support the individual moral evaluating and self-talk,thus promoting the individual’s transition from knowledge to practice,and realizing the shaping of individual’s moral character.