How to carry out the study of traditional Chinese culture for college students in the university?

The issue of education has always been given the highest priority by Confucianism. Confucian education takes character building as its primary purpose, and its starting point and underlying principle is "cultivating one's character". The Confucian ideological and educational classic "Four Books" in the "University" pointed out that: "from the son of heaven to the common people, one is all to cultivate the body as the basis". This declaration of moral ideals expresses a Confucian belief; moreover, it naturally expresses a series of moral inferences as follows: "Cultivation of the body" is regarded as the foundation of "family unification," and "family unification" becomes the basis of "governance. The "cultivation of the body" is regarded as the foundation of "the unification of the family", and "the unification of the family" becomes the premise of "the rule of the state", and only after "the rule of the state" can "the pacification of the whole world" be achieved. Therefore, all people, no matter how high or low they are, will actively devote themselves to the cause of "self-realization", which is the cause of mankind, through the moral effort of "cultivating one's moral character". The pivotal position given to the cultivation of one's moral character in the educational programme designed in the University was due to the realization that the development and growth of the human race depended on the self-judgmental consciousness of such a social group. It was not moral idealism or educational optimism that prompted Confucian scholars to regard cultivation of the body as the basis for the unification of the family, the rule of the state, and the pacification of the world, but rather the belief that the general condition of humanity could be improved through the constant efforts of each individual, and they based the edifice of their ethical education on "cultivation of the body".

This seemingly simple view is based on the idea that man is a learner. And that it is truly possible to transform established structural constraints into a series of dynamic self-actualizing behaviors. Learning is the process of molding our bodies into their own aesthetic appearance. The true function of education as a means of characterization is to learn to become a person. In the process of humanization, we give expression to our innate humanity. By digging a well in the foundation of our own existence, we can connect to the source of our own life water to create, nourish, and maintain an ever-expanding network of interpersonal relationships, and maximize the potential of our individual lives, which are full of feeling, thought, and will.

The underlying premise of this seemingly rambling view of human nature is that every member of society has an affectivity, cognition, and conativeness. Indeed, from an evolutionary point of view, man and beast, wood and stone, are of the same root **** source. We humans have a great deal of mammalian instincts, and by studying creatures such as dogs, horses, bees, and ants, we can also greatly improve our understanding of ourselves. However, there are quite a few parts of the human experience that cannot be explained by animal behavior. For example, no amount of creative explanation of animal behavior can account for the significance of human embodiment in both food and sex. While there is no need to separate man from beast because of his uniqueness, it is simply unacceptable to downgrade what is clearly human evidence to a form of animal behavior, even when argued in sociobiological terms.

The diversity of individuals is reflected in the uniqueness of people. As the old Chinese saying goes, "The hearts of men are not like their faces." (Zuo Zhuan. Xianggong 31") Each person has distinctive characteristics due to differences in race, gender, region and era of growth, and endowment. Even if they are genetically identical to each other, they cannot be exactly the same. People are born with individuality, and this individuality can never be duplicated. There is a kernel of truth in the famous Existentialist saying that we all die a lonely death. Indeed, the path that each of us takes, as a whole, is different from person to person and from one person to another. The Confucian precept "Scholars are for themselves" (the original is "Ancient scholars were for themselves", see Analects. The Confucian teaching "Scholar for Self" (originally "Scholars in ancient times were for themselves"; see "Analects of Confucius") recognizes the centrality of individual uniqueness. Understanding oneself and fostering an orientation that suits one's development cannot be replaced by any external requirements, such as social promotion and parental approval. Learning for the purpose of character building has value in itself, not as a means to an end, no matter how great or noble that end may seem.

While learning is for oneself and not for others, and while each of us is, in the final analysis, alone on a different path, we are not isolated entities, but rather centers in a network of relationships. "Learning for ourselves" not only encourages but also enables us to connect with organizations of all kinds, including family, neighborhood, school, community, nation, religion, and even globally. Confucianism's "cultivation of the body" requires a self-knowledge of "practicing human feelings and understanding world affairs". By connecting with others and the wider world outside, we learn to embody the self in concrete roles as father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter, friend, colleague, teacher, student, employer, employee, giver, and beneficiary, rather than in abstract concepts. The self in social relations acquires centrality in dynamic interactions with others. The "self" is not a static structure, but is like a flowing river that changes itself in contact with other "selves". This requires a process of "coming of age". The human being, in the spirit of spiritoftoge-therness, learns to become a human being through the practice of rituals.

We might think of ritual as an educational program with a dual function. First, it inculcates the laws of culture in man's biological existence. Although man forms a continuous whole with the world, he learns to transform his instinctive needs into social and sometimes even aesthetic self-expression and thus to fully realize himself. Human beings are the most perceptive and sensible of all the cowries. Through life and work, they learn to become civilized, polite and friendly. Just as language belongs to the public, ritual does not belong to the individual. The process of ritualization, as a social activity, requires individuals to be in continuous contact with an increasingly dense network of people. The creative activity of making "people" and culture is not so much individual as it is social. However, the dignity of the individual should not be subordinated to social functions. The Confucian motto, "The scholar is his own person," is a clear example of how autonomy and independence are emphasized in the idea of "cultivating one's moral character".

On the other hand, this educational program requires us to realize our own unique personalities in a society in which people are connected to others. Whether or not our sense of freedom depends on a sense of detachment from society, the harmony of the family and the social solidarity based on it are of the utmost importance. Having a clear sense of independence and autonomy and recognizing that we must live in multiple social roles are not necessarily in conflict with each other. If we do not constantly reflect on the state of our relationships, then our lives can hardly be considered meaningful. Because, according to the Socratic school of thought, the unproven life is not worth pursuing, it will be difficult for us to live up to Confucius' saying, "If we want to establish ourselves, we must establish others" (Analects. Yongyi), if we fail to recognize that valuing our relationships with others is caring for ourselves. Yongya").

The seemingly treacherous and difficult passage between inner individualization and outer socialization (the original is: between Seylla and Chrybdis. The phrase originates from Greek mythology, Seylla is a huge reef, Chrybdis is a big whirlpool, and the boat to this point, left and right, is difficult) is in fact precisely for the cultivation of the body-oriented "ritual" teachings. In fact, it is precisely for the "rites" teaching, which is based on the cultivation of one's moral character, that it provides a wide world and makes it occupy the center of the Confucian education system. Through the practice of rites, human beings are no longer regarded as self-contained individuals or robots who lack thought and follow established programs, but as human beings who feel, think, are full of will, practice self-transformation, and are capable of transcending themselves. We can characterize Confucian rites of passage as "coming of age," that is, as an all-inclusive way of "learning to be a person" (see Zuo Zhuan. Zhaogong 25 years", in which Uncle Zi talks about "rites": "...... Therefore, those who are able to fulfill the rites are called adults"). The whole meaning of this educational program. The entire content of this educational program is one-sidedly interpreted solely in terms of the subject's care for self or the subject's connection to others. Neither individualization nor socialization is sufficient to convey the full significance of the concept of "dynamic interaction" necessary for the realization of the true human being.

The idea of "adulthood" has "human nature" (ren) as its content and function. When speaking of content, human nature (ren) is meant to be an inner quality. It is like a seed that forms the core and essence of all members of human society. No matter how high or low a person is, he or she cannot live beyond ren. Although it is only when we care for ourselves that we can say that we can be benevolent. "Ren is that which makes us human. It has a seed-like power of development, and it is this transformative potential that makes ren a real existence rather than a hypothetical prospect. If we assume, according to the Mencius school of Confucianism, that the "sideways heart" (or simply, compassion) is the distinguishing characteristic of human beings***, then "ren" must be understood in its original sense as "affectivity" (affectivity), and "benevolence" must be understood as the "power" (affectivity) of human beings, and the "power" (affectivity) of human beings. "(affectictivity). This is followed by "rationality" or "conativeness". In the Confucian tradition, the idea of affectivity goes hand in hand with the various conceptions of rationality and intention: in fact, ren, interpreted sympathetically, means not only feeling, but also willing and thinking. "Ren, as a function, is primarily embodied in practical interactions with others. Being aware of and responding to the people around us requires a sympathetic resonance with those around us. The mind is the mind because it is at least theoretically capable of responding to everything in the universe, be it a blade of grass or a distant planet. Perception and awareness are inherent properties of the mind. Although in practice we are not aware of most of the things that happen in the world or of the trivial things that happen around us in our daily lives, the heart's function of receiving external stimuli and touches is always there. According to Confucian humanism, the human heart is capable of feeling and perceiving, and therefore can form "one body" with all things in heaven and earth. However, it is often the people around us who are close to us that can cause us to realize and reflect. It is human nature to feel bad when we see our dear ones suffer. According to Mencius, we cannot bear to see others suffer, which proves that "compassion" or the feeling of sympathy is the base of human nature ("the end of benevolence"). Several of the world's major religions agree that egocentricity (egoism) stems from a child's attachment to his or her initial caretaker, which, according to Confucianism, does not necessarily impede the individual's self-realization. Indeed, if properly understood and vigorously cultivated, such feelings can provide sufficient spiritual impetus for personal development. We can look at the core of Confucian kimu education in this way: that is, to treat the parent/child relationship, the most sacred, complex, and perplexing of all human feelings, as the pivot of a series of ideological cultivations, and in this way to understand the original form of human relationships. Without this heavenly love, the development and growth of human beings will be seriously frustrated, so how to correctly treat this heavenly love so that the water will not be mixed up and extinguished has become a challenging subject. Confucian scholars y felt what it would take to preserve this unique dimension of human experience, but they still emphasized that since the necessity and value of parental love (or similar feelings) is a distinguishing feature of the human condition, it is only natural and logical that it should be taken as the basis for "human education. It is logical to take the love of heaven as the basis of "human education".

It seems to be only a last resort to import an ethical and moral system and sophisticated cultural laws into the biological existence of human beings. However, the idea that the parent-child relationship is significant in education because it is innately formed comes from the ethically sensible view that a human being learns to be a human being from the moment he realizes that he is not all alone and that attachment is significant for his moral growth. It is true. Indeed, caring for the self, if properly understood, is not incompatible with relating to others. Individuals with. Fruitful interaction with an increasingly dense network of relationships is what is seen as the essence of "adulthood".

Willian James (1896-1965), a writer and author of the book Adulting, said. James (Willian James , 1842-1910, American philosopher, psychologist) once said: "Without individual impulses, society would stagnate; without social response, individual impulses would disappear." This interaction between individual impulses and social responses strongly suggests that our "Stream of Thought" is not only an internal psychological fact, but also a response to the virtual reality of the world around us. R.W. Emerson, while believing in the "divine sufficency ofthe individual" and denying the substantial existence of evil, also advocated that scholars, as active members of society and tradition, should have a sense of responsibility to respond to society.

James's pragmatic individualism, however, claimed that religious beliefs were "true" because they fulfilled emotional needs, a far cry from the Confucian sense of reverence for the heavens. Although James also criticized idealistic metaphysics and counterfeit absolute truths, which may be similar to Confucianism's preference for lived concreteness, the behaviorist voice that echoes in his pragmatic thought may sound a bit too eager to Confucianism. Similarly, while Confucians share Emerson's belief in the transformative potential of human nature, they may find the latter's idea of self-reliance difficult to accept.

In the Confucian view, each of us is destined to be different as a concrete, living human being. We do not get to choose our parents, the time and place of our birth, our constitution and the mode of socialization we adopt. In short, who we are and what we are capable of is governed by structural limitations, and the more conscious we are of this, the wiser and more informed we will become. However, we are free to take control of our own education and to mold our personalities to our own ideals as much as possible. This, I think, is the meaning of "scholars for themselves". When Confucius briefly looks back on his life, he begins by saying, "I am ten years old, but I have the will to learn" (Analects. He seems to have thought that the life he was reviewing began as a form of self-education. Structural limitations essentially determined his life until then; and his life in the true sense of the word began when he recognized the freedom in the process of self-education through active cultivation of his body.

The distinction between structural limitations and the freedom of the educational process is misleading if freedom is understood only as a departure from limitations. An important Confucian insight into life is the emphasis on the need not to run away from the non-human elements of the self, but rather that these elements provide opportunities for self-knowledge and self-realization. We are "embedded" in the world of here and now, not as a fictional, metaphysical slogan, theorem, or manifesto in our minds, but as an undeniable fact, a practice that we have experienced firsthand. It is true that we are limited in our thoughts and behaviors, but this constitutive limitation that defines our destiny is also enabling. It provides us with a unique opportunity to recognize and realize the full potential of the possibilities available to us. We do not reject our limitations, but rather construct our values upon them; we do not escape our present condition, but rather return to the deepest part of our being by fully recognizing ourselves.

In this sense, true spiritual freedom is neither rejection nor escape, but affirmation and return. The body is the true dwelling place of the spirit. As the system of "rites" shows, the six arts (rites, music, archery, the imperial court, calligraphy, and mathematics), as the basic education, are meant to train the innate body to become the corresponding expression of the "self", which is the "self". In fact, we do not own ourselves. In fact, we do not possess ourselves, but become ourselves through learning. The fallacy that our bodies belong to us anyway stems from the narrow conception that we are thinking individuals rather than feeling, willing individuals. In fact, when we learn to express ourselves through ourselves. Our body becomes an instrument of spiritual self-transformation rather than a hindrance to it. The body is not a prison for the soul, nor is the human spirit a prisoner escaping from it. Rather, it is through the body that the spirit realizes its power and potential. When Mencius declared that "only the sages can trample on the form" (the original text reads, "Form and color are the nature of nature; only the sages can then trample on the form."), he was saying that the body is not a prison for the soul, nor is it a prisoner from which the spirit escapes. See Mencius. The Heart of Perfection"), he is celebrating the prospect of becoming truly human by transforming structural limitations into full and free expression. Confucianism holds that we can transform our own bovine physical existence (body) into an aesthetic expression of the human spirit (self) through cultivation of the body; this is the final stage of which Confucius spoke when he looked back on his life: "From the heart there is no distance" (Analects. For the Government"). In this way, the body is not merely innate; it is an acquired acquisition. Acquiring oneself through cultivation involves four dimensions of human experience: self, society, nature, and heaven. These four dimensions, in turn, comprise three basic working principles: (1) the mutually beneficial and continuous exchange between self and society; (2) the continuous harmonious relationship between human beings and nature; and (3) the reciprocal sensing of the human heart and the way of heaven. Self and Society

The self, as the center of all kinds of relationships, occupies a pivotal position in the concentric circles of a series of relationships that are constantly being derived. Our understanding of ourselves is always accompanied by the emergence of various kinds of organizations, such as families, clans, neighborhoods, schools, armies, societies, nations, worlds, and universes. We always want to strengthen our centrality and maintain our intrinsic identity in our dealings with the ever-changing variety of human relationships. However, although we see self-respect, independence and autonomy as central, we strive to be flexible and open so that we can constantly benefit from others. As Habermas has convincingly demonstrated, it is undoubtedly communicative rather than instrumental rationality that engages us in mutually beneficial ongoing social intercourse. We clearly need etiquette, politeness, and a portion of repetitive *** knowledge through conversation, discussion, and negotiation, so that neither the neoclassical notion of homoeconomicus nor Locke's theory of the state of nature seems to be sufficient to explain why this useful ambiguity emerges in sound human interactions. By contrast, the ancient wisdom ideas of Socrates and Confucius seem better suited to provide an ethical basis for the relationship between self and society.

There is a subtle but significant difference between Confucius and Socrates in their dialogues with their disciples. Though both were dedicated to educating the masses and exhorting them to cultivate themselves, and both believed that ordinary people could transform and transcend themselves through their own efforts, they had very different understandings of the ethical competencies they needed to do so. Socrates' preference for logical analysis and theoretical discourse led him to question anyone and everything. Because he refused to rely on any source of understanding other than rational thought, he paid insufficient attention, if not disdain, to existing canons and rituals, to ancient customs and habits, and to deep-rooted traditional ideas and practices. In addition, he was highly skeptical about the usefulness of the authority of the holy book of eudaemonia.

Confucius likewise recognized the value of critically examining various popular ideas to keep the mind alert and intellectually curious. But he also believed it was vital to educate people to identify with ancient standards of value and the laws of behavior of previous generations, and that such education did not necessarily mean blind obedience to authority. Strictly speaking, the true transmitter of the Way is not a gadfly who specializes in needling. He should awaken, not torture, the human soul; and this requires that common sense be often cited in education, so that those who are comfortable with common sense may be able to find deep meaning in the values and customs that they take for granted.

Confucianism's belief that the ultimate meaning of life can be realized in the everyday lives of human beings is not an acceptance of the status quo, but a belief in the necessity and usefulness of sensing in the interactions between self and society. Critical reflection goes hand in hand with, and aids, the harmonious flow of feeling that makes us an organic part of the rite of passage. Rational analysis, on the other hand, cannot produce the effects expected by Socrates and others without the prior consent of the debaters. The activation of independent thought and the creation of a rational dialogical community requires not only communicative rationality, but also ****ing and response. Humanity and Nature

Mary. Evelyn. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John. John Bethrong ), in their overview of the new collection of essays on Confucianism and Ecology, note:

...... From the perspective of the current concerns of social ecology, Confucianism may provide a rich source for reflecting on the various relationships that we have in cosmic and ethical philosophy itself. Its organic holism and dynamic meta-energeticism provide fresh perspectives for understanding the interconnections among all kinds of living things and renew our awareness of the intrinsic value of this network of intrinsic connections in life. The psychological and physiological entity of qi, which is embodied in all living things, becomes the basis for the construction of interrelationships between the human and non-human worlds. Similarly, the Confucian tradition of "cultivating one's moral character" and "cultivating virtue" provides a broad framework for achieving the goal of the unity of heaven and man and for practicing one's role in the pattern of heaven, earth, and man. Accordingly, maintaining a continuous harmony between man and nature is a fundamental aspect of Confucian education.

Of course, it would be misleading to assume that Confucius, Mencius, and Gouzi during the Classical period and Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming, and Dai Zhen during the Imperial period had already consciously recognized the significance of the term in modern social ecology. However, Confucian scholars, when discussing the continuity of being, have always argued that "to be one with all things in heaven and earth" is not only a lofty ideal for human beings, but also an attainable daily experience. This is because the human body is a part of nature. This is because the human body is an organic component of nature, and the way we breathe and eat, for example, clearly shows that we are connected to nature. This fact alone suggests that this connection is not a fictional ideal, but an experienced reality. Thus, Zhang Zai's (1020-1077) famous passage at the beginning of the Ximing is naturally an expression of the idea that "man's benefiting from heaven is the foundation of filial piety," rather than just a romantic declaration of the oneness of the universe:

The Qian is called the father, and the Kun is called the mother, and I have no idea what I'm talking about. I am not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it is a good idea. Therefore, the heaven and earth of the plug us its body, heaven and earth of the handsome us its nature. The people are my compatriots, and I am with them.

According to this statement, we should also be the filial sons and daughters of heaven and earth and the children of the world, the country, the society and the family of Monsi.

The Cartesian exclusive dichotomies of body/mind, spirit/matter, and man/nature are all too foreign to the Confucian way of thinking. It appears ill-considered, much like an impostor truth arrived at without much thought. Vico's New Science and Herder's Philosophy of History talk about education in a way that is naturally more compatible with Confucian humanistic concerns, but their view that culture and nature are distinct, if not diametrically opposed, is also highly problematic for Confucians. Even Kant in his Enlightenment program did not say a word about the harmony between heaven and man. As for Hegel's phenomenology, not to mention Marx's dialectical materialism, it is even more anthropocentric in Confucianism. Moreover, the program of "cultivating one's moral character," so essential to Confucian "adult" education, has been virtually unmentioned in Western philosophy since Descartes.

We human beings, despite all our ties to nature, the true dwelling place of our existence, are not as one with nature as the grass, the trees, and the beasts. Rather, it is the sensitivity of the human heart that enables us to understand our continuity and homogeneity with all things in heaven and earth as an integral part of the universe. By cultivating our bodies, we learn to become stewards of the natural order. We transform ourselves into guardians of nature and thus custodians of the divine nature of the earth. The famous saying, "What goes around comes around" suggests that there is not only harmony and unity between man and nature, but also a partnership. Perhaps it is not far-fetched to think that the Tao of Heaven exists in human nature. The Way of Heaven and the Human Heart

The Middle Ages begins by defining learning or education as "cultivating the way of the Tao" (in the original text, "cultivating the way of the Tao as a teaching"), and then goes on to explain "the way" as Then, it explains "Dao" as "the way of nature" (the original text reads "the way of nature is the Dao"). In this way, "human nature" is the foundation of the "Tao", which in turn provides the basis for education. This may be the reason why Confucius said, "People can promote the Way, but the Way does not promote people" ("Analects of Confucius"). Wei Ling Gong"). In the Mencius school of Confucianism, human nature, the Tao and education are very closely integrated, and education as a way of building culture is y rooted in our nature.

It is true that, according to this view, the moral orientation of our development can be said to be no more than a cut-off from our own nature. However, we should not therefore think that education is meaningless since, by simply following our instincts, we will naturally develop in the direction of the good and the virtuous; this is naive thinking. Even if we do not entirely agree with Gouzi that acquired socialization is essential to the teaching of "benevolence," then the fact that education comes by following the way of heaven and human nature does not mean that we can base it on instinctive impulses. Although the need for food and sex is a part of human nature, only the heart of the side (the root of sympathetic sensibility) is unique to human beings. The human need for food and sex is a normal animal instinct; these needs form part of our bodies, but they do not in themselves create connections with others or generate values, which we can call a "small body", whereas the sidereal mind connects the self with others, generates values and provides a constant supply. In contrast, the sidereal mind connects the self with others, generates values, and provides a constant supply of them, which we can call the "great body. The classical concepts of "small body" and "great body," as proposed by Mencius, point to the widely recognized notion of the human being as a member of the animal kingdom (small) on the one hand, and to the human being as having the special character that makes him or her the spirit of all things (great) on the other ("Mengzi. Above the Suit": " From his great body he is a great man, and from his small body he is a small man.") This two meanings seem to be contradictory. These two meanings may seem contradictory, but they are not.

What needs to be pointed out in particular is that human nature can promote the Way, can truly reflect the education of human beings is the "big body" rather than "small body". However, there is a very important point, that is, "big body" and "small body" is not mutually exclusive pair of concepts. It is easy to understand that an important aspect of "cultivating the body" is to deal with the "small body" so that its strong instinctive needs do not overshadow the "big body". Mencius taught that the best way to nourish the mind is to minimize human desires, which clearly indicates that since we are unable to fully satisfy our instinctive needs, we need to exercise restraint in order to harmonize our impulses, which would otherwise never calm down. Mencius advocates moderation; that is to say, we must always check our sense-mind to make sure that our side-conceit is not obscured. In fact, the greatness of the hidden mind is its ability to regulate the instinctive needs of the "little body". Feelings, on the other hand, do not automatically promote sympathetic feelings; if not properly channeled, they often subtly undermine feelings of connection with others for obvious personal reasons. Abstinence is not the same as abstinence and austerity, but is a proper and effective way of regulating desires. The true meaning of this is to consider the natural needs of the "little body" and at the same time cultivate the "big body" through the cultivation of the "big body" so that the hidden heart of our nature can be cultivated into a sympathetic feeling that can be fully realized.

Human beings are not only capable of promoting the Way, but also morally obliged to do so. In order to do so one needs to know oneself. Mencius believed that by realizing the full potential of the empathetic sense in our hearts, we can understand human nature. And by understanding human nature we can understand the Way of Heaven. This might lead one to think that Mencius was advocating a theory of inner oneness, if not a strong secular humanist view. This view is mistaken. Mencius did not propose the idea of anthropocentrism or human self-sufficiency; he spoke of a harmonious relationship between heaven and man. The most important point in this interrelationship is that human nature derives from heaven. It is heaven, not humanity itself, that is the source of the Way and of education. The reason why human beings can promote the Way is that human nature is determined by heaven, so human nature is connected to the Way of Heaven. In addition, because the vast Tao of Heaven is rooted in human nature, the self-knowledge embodied in the sympathetic sense of "the body" is the same as the self-revelation of the Tao of Heaven. This relationship between the Way of Heaven and the human heart is not only the highest ideal of self-realization, but also the most common experience in the process of "manhood.

Paedeia is a term used in ancient Greek to refer to a number of subjects similar to the Six Arts in Confucian basic education: grammar, rhetoric, music, mathematics, natural history, and philosophy. The Latin word "Humanitus" is derived from Paedcia, which encompasses the basic curriculum of the theological education of the medieval church as well as modern humanistic education. Today, these programs provide the most direct and relevant training and formation for human beings to understand and adjust themselves. And Confucian thinking on this subject, as indicated by the centrality of "cultivation of the body" in the Great Learning, is characterized by the belief that education for "adulthood" must take as its point of departure the living, breathing human being in the here and now.

This emphasis on the concreteness of individual life strongly suggests that moral education must be based on concrete cognition rather than abstract thought. Through deeper reflection on the familiar things around us, we come to understand how fruitful the interplay between right-mindedness and consideration for others can be. Awareness of the centrality of the self in the network of relationships and recognition of the dignity of the autonomous individual are not incompatible with the integrity of a responsible member of society. In fact, the dynamic process of "coming of age" is facilitated by the productive interplay between caring for the self and relating to others. While rational discernment is essential to self-knowledge, the art of approbation enlarges and enriches empathy, a source essential to human development and growth. When we try to extend the sense of compassion from the family, the school, and the community to the society, the nation, and the world, we will be able to understand more fully and profoundly the meaning and significance of the human being's oneness with all things in heaven and on earth. Only then can we truly see "benevolence" as an empirical fact rather than as an abstract concept; Paedeia or humanitus, in its original meaning, is the art of teaching how human nature is manifested. Through the outward manifestation of our nature, we attain the realization of our self (body, mind, spirit, and God) in the triad of society, nature, and heaven.