Wisdom, adult education and women: Confucius and Aristotle revisited
Abstract
Both Aristotle and Confucius emphasized that the purpose of education is to develop and advance wisdom. One reason for their emphasis on wisdom in education comes from their belief that only through wisdom can humans combine truth and goodness in their endeavors. And this search for truth and goodness is fundamentally related to one's realization of a good human and the pursuit of the good life. Since wisdom is not naturally given t persons but is generated through life experiences in our life-worlds, both philosophers relate the concept and exercise of wisdom to adults who, through experience, have strongly developed judgement and management, and whose reason d'etre is to be self-sufficient, moral and political beings. However, they shared similar negative, noninclusive and deficient views on women when measured against the nature and character of "men". Using Confucian and Aristotelian analyses, I investigate, identify, and elaborate the nature and relationship between wisdom and adult education. I also explore the impact of their analyses on women.
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Recommended Citation
Kim, K. H.
(1993).
Wisdom, adult education and women: Confucius and Aristotle revisited.
Adult Education Research Conference.
Wisdom, adult education and women: Confucius and Aristotle revisited
Both Aristotle and Confucius emphasized that the purpose of education is to develop and advance wisdom. One reason for their emphasis on wisdom in education comes from their belief that only through wisdom can humans combine truth and goodness in their endeavors. And this search for truth and goodness is fundamentally related to one's realization of a good human and the pursuit of the good life. Since wisdom is not naturally given t persons but is generated through life experiences in our life-worlds, both philosophers relate the concept and exercise of wisdom to adults who, through experience, have strongly developed judgement and management, and whose reason d'etre is to be self-sufficient, moral and political beings. However, they shared similar negative, noninclusive and deficient views on women when measured against the nature and character of "men". Using Confucian and Aristotelian analyses, I investigate, identify, and elaborate the nature and relationship between wisdom and adult education. I also explore the impact of their analyses on women.
