2 Liberal Arts Education in the Chinese Context

This chapter provides the academic and historical context for understanding the current state of liberal arts education in Chinese universities. Confucianism emphasizes that the value of education is first of all for individual fulfillment, and then for the purpose of social development. The intrinsic value of education for personal development has remained the most essential idea in the Confucian tradition, and it exerted a dominant influence on the Chinese educational system until the 1920s. Confucius clearly defined the role of education in the development of society. He developed the most comprehensive curriculum of his time, centered on the Six Arts, and a highly innovative and flexible pedagogy that deeply influenced the formation of ancient Chinese culture. From very early times, Chinese thinkers and society accepted that Confucian teachings are the center of education. The values that are embodied in the Confucian tradition shaped Chinese education for centuries.Keywords: Chinese culture; Confucianism; liberal arts education