What Knowledge is of Most Worth? Considering the Neo-Confucians in the Contemporary Debate Between Moral and Intellectual Learning

Abstract

The perennial debate regarding the relative usefulness of various forms of knowledge, especially between the theoretical and practical and the intellectual and moral, lies at the heart of education in both past and present times in both the West and China (de Bary, 1988, 2004, 2005, 2015). Neo-Confucians remain relevant in the 21st century and can help us to understand and elucidate contemporary debates in education—specifically, to answer the question Spencer asked nearly a century and a half ago: “What knowledge is of most worth?”. Mencius, Zhu Xi, Wang Yangming, Xu Ai, and Kang Youwei advocated for a type of learning that would strongly resonate with John Dewey (1938) and Paulo Freire (1970, 1978). Foundational philosophies of education, particularly in the United States, have drawn heavily on 20th century European-American thinkers; this article attempts to correct this myopia and broaden perspectives.