Synopsis
CAI Yuanpei (January 11,1868-March 5, 1940) was one of themost influential educators and thinkers in modern China. He served asthe President of Peking University and played an important role inpromoting democratic reforms in China's educational system.Cai Yuanpei's Views on Education is a classic compilation of CaiYuanpei's ideas and practices on education, encompassing his profoundinsights into the nature and function of education, moral education andpersonal development, the integration of science and the humanities,educational equity and social responsibility, aesthetic education andaesthetic cultivation, as well as higher education reform. SpecificallyCai Yuanpei believed that education should not only impart knowledgebut also cultivate morality, aesthetic sensibility, and critical thinking tofoster well-rounded individuals. He advocated “replacing religion withaesthetic education," thereby nurturing moral awareness and aestheticappreciation through the arts while emphasizing respect for individualityand autonomy. He also stressed the equal importance of science and thehumanities, with scientific education cultivating rational thinking andhumanistic education enriching thoughts and emotions. The integrationof both is essential to comprehensive education. Furthermore, he paidclose attention to educational equity, advocating universal education tobridge societal gaps. Through the principle of“intellectual freedom andinclusiveness," he reformed higher education, laying the groundwork for the development of China's modern universities. In sum, Cai Yuanpei'seducational thought provided a crucial foundation for shaping China'smodern education system and propelled both higher education reformand the expansion and reform of basic education.This work was co-translated by Wu Xianze, Cui Lili, and Chen Hui.The work consists of 540,000 characters, with Ms. Cui Lili from theSchool of Foreign Studies at Guilin University of Technologycontributing 250,000 characters. Through the English translation of thiswork, we aim to build a bridge for English-speaking readers tounderstand Cai Yuanpei's educational philosophy, We seek to presentCai Yuanpei's educational concepts, highlight his contributions to themodernization of Chinese education, and spark new insights andreflections for the development of contemporary education.
