Two Model Teachers: Jesus and Confucius

About the Book

Education is like a big mountain. One may see education as socialization through which individuals learn the knowledge, values, and skills to adapt to a society. Another may see it as self-cultivation or growth in which individuals discover their inherent good nature and self-ability and cultivate them according to their individual needs. Yet another may see it as the search for the truth in which individuals try to discover the absolute and eternal truth. However, each viewpoint demonstrates only a part of education, not the whole picture of it as a big mountain. There are many other aspects of education in addition to each of the above viewpoints. And each viewpoint is connected with the others. Socialization is connected with individual growth and individual growth is connected with the search for the truth. So, if we put together these viewpoints, we can make a more complete picture of education. But, there will be still other aspects of education unexplained by these viewpoints. One will see it as the pursuit for a beautiful mind and body. Another will see it as spiritual salvation. And yet another will see it as a dialogue to exchange and improve the critical thoughts of individuals. Therefore, there are numerous important goals and ways to reach the mountain of education.

We not only observe the mountain of education but also climb it. Education is a practice as well as a theory. When we climb a big mountain, we should build a base camp. We start the climb from the base camp. At the base camp, we plan and prepare to climb the mountain. Also, when a climber encounters a problem during the climb, he or she returns to the base camp to fi x it. In climbing the mountain of education, the base camp is relationships. All the above viewpoints on education require relationships. For socialization, growth, search for the truth, and critical exchange, we need helpers or companions to achieve these goals. Parents, teachers, peers, authors, or even nature help us to achieve them. Even in a self-cultivation, we need a relationship with our inner selves. We listen to, meditate on the voice of our inner selves that guides the way to the destination. We can call these helpers teachers in the broadest sense. And we can call us (who proceed to the educational goals) as students. By building a good and solid relationship with teachers, students begin to climb up the mountain of education. And whenever students face a problem, they come back to the relationship with the teachers and start again from there. The recovery of a good and solid relationship offers a strong base for a new start. Then, what constitutes a good and solid relationship between teachers and students? I expect that the two masters, Jesus and Confucius, exemplify the good teacher-student relationship.

About the Author

The author graduated from Seoul High School in 1993. He majored in education in Korea University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in 2000. He majored in philosophy of education in the Graduate School of Korea University and earned a Master’s degree in 2002. His Master’s thesis was “A Comparative Study on the Educational Implication of Confucius’ Ren and Jesus’ Love.” He studied in the Ph. D program of Cultural and Educational Policy Studies in Loyola University Chicago since Fall 2002. His Ph. D dissertation was “Jesus’ and Confucius’ Educational Philosophy on the Teacher-Student relationship.” He earned Ph. D degree in 2006. His major interests are Confucius’ and Jesus’ thoughts on education, and the comparative study on the two masters, and the teacher-student relationship.