泰勒(C. Taylor)靈性思想及其教育蘊義

Abstract

本研究旨在闡明C. Taylor (1931-) 的靈性思想，以此瞭解現代人類靈性發展的困境及其出路，並嘗試提出Taylor靈性思想的教育蘊義。首先，從Taylor對「滲透性認同」至「阻絕式認同」的歷史發展與分析，掌握紀律社會及現代文明之主要理念─「疏離理性」。由於Taylor指出此一轉變之關鍵元素，在於失去對於「反結構」中古老智慧的認識，故深入探究「反結構」的重要內涵及其轉變，為恢復人類靈性的解方一。其次，說明Taylor用以解釋由工具理性或科學理性主導現代社會運作之「內在性框架」的內涵，並進一步指出Taylor認為，吾人於「內在性框架」中生活，並不代表封閉了向超越性開放的可能，有些人仍相信某種超越性的存在。就Taylor的立場而言，向超越性開放的生命，較之於封閉式的立場來得圓滿。是以，面對以「自我授權」為核心精神之封閉性內在框架的霸權，Taylor試圖解構當中的迷思，並指出圓滿人生與人類靈性的開展，必須回歸存有論與倫理學的討論，並考量人類內在資源的價值。此為恢復人類靈性之解方二。第三，探究以個體義務行為或自由平等權利為焦點之「道德主義」的內涵，及其所潛藏之「自許正義」對吾人道德生活，與靈性發展所造成的影響。另一方面，指出Taylor以超越性為道德根源，與以靈性發展為基礎所開展的倫理思想，能提供吾人對於自我與善、他人、超越性之關係的新理解，並且給予有力的實踐動機。此為恢復人類靈性之解方三。第四，從Taylor暫時「最佳論述」的觀點探究人類複雜的實在及道德靈性經驗，並藉由歷史爬梳與分析封閉性人文主義、內在性反啟蒙之思想及肯定超越性之主張等三種人類圖像，揭示Taylor的理想人類圖像除了包含對人類靈性發展的重視，亦肯定其對追求超越性的渴望。第五，探討Taylor靈性圓滿的意義，以及超越性對靈性轉化的重要性，並析論如何透過多元的超越性取徑，與本真性靈性生活提昇吾人的靈性。最後，於本研究之末尾就靈性教育的教育哲學、教育目的、教師靈性與教育實踐四層面，提出Taylor靈性思想的教育蘊義，希冀能開啟當前台灣教育對靈性發展之價值的關注與討論。This study inquired into C. Taylor’s spiritual thoughts to understand the crises of human spiritual development and to find out their solutions and also expounded its significance in education. Firstly, by analyzing Taylor’s spiritual thoughts, it attempts to shed light on the process of identity development—namely, the transition from a “porous” to a “buffered” identity. The latter is presupposed by “disengaged reason”, which is a central idea of disciplinary society and modern civilization. According to Taylor’s argument, the crux of the development is losing insight of the wisdom that is embodied in “anti-structure”. Therefore, the significance of and changes in “anti-structure” are also investigated in the later part. This is the first antidote to the crises of human spiritual development. Secondly, the author investigates the important concept, Immanent Frame, which Taylors uses to illustrate the frame of modern society governed by instrumental or scientific reason. Taylor argues that living within the immanent frame does not necessarily entail sloughing off transcendence. Some of us continue to live in the immanent frame, not disregarding the possibility of an existence beyond it. According to Taylor, a life that is open to transcendence is much fuller than a life that is closed to it. Therefore, in the face of the hegemony of the closed immanent frame, the essence of which is “self-authorization”, Taylor tries to illuminate the inadequacy of “closed world structures” and claims that the discussions on ontology and ethics should certainly be revisited for the achievement of a fuller life and the development of human spirituality. That is the second antidote to the crises of human spiritual development.Thirdly, by analyzing “ moralism”, whose focus is more on an individual’s obligatory actions and his or her rights to freedom and to equality than on what is considered morally good, Taylor sheds light on the problem of its “righteousness” and contends the ethics whose moral source is the transcendent and which is concerned with the development of human spirituality can provide a new understanding on the relationships between the self and the good, the self and the other, and the self and the transcendent, as well as a more powerful motivation to behave morally. That is the third antidote to the crises of human spiritual development. Moreover, although complications and ambiguity of humanreality, including our moral and spiritual experience, are difficult to picture, no matter what perspectives we employ, Taylor contends that “the best account” could make provisional best sense of them until we come up with more prescient substitutes. Through historical analysis, Taylor investigates three dominant accounts namely, those of exclusive humanism, immanent counter-Enlightenment, and transcendence. Taylor believes that the best account is the one that recognizes humanity’s aspiration to transcendence, as well as the importance of human spirituality. In addition, the study explores the meaning of spiritual fullness, the importance of transcendence to spirtual transformation, and how human can cultivate their own spirituality by plural itineraries toward the transcendent and the authentic ways to live a spiritual life. Lastly, based on the above discussions, the implication of Taylor’s spiritual thoughts for education is expounded at the end of this dissertation.