後現代教育是否可能？

Abstract

當代社會思潮與文化氛圍廣受後現代主義影響，後現代主義否定傳統哲學的理論與價值，表現出強烈虛無主義與懷疑論色彩，然而，原先被視為具有文化使命的教育 面對後現代主義強大衝擊該何去何從？可不可能有後現代教育？本文認為美國新實用主義學者Richard Rorty 之思想提供建設性後現代主義思路。綜合前述，本文之主旨在於探討Rorty 觀點的後現代教育哲學思想。本文首先說明Rorty 教育理想為培養自由反諷者之人類圖像以及建構自由主義烏托邦；其次，透過對 Rorty 思想之批判與回應，進一步釐清Rorty 教育哲學，最後本文認為，Rorty 自由反諷教育觀可提供吾人發展建設性後現代教育。

Postmodernism is the most striking cultural trend in the contemporary intellectual climate. Because of its tendency to negate or reject the theories and values cherished by traditional philosophy, postmodernism is regarded as being skeptical and even nihilistic. Then what course should education take in a postmodern society, inasmuch as the task of education has always been taken to be the transmission of culture? Is it possible to establish a “postmodern education” which denotes the affirmation of the value of education in the postmodern ethos? This paper argues for the feasibility of a postmodern education from a Rortyan point of view. The first part of the paper provides a brief introduction; the second part demonstrates that the goals of Rorty’s educational philosophy are to cultivate the “liberal ironist” and to build a liberal utopia; the third part sets forth some critiques of Rorty’s views; the fourth part provides responses to these critiques; and in the last part the author concludes that Rorty’s view is really a “constructive postmodernist” view which can provide a foundation for, or make possible, postmodern education.