經典與反經典－－臺灣高等教育中經典閱讀活動的省思

Classics and Anti-Classics: The Reflections on Classics Reading of Higher Education in Taiwan

經典教育在臺灣高等教育中，已成為某種「顯學」，因為經典教育既能夠滿足推動閱讀的要求、也能夠包含某一部分的道德性與人文價值，是以目前臺灣各大學校院大多具備各種面向的經典閱讀與教育。然而誠如前述，「經典教育」事實上即涵蓋兩大部分：一為閱讀，二為透過經典所傳達的人文學，如果仔細分析，會發現這應該屬於不同層次的問題。如果我們所提倡的是「經典閱讀」，那麼應該涉及的問題是關於經典的發展與形成、經典的閱讀方法、經典的理解與詮釋等；如果所提倡的是「經典教育」，那麼應該強調的是經典教育者如何透過自身來傳達經典的內涵與精神，這與經典教育者的生命情境與實踐有極大的關連性；也就是說，經典教育者在其所浸淫的經典中所散發出的經典價值，關係著經典教育的成功與否。不過如果我們觀察臺灣高等教育中的經典教育，通常無法區分二者的意義，因「經典閱讀」所牽涉到關於閱讀的方法學的意義，通常在強調經典的人文教養下遭到忽略或擱置；而通常嫻熟於經典的文本意義者，往往也不一定能夠適當傳達出深刻的經典教育。因此本文認為，目前臺灣高等教育所推行的經典閱讀運動，有些經典閱讀書單內容極為豐富龐大，雖然呈現出某種企圖心或願景，但是恐怕連達致第一層「經典閱讀」的意義都具有困難，對於是否能夠達到更終極的「經典教育」的目的就更為難言；有的經典閱讀書單內容較精簡，顯然是希望向經典教育的方向傾斜，也就是說希望透過精讀某些經典作品，來達到人文教化的目的；然而這樣的企圖卻也限制了閱讀的可能。綜觀目前的經典教育，會發現其動機與立意是良善的，然而卻因為未細察可能產生的問題，反而導致一種「反經典」的可能。

Classics education in Taiwan's higher education has become somewhat visible because classical education satisfies, yet promotes reading requirements to contain a part of the moral and humanities. Major colleges and universities in Taiwan are now well-equipped with a variety of classics readings as well as education.Classics education, in fact, covers two parts: (1) Reading; (2) Humanities conveyed through classical literature. With detailed analysis, you will find that the above to be at different levels. If ”classics reading” is advocated, it should be about the issues involved in the development and formation of the classics, classical reading methods, understanding and interpretation of the classics, etc. On the other hand, if ”classics education” is promoted, the emphasis would be on the classical educator as to how s/he conveys and delivers the classical means and its spirit. This is greatly related to the situation and practice of the educator. In other words, the educator him/herself is the key to the success of classics education in how the value of ”classics” is delivered. Therefore, ”classics reading” can be described as ”interpretation / delivery,” and ”classical education” can be thought as ”preaching”.But if we look at the classics education in Taiwan's higher education, the differences of the classics reading and education are usually not able to be distinguished due to the reading methodology usually being neglected or ignored when emphasizing humanities in the classics reading. Given an education with great knowledge in classical literature, it does not mean the classics education is able to be conveyed properly or fully. As a result, this article believes that with the current implementation of promoting classic reading activities among Taiwan's higher education, the content of some classic books is extremely rich in large and it is showing some kind of ambition or vision. It is doubtful if it could even achieve the first level of the means in classics reading. It makes reaching the ultimate goal for classics education unrealistic. In contrast, classics reading books that are more streamlined, apparently are hoping to tilt the direction of classical education in order to achieve the aim of humanistic enlightenment through classics readings. Such attempts limit the possibilities of reading. Look at the current classical education and you will find motivations and concepts are good, but the potential problems, due to lack of detail analysis, are hidden underneath and may lead to ”anti-classics”.