Allan Bloom的大學理念及博雅教育思想

Allan Bloom's Idea of University and His Thought of Liberal Education

Allan Bloom是美國著名的西方古代經典與政治哲學研究者。Bloom心目中的學者典範是蘇格拉底，他以超然的角度針砭流俗的觀念，為社會展示可貴的理性智慧。Bloom認為大學作為學者匯集之所，應當成為一個超越社會的自由思想的淨土。然而，現代社會的發展，卻使大學的自由思想與理性精神漸漸衰落。當代美國社會以「開放」為原則，容許任何思想自由表達，卻造成了人人各是其是的眾聲喧嘩，人們既不承認，也不追求「更高的」價值或理想。這使得大學作為理性支柱的地位逐漸崩解。Bloom在《美國人心靈的封閉》一書中，詳細分析美國現代社會思想狀況的問題，並主張回歸經典式的博雅教育，汲取古代哲人（特別是蘇格拉底）的智慧，重新提振大學的理性精神。本文主要討論Bloom對於對民主平等主義流弊的批判；Bloom的大學理念與博雅教育主張；關於Bloom主張的相關批判與分析討論。 Allan Bloom, an eminent researcher of western ancient classics and politic philosophy, recommends the study of western classics as ideal liberal education. Bloom praises Socrates as the paradigm of scholar, who objectively criticized the conventions of Athens, and presented valuable reason and wisdom to the society. Bloom thinks the college, as the place where scholars assemble to study and discuss the great problems of human, should become the paradise of free thinking. But in view of the principle of openness, the American society allows all thoughts expressed without restrictions, with the result that the phenomenon of heteroglossia emerges. Many Americans neither admire nor aspire to a ＂better＂ value or goal. Such a relativism of value causes the university no longer to insist on the standard of truth, and to stand as the support of reason. In his celebrated book, The Closing of the American Mind, Bloom analyzes the problems of thoughts in today's American society. He proposes the liberal education returning to the study of classics, to learn from the wisdom of the philosophers in the past, and to restore the rational spirit of university.

Allan Bloom, an eminent researcher of western ancient classics and politic philosophy, recommends the study of western classics as ideal liberal education. Bloom praises Socrates as the paradigm of scholar, who objectively criticized the conventions of Athens, and presented valuable reason and wisdom to the society. Bloom thinks the college, as the place where scholars assemble to study and discuss the great problems of human, should become the paradise of free thinking. But in view of the principle of openness, the American society allows all thoughts expressed without restrictions, with the result that the phenomenon of heteroglossia emerges. Many Americans neither admire nor aspire to a ＂better＂ value or goal. Such a relativism of value causes the university no longer to insist on the standard of truth, and to stand as the support of reason. In his celebrated book, The Closing of the American Mind, Bloom analyzes the problems of thoughts in today's American society. He proposes the liberal education returning to the study of classics, to learn from the wisdom of the philosophers in the past, and to restore the rational spirit of university.