Liberalism and Confucianism: Differences and similarities between the two educational models

Abstract

In order to study the situation of education under different educational models, this article focuses on analysing the similarities and differences between the two different ideas in pedagogy (Confucianism and Liberalism), as well as the controversies encountered by the countries where they are practiced. In view of today’s research focusing on a single education model, and few studies systematically comparing the two education models, this article aims to analyze the development, characteristics, advantages and controversies of liberalism and Confucianism in education in the form of literature review. Moreover, it elaborates the differences between the two educational philosophies from the perspective of higher education for their pros and cons, and compare their similarities and differences from the perspective of educational goals. This article focuses on analyzing the literature review of the influence of different ideas in education in the past 10 years, as well as the views of the different parties involved. Ultimately, it was found that liberalism emphasises individual freedom, independent thinking and self-realisation, and that the aim of education is to cultivate independent individuals who are able to freely choose and pursue their own goals in life, with an emphasis on individual progress and personal achievement, a diversity of evaluation criteria, and a focus on creativity and independence (Thompson, 2017& Mautner, 2018); whereas Confucianism emphasises the cultivation of morality, social responsibility and harmony, and that the aim of education is to cultivate ethical and responsible social members and to promote harmony in the family, society and the State emphasises moral cultivation and social contribution, with evaluation criteria focusing on moral performance and contribution to society (Yao, 1999 & Tan, 2017).