Leo Strauss’ Idea of Liberal Education: A Critical Supplement

• Main Authors: Shu-Teh Liao, 廖淑德
• Other Authors: Jui-Chung Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/36025057974317138948

碩士 === 東吳大學 === 德國文化學系 === 99 === How is possible for the citizens in a democratic regime to recognize and evaluate the condition of the regime, to maintain their regimes in normal and healthy condition and to deliver it from the corruption? Liberal education have good reason to become a realistic approach to solve the above-mentioned arduous problems. In order to improve the corrupt American democracy, Leo Strauss provided a classical idea and a defense of liberal education to advocate the urgent necessity of improving political knowledge and virtues of citizens. However, Strauss did not propose the substantial contents of liberal education and the feasible approach for the audiences in 1960s American society. In order to accomplish an integrated proposal of liberal education, this thesis conducts a critical review of Leo Strauss’ idea of liberal education and provides three arguments to justify the contemporary significance of liberal education as followed: First, liberal education is an education for nurturing statesman-citizens to uphold regimes in a satisfactory condition. Secondly, on the basis of knowledge of “how to construct and maintain the best workable regime,” liberal education endeavors to enlighten people to live in the right way and to pursuit a good life. Thirdly, for the purposes of evaluating and criticizing the condition of regimes, there are three vital dimensions of regimes, including the human condition and environment, the principles and forms of government, patriotism and civic actions, that constituted the core content of liberal education. Through the analysis of the three dimensions of regimes, this thesis expects to provide my fellow citizens a better approach to examine the current status of our regime and to pursuit a good life and a better democracy. This thesis suggests that liberal education should be a part of compulsory education and be taught in community college in Taiwan to support all citizens have a chance in his or her life to become students of liberal education.