從Rawls公共理性論公民教育

Abstract

在自由主義學者Rawls的政治思想中，正義一直是核心的議題，也引發政治理論界熱烈的討論。直到今日，政治、學術、經濟等各界仍經常引用他的觀點。本論文旨在探討Rawls公共理性在公民教育的影響。自由主義學者指出公民德行與公共精神是憲政民主國家能否良好運作的關鍵。由此自由主義學者的觀點出發，本論文從理論探討與公民課程實務分析兩個取徑著手，分析Rawls的公共理性對於當代立憲民主社會的意義、Rawls理想的公民觀為何，以及Rawls的公共理性可以給予公民課程什麼樣的思考方向。 本論文分別從《正義論》與《政治自由主義》檢視良好公民應有的表徵，主張Rawls承續自由主義的差異性原則、寬容、中立性原則及個人主義建構一個正義的社會。正義社會的公民須能遮蔽有利於己的訊息，進行公共事務的討論。此外，公民須具備公共理性的知能，在合理性與相互性前提與他人進行公共論辯。 在公民課程，本研究則發現：隨著解嚴、透過教科書的開放、教學法的引進及課程的改革，公民課程脫離過去威權時代統治馴化的工具。但值得注意的是，由於消費主義、教科書的反智主義及升學主義，公民課程仍停留在社會科學概念的知識傳遞階段，這對公民公共事務的參與會產生不利的影響。本論文的分析結果發現，公民教育的實施必須超越過去純粹知識的教育，加入公共理性的元素，才有助於公民主動參與公共事務，達到全人教育的理想。In Rawls’ political thought, justice has always been a core concept and a controversial issue that has been discussed in scholars as well as economist. Kymlicka points out, civic virtue and public spirits are the keys to a well-operated constitutional democractic country. Proceeding from this critique, our study, employing the two approaches of theoretical discussion and empirical analysis, aims to explore the following three questions: (1) what is the effect of Rawls’ public reason to the contemporary constitutional democratic society? (2) what is the Rawls’ perspective on citizenship? (3) do Rawls’ public reason enable any new perspective on civic education? From Rawls’ points of view, our study examines what is a good citizen in “A Theory of Justice” and “Political Liberalism”. Our study argues that continuing the principle of diversity, tolerance, the principle of neutrality and individualism, Rawls builded a well-ordered society. In the well-ordered society, citizens can neglect the advantageous messages in public debating. Furthermore, citizens should develop the competence of public reason—reasonableness and reciprocity when discussing public affairs. Through the analysis of the civic education curriculum, Our study points out that civic education curriculum get rid of the implement of moral discipline of the state as the Lifting of the Emergency Decree in the Taiwan Area, textbook reform, different teaching methods, and curriculum reforms. However, due to consumerism, anti-intellectualism, and credentialism, civic education curriculum still in teaching civic knowledge. This is harmful to the citizens’ public participation. As a result, our study suggests that civic education should add the competence of public reason in teaching civic knowledge so that will helpful to civic voluntary participation and the goal of holistic education.