Growth Towards Freedom and the Pursuit of Freedom: Kant's Educational Philosophy of Duality Revisited

Abstract

Kant's fundamental understanding of education plays a basic role and provides significant inspiration for the development of educational disciplines. The basic characteristics of his educational philosophy manifest as a duality of human beings and education, with nature and freedom as key concepts for understanding this duality. Based on the investigation of the image of humanity in Kant's philosophical anthropology, it can be observed that, in his view, the duality of human beings signifies the transition of individuals from natural beings to free beings rather than their coexistence. Based on the examination of the composition and design of educational methods and content in Kant's On Education, it can be discovered that the duality of education is founded on the aforementioned transformation and manifests in a dichotomy in form and continuity in content. The composition and development of the embryo and endowment serve as the fundamental basis for dual education, implying that the educational goals are also dualistic. Specifically, the goal of natural education is to foster the unrestricted development of individuals, whereas practical education aims to attain freedom for humanity. Kant integrated various aspects of human development by tracing the transformation from natural beings to free beings. However, he was unable to surpass their static dual existence, which represents the inherent contradiction in his educational philosophy of duality.

Keywords

• kant
• free existence
• natural beings
• nature education
• practical education