Conserving the Virtues of Teachers Through the Permeation of "Law of Beauty" from Heteronomy to Autonomy

Abstract

Promoting the transformation of teacher ethics from heteronomy to autonomy is an important proposition for teacher development in the new era, and a series of policies made by the State and the Ministry of Education have made it clear that the dual objectives are to defend teachers' ethical bottom line and cultivate noble virtues. Beauty, as a foundation of moral and spiritual enrichment, enables educationalists to internalize virtues through aesthetic pedagogy. Teachers' aesthetic literacy, anchored in Marxist principles of "aesthetic laws", serves as a critical lever for ethical development, enhancing moral cognition, stimulating ethical emotions, and fostering self-discipline, particularly in the AI era. A sustainable ethical framework must integrate three dimensions: civic virtues, professional ethics, and aesthetic personality. This requires a systematic internalization process: reinforcing ethical awareness, habitualizing moral practices, refining evaluations, and elevating ethical autonomy. The goal lies in transcending heteronomous morality to achieve autonomous virtue, which is a hallmark of ethical maturity and professional growth.

Keywords

• aesthetic education permeation
• teachers' virtues
• law of beauty
• aesthetic literacy
• heteronomy and autonomy