The Pursuit of the Free Spirit in Liberal Education

Photo credit to Furkan Ceylan

The mission of liberal education is to cultivate free spirits through a multifaceted immersion in knowledge, aesthetics, and ethics. This raises the question: Does a free spirit equate to an agent of unrestricted action? From a philosophical perspective, a free spirit does not imply arbitrary action but rather a state closely related to individual autonomy, critical thinking, and moral independence, encompassing a broad spectrum that includes the free pursuit of knowledge, the free expression of thought, and the freedom to choose one’s actions. Each aspect emphasizes not only the autonomy of external actions but also the independence and proactivity of the internal spirit, truly representing a mental state of openness and creativity across cognitive, ethical, and behavioral dimensions:

Freedom of Knowledge: This freedom refers to the pursuit of knowledge unbound by external authority, insisting that knowledge formation be grounded in rational thought and empirical evidence rather than merely adhering to tradition or authority. A free spirit thus explores diverse knowledge domains unrestrictedly, maintaining a critical openness and skepticism throughout the cognitive process. This autonomous and independent spirit turns the pursuit of knowledge into a profound self-realization, beyond merely learning or receiving established facts.

Freedom of Thought: A free spirit possesses the internal capacity for independent thought, enabling individuals to transcend external pressures and societal expectations based on their insights and judgments. This type of freedom is not an unbridled act of whimsy but a manifestation of self-discipline, as philosopher Kant suggests, where true freedom is rooted in the recognition and practice of universal moral laws. Thus, a free spirit pursues personal thought freedom while bearing the responsibility to act rationally and morally, adhering to universal ethical standards in forming beliefs and actions.

Freedom of Action: The freedom of action involves the autonomy of a free spirit in making behavioral choices, based on an understanding and internalization of knowledge and moral laws. Hence, the freedom to act is not arbitrary or unstructured, but a display of free will driven by rational thought and moral discipline. Individuals reflect deeply before acting to ensure their actions align with personal beliefs and societal responsibilities. Thus, freedom of action is not merely about choosing one’s behaviors but about self-guided and self-regulated actions following universal moral principles.

Moral Independence: The moral independence of a free spirit highlights an individual’s autonomy in the moral domain, transcending external social norms and others’ opinions based on internal moral principles. A free spirit demonstrates a high degree of self-awareness and critical reflection, independently identifying and analyzing ethical issues to form personal ethical views. The essence of moral autonomy lies in individuals not merely accepting or following external moral norms but developing a set of moral ideals through deep introspection and critical thought that aligns with their core values.

In summary, a free spirit emphasizes a holistic freedom — encompassing freedom and autonomy in thought, knowledge, action, and ethics; it is not just about external action but also about internal spiritual freedom, a unified practice of reason, morals, and will. Building on philosophical foundations, John Dewey developed profoundly insightful views on liberal education. His definition of a free person encompasses more than legal or political freedom; it involves deeper psychological and intellectual liberty. Dewey posits that a free person, through education and continuous learning, achieves self-realization and responsibility:

Autonomy in Thought: A free person has the capacity for independent thought and can critically assess various perspectives and information. This implies that individuals can freely question and explore information, not merely relying on tradition or authoritative dictates. Through continuous introspection and critical pursuit of ideals, a free person builds an independent and robust knowledge system, forming the basis for self-realization.
Lifelong Learning and Adaptability: In Dewey’s view, education is a lifelong process. A free person continuously learns and adapts within an ever-changing society and environment, using new experiences and information to reconstruct their knowledge system, thereby maintaining personal growth and renewal.
Awareness of Ethical and Social Responsibility: A free person proactively recognizes the impact of their actions on others and society and acts based on this awareness. Dewey argues that true freedom involves active societal engagement and responsibility towards the public good.
Integration of Practice and Innovation: A free person not only learns theoretical knowledge but also actively engages in practice. Aware of their ethical and social responsibilities, they strive to apply theory in practice, innovating to solve real-world problems while further developing and refining their knowledge and skills in practice.
Openness and Inclusivity: A free person maintains an open mind, willing to listen to and accept diverse viewpoints, engaging in reasoned dialogue and dialectic. A free person recognizes the multiplicity and dynamism of knowledge and truth, always in a state of open development.

Dewey’s concept of a free person represents a dynamic individual continually renewing themselves and integrating with societal progress. Their freedom is not merely personal but realizes a communal well-being in society. This freedom, intertwined with self-realization, social responsibility, and lifelong learning, forms the core of his educational theory and is also the practical philosophy of liberal education.

Reference

Dewey, John. (2001). Democracy and Education. A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication. Available at https://archive.org/details/DemocracyAndEducation_201507

Meng, Fanli (Trans.). (2019). On Liberty (3rd Edition). Taipei: Wu-Nan Book Inc. (Original work by John Stuart Mill).

Liu, Chuang-Fu. (2016). Kant’s Freedom and Spontaneity. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 28(1), 105–132. Academia Sinica, Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences.

博雅教育追求的自由心靈

博雅教育的使命在於透過智識、美學、倫理等各層面的薰陶，培育解放心靈的自由人。那麼，自由心靈（free spirit）是否即是無拘無束的行為主體？根據哲學維度的思考，自由心靈並不代表隨意行動，而是一種與個體的自主性、批判性思維及道德獨立性密切相關的狀態，涵蓋廣泛的範疇，其核心包括：對知識的自由追求、對思想的自由表達以及行動上的自由選擇。每一層面不僅強調外在行動的自主性，更加重內在精神的獨立與主動性，實為一種在認知、倫理與行動等多方面具有開放性和創造性的心靈狀態：

知識的自由

知識的自由是指在追求知識的過程中，不被外在權威的束縛所限制，堅持知識的建立必須根植於理性思考與實證基礎之上，而非僅是對於傳統或權威的盲目承襲。自由心靈在此基礎上能夠無拘無束地探究多元的知識領域，並在整個認知過程中保持一種批判性的開放性與懷疑精神。這種自主與獨立的精神，使得知識的追求成為一種深層的自我實現，而非僅僅是學習或接收既定的事實。

思想的自由

自由心靈在內在層面具有獨立思考的能力，因此個體能夠超越外部的壓力和社會的預期，根據自己的洞察和判斷來形塑觀點與信念。這種自由並非無拘無束的任意行為，而是一種自律的表現，正如哲學家Kant所提出，真正的自由基於對普遍道德法則的認同與實踐。因此，自由心靈不僅追求個人的思想自由，更承擔著依理性及道德自律行事的責任，從而在形成信念與行動時，能夠堅守普世的道德準則。

行動的自由

行動的自由涉及自由心靈在行為選擇上的自主性，此自主性基於對知識及道德法則的理解與內化。因而行動之自由並非隨意無規範，而是一種基於理性思考與道德自律的自由意志的展現，個體在行動前會自主進行充分的反思，確保其行為不僅符合個人的信念，同時也對社會及他者負責。因此，行動的自由不只是個人行為的自由選擇，更是在遵循普遍道德原則的基礎上，對自身行為進行自我導向與自我約束的表現。

道德的獨立性

自由心靈的道德獨立性突顯的是個體在道德領域內的自主性，這不僅是對外在社會規範與他人意見的超越，更是一種基於內在道德原則的自我導向。自由心靈在此展現高度的自我意識和批判性反思，使其能夠獨立地識別、分析道德問題，並在此基礎上形成個人倫理觀。其道德自主的本質在於，個體不僅接受或遵循外在的道德規範，而是經過深入的內省與批判性思考，內外糅合發展出一套與自己深層價值觀契合的道德理念。

簡言之，自由心靈強調的是一種整體的自由 — 包括思想、知識、行動及道德上的自由與自主；不僅是外在行動的自由，更是內在精神的自由，是理性、道德與意志的統合實踐。在哲學的基礎上，John Dewey發展出對博雅教育深具啟發性的觀點，其自由人的定義不僅指法律上或政治上的自由，而是更深層次的心理與智性的自由。Dewey認為，所謂的自由人是能夠透過教育與持續學習來實現自我及責任的人：

思想上的自主：自由人具有獨立思考的能力，更能夠對各種觀點和信息進行邏輯性的批判與評估。意指個體在面對知識與資訊時，能夠自由的質疑與探索，而不是僅僅依賴於傳統或權威的命令。藉由持續的內省及對理想的批判追求，自由人能夠建立起一套獨立且堅定的知識體系，成為自我實現的基礎。

終身學習與適應能力：在Dewey的觀點中，教育是一個終身的過程，自由人能夠在不斷變化的社會與環境中持續學習及適應，利用新的經驗和資訊不斷的重構自己的知識體系，維持個人生命的更新與成長。

倫理與社會責任的覺察：自由人能夠主動意識到其行為對他人與社會的影響，並以此為基礎而行動。Dewey認為，真正的自由涉及對社會的積極參與以及對公共利益的承擔。

實踐與創新的結合：自由人不僅止於學習專業理論，更積極參與實踐，因其覺察到自身的倫理與社會責任，而戮力將理論應用於實踐，透過創新解決現實世界的問題，亦在實踐中進一步發展、完善自身的智識與技能。

開放性與包容性：自由人具有開放的心態，願意聆聽並接受不同的觀點，在此基礎上進行合理的對話與辯證。自由人深知知識與真理的多元性，並且永遠處於動態發展中的開放狀態。

Dewey的自由人是一個不斷自我更新、與社會進步相結合的動態個體。其自由不僅是個人的自由，更是在社會中實現共好的自由。這種自由與自我實現、社會責任及終身學習密切相關，構成其教育理論中自由人的核心，亦是博雅教育的實踐理念。

參考資料

Dewey, John. (2001). Democracy and Education. A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication. https://archive.org/details/DemocracyAndEducation_201507

孟凡禮（譯）。(2019)。論自由（第三版）。五南出版社。(原作由約翰·斯圖爾特·彌爾著)

劉創馥。 (2016)。康德的自由與自發性。人文及社會科學集刊，28(1), 105–132。中央研究院人文社會科學研究中心。