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看過一本書(Talks to Teachers on Psychology, by William James)，這樣總結英國和德國的教育：
英國教育的目的：怎樣做個英國紳士。
德國教育的目的：怎樣解決各種問題。
以我對這兩國人的觀察，這兩個總結夠精辟，是他們國民性的產物，也反過來造就了他們的國民性。英國強調的是成為什麽樣的人(“be”)，德國強調的是會做什麽樣的事(“do”)。
我自己在中國受教育，孩子在美國受教育，所以也總結一下：
美國教育的目的：怎樣成就自己。
中國教育的目的：怎樣出人頭地。
“Talks to Teachers” by William James
是這幾段話：
If we reflect upon the various ideals of education that are prevalent in the different countries, we see that what they all aim at is to organize capacities for conduct. This is most immediately obvious in Germany, where the explicitly avowed aim of the higher education is to turn the student into an instrument for advancing scientific discovery. The German universities are proud of the number of young specialists whom they turn out every year,—not necessarily men of any original force of intellect, but men so trained to research that when their professor gives them an historical or philogical thesis to prepare, or a bit of laboratory work to do, with a general indication as to the best method, they can go off by themselves and use apparatus and consult sources in such a way as to grind out in the requisite number of months some little pepper-corn of new truth worthy of being added to the store of extant human information on that subject. Little else is recognized in Germany as a man's title to academic advancement than his ability thus to show himself an efficient instrument of research.
In England, it might seem at first sight as if the higher education of the universities aimed at the production of certain static types of character rather than at the development of what one may call this dynamic scientific efficiency. Professor Jowett, when asked what Oxford could do for its students, is said to have replied, "Oxford can teach an English gentleman how to be an English gentleman."
But, if you ask what it means to 'be' an English gentleman, the only reply is in terms of conduct and behavior. An English gentleman is a bundle of specifically qualified reactions, a creature who for all the emergencies of life has his line of behavior distinctly marked out for him in advance. Here, as elsewhere, England expects every man to do his duty.
順便說一句，這本"Talks to Teachers" 是一本很好的通俗教育心理學著作，可能是William James寫過的唯一通俗讀物。建議對教育有興趣的人有空讀一下。
關於William James, 請參見另一篇拙作
http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview.php?date=200706&postID=40070
謝謝！
教育這個詞很大，不好用“成功”或“失敗”一言以蔽之。但我們一定要懂得借鑒別人的長處，讓自己更好。
還不完全一樣。“英國紳士”是一個絕對概念。“出人頭地”比較強調跟別人的比較。
謝謝！看你的筆名，你一定是住在法國了？據我對法國人的有限理解，你的這個總結，我完全可以想象。
法國教育的目的：怎樣享受生活。強調的是enjoy
"中國教育的目的：怎樣出人頭地。"
所以您現在還在努力出人頭地？所以中國教育是成功的？
還是，您現在並不想出人頭地，所以中國教育是失敗的？