How Can One Be Perfected By Music?

This book is an examination of aesthetic thought of Chinese pre-Qin Confucians with a focus on the idea of Yue Jiao (Music Education). Confucius is regarded as the first educational philosopher in Chinese history both chronologically and in importance. A central theme in his aesthetics is that the final perfection of one’s personhood as an integrated whole is accomplished by the study of music. In this book, the author argues that aesthetic education, music education in particular, has an indispensible role in developing a harmonious balance between our rational intelligence and emotional sensibilities. It provides an ideal for living in the world today when unity is achieved without eliminating diversities. The discussion in this book should help shed some light on comparative studies of Chinese and western aesthetics. Both Confucian aesthetic tradition and ancient Greek aesthetic tradition have a long history of the important role of music in human development and education. But they differ in their understanding of the foundation of musical value. The analysis also contributes to educational philosophers' reflection on the nature and role of education in today's world.