本文嘗試分別從兩位美國哲學家對美國高等院校中通識教育處境的反省，來檢視通識教育的可能意涵，已故的美國政治哲學家Allan Bloom認為應該將古希臘雅典學院精神在美國高等學院中重現，但另一位哲學家Martha Nussbaum卻認為這種理想忽視了當前教育環境所面對的新局勢：全球多元社會，反而應該以培養具有多元寬容精神的世界公民為人文教育的最高目標。Allan Bloom認為美國高等教育院校是培育「自然貴族」的養成所，然而Martha Nussbaum卻認為「世界公民」才是高等教育應當追求的目標。本文認為Allan Bloom與Martha Nussbaum分別強調的這兩種觀點都相當具有代表性，值得加以探討，因此首先從Allan Bloom的《美國精神的封閉》（The Closing of the Amrican Mind）這本書的內容來分析其對博雅教育的特殊觀點，其次，說明Martha Nussbaum在《培育人性》（Cultivating Humanity）一書中對美國高等教育前景的關注與檢討，來整理出高等院校中博雅教育的可能前景，接著，進一步分析Allan Bloom與Martha Nussbaum的這兩種觀點是否可能調和，並以討論「教育與學習這種活動究竟代表什麼樣的意義？」這樣問題來嘗試提出一種可能的思考方向。 This article explores two ideas of liberal education: Allan Bloom’s “philosopher- king” and Martha Nussbaum’s “democratic citizen.” Both ideas are well-known in modern American university campus. But in the Globalization era, Martha Nussbaum seem get more attention in the debate about what proper purpose of liberal education is. Leo Strauss was a pacemaker of Alllan Bloom about the idea of liberal education. Strauss thought that liberal education was a priviledge of the few talented, the potential philosopher, to be cultivated a philosopher-king if possible.Following his master Leo Strauss’ ideal, Bloom criticized the present education in American have lost the soul of university.Bloom has argued we should educate the modern aritocracy in democratic society, by practicing the ideal of liberal education.Martha Nussbaum does not agree Bloom’s elitist argument.
