Reconstructing the Moral Relationship between Teachers and Students in China: Predicament and Transcendence

Abstract

Education revolves around human nature and necessitates the establishment of relationships. For a considerable period, discussions on the teacher-student relationship have primarily focused on its professional aspect, neglecting the moral connection between educators and learners. Through investigation, this study reveals that the current moral relationship between teachers and students in China faces a complex predicament due to both external factors related to societal changes and internal factors stemming from weakened interpersonal bonds. The moral relationship between teachers and students exhibits three prominent issues: firstly, it is strained by educational realities; secondly, there is an increased prominence of moral risks and anomie; thirdly, institutional existence supersedes ethical considerations within this relationship. To address these challenges effectively, it becomes imperative to recognize the essential restoration of the moral teacher-student bond while simultaneously achieving moral transcendence based on its foundational state. By reviewing the developmental trajectory of this bond, this paper proposes a tripartite framework for constructing a morally sound teacher-student relationship encompassing symbiotic morality, normative mutual promotion, and transcendent mutual assistance.