The Core Essence, Contemporary Value, and International Implications of Tao Xingzhi’s Philosophy of Mass Education

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-479-2_5How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Tao Xingzhi; mass education; educational philosophy; life education; educational equity; comparative education; SDG 4

Abstract

Tao Xingzhi (1891-1946), one of modern China’s most influential educational reformers, developed a comprehensive philosophy of mass education that remains profoundly relevant in addressing 21st-century global educational challenges. This paper presents a systematic analysis of the theoretical foundations and practical applications of Tao’s educational philosophy, examining its core principles of “Life as Education,” “Society as School,” and “The Unity of Teaching, Learning, and Reflective Action.” Through historical analysis and contemporary case studies, we demonstrate how Tao’s ideas provide innovative approaches to promoting educational equity, revitalizing rural education, and fostering holistic student development. The study further explores the striking parallels between Tao’s philosophy and Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, while examining its significant contributions to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Our findings indicate that Tao Xingzhi’s educational thought represents not merely a historical legacy but a vibrant framework for educational innovation that transcends cultural and national boundaries, offering practical solutions for creating more inclusive and effective educational systems worldwide.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chunjie Han
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/19
TI  - The Core Essence, Contemporary Value, and International Implications of Tao Xingzhi’s Philosophy of Mass Education
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Education Research and Training Technologies (ERTT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 38
EP  - 46
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-479-2_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-479-2_5
ID  - Han2025
ER  -