Educational desire in (Post) Confucian Asia: Cultural origin and contemporary pursuit of personal success

In China, there had been no dominant ideology in education until the advent of Confucianism in Spring and Autumn Period (BC 770 - BC 403). Since then, Confucianism started to play an imperative role in Chinese education, in which “Junzi” (the Exemplary Man) cultivation was considered as the ultimate goal of learning. Schooling and examination, had been heavily influenced by Confucianism, are broadly seen as ways to achieve personal success. Multitude of people, regardless of social class and age, aspired to become Junzi and hence government officials through success in different levels of examination systems. However, only a handful of them succeeded. This paper comprehensively and critically examines the classical Confucianism texts and discusses 1. How was the notion of educational success developed and defined in Confucianism during Imperial China? 2. How was the formation of life aspiration interrelated with educational success? 3. What is the relationship between Confucian educational desire and the pursuit of personal success by Asian students and parents in contemporary societies? Copyright © 2021 Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong.