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WhenSocratesMeetsConfuciusItisuniversallyacknowledgedthatSocrates,thegreatancientGreekphilosopher,hasimposedprofoundandfar-reachinginfluenceontheworldwithhisideasineducation,moralizingandpoliticswhileConfucius,kindofSocrates’scounterpartinancientChina,isregardedasthegreatestsagewhoseideashavelaidthefoundationforChinesethinkingpattern.Andsincetheywerebothfondoftravelingaroundthecountytoadvocatetheirthoughtsandideas,therecouldbeachancethatSocratestraveledtoancientChinaandcameacrossConfuciuswhowasteachinghisstudents,thentwogreatmindsmetanddiscussedabouttheirideasofeducation.Themostpossiblemattertheymaydiscussistheidealteachingmethod,alsotheonetheywerepracticing.SocratesintroducedMaieuticsorSocraticMethodtoConfucius,andheinsistedthateverymanhasgothisinnateknowledgeinhismindwhichisjustlikethebabyinapregnantwoman’sbody,andtheteachers’workissupposedtobehelpthestudentstogivebirthtothatinnateknowledge.Inotherwords,hemadeconversationswiththestudentstoarousethehiddenknowledgeintheirmindsbyaskingquestionstomakethemawareoftheirignoranceandleadingthemtofindthetruth.AndjudgingConfucius’swayofteachingbythisstandard,SocratescriticizedConfuciusfortellingthestudentswhat’struedirectlysometimes.ThenConfuciuswouldanswerhimwithonesentence,”Iwouldnotgiveanyguidancetothemuntiltheyreachtothepointthattheymustfigureoutit;Iwouldnotinspireofenlightenthemifitisn’tthattheyhaveunderstooditbutcan’texpressitcorrectlyandcompletely;Iwouldgivethemnomoreexamplesiftheycan’tdrawinferencesaboutothercasesfromoneinstance”.Here,bothofthemfocusonenlightenment.SocraticMethodisbasedonthepresumptionthestudentsacquireknowledgeintheverywayhehasassumed,i.e.likepregnantwomengivingbirthtobabies,butactuallystudentsacquireknowledgeinvariousways,wecan’tsimplyimagineortakeitasgrantedthattheyalllearnthingsinthesameway,andtreatthemwithoneteachingstrategy.Andthatbringsthemtothenextquestion--educatingstudentsinaccordancewiththeiraptitudeandcognitiverules.Confuciusstartedbytelloneexample:bothhisstudentsZiluandRanyoucametoaskhimthatwhentheyheardsomethingwhethertheyshouldputitintopracticeimmediately,andhetoldZilunottopracticeitwhileheencouragedRanyoutodoit.HeexplainedthatZiluwasanadventurousman,soItoldhimtobecautious,butRanyouwasalittletimid,soIencouragedhim.Confuciuspointedoutthathegottoknowhisstudentsbetterthoughobservingthemandtalkingwiththem,andthenhegaveguidancetothemaccordingtohisunderstandingoftheiraptitude.AndwhenSocrateswantedtojustifyhimselfbysayingthathisMaieuticsdidhelptoarousethestudents’innateintelligence,Confuciuscouldmakehimspeechlessbyasking,＂whatifthestudentshakeshisheadinanswertoallquestions?Youstilldon’tgivehimaclue?＂Indeed,differentstudentsfollowthedifferentcognitivepatternwhentheyapproachtheworldaroundthem.TodaywehavemanydifferenttheorieswithregardtothehumancognitionsuchasTheoryofTabulaRasaandConstructivism,wecannottellwhichoneisrightorwrong,becausetheonlywaytojudgethemiswhetheritissuitablefortheindividuals.Teachersinthemodernsocietyshouldbearinmindthatthereisnofixedteachingmethod,soweshouldapplyflexiblydifferentteachingmethodstodealwithdifferentstudentsbasedonanin-depthunderstandingoftheircognitivestyle.