The Significance of Pang Chŏng-hwan’s Moral Education and View of Children

ABSTRACT

This study examines Pang Chŏng-hwan’s (1899-1931) life and his view of children and also focuses on examining the significance of moral education. Pang based his view of children on Ch‘ŏndogyo’s notion of Innaech‘ŏn (Man is Heaven, 人乃天) and actively spread the children’s movement. Not only did he regard children as extensions of Hanullim (Master Heaven), but he also stipulated that they were disciples of Innaech‘ŏn. In addition, not only did he see the grim reality that children needed to be liberated and rescued from suffering and oppression, but also emphasized hope for the future of his people by spreading an autonomous children-oriented education in Korea. Pang Chŏng-hwan’s moral education establishes as its goal actualizing the significance and value of morality through the concrete application of children’s movements. That significance can be expressed as follows: 1. Promoting children’s development, 2. Switching to children-oriented education, 3. Holistic education(全人敎育) comprised of knowledge, virtue, and body, and 4. A storytelling framework for self-transformation. Moreover, various fairytales contained in the magazine Children including the “Children Reading Book” is highly appraised for its exemplification of the close relationship between moral education theory and moral theory in one system.