Education versus knowledge

Xu Zhimo has contributed much to education.

He had doubts and insatisfaction of the education system in the old society, as it falied to fully exploit a person's potential. Family education brought him utmost disgust. Then, there was strong emphasis on things like "the most disobedient thing in the world is not to give birth",which were not really good for the society. Such was the imprisonment of a person, preventing him or her form getting more freedom of thought.

Xu Zhimo pointed out that the center of education is to help an educated person to behave like a person. He gave three powerful arguments: 1. humans are kind by nature ;2.reasonable education is possible; 3, education can alter a person's personality and character. Humans need the right education in order to achieve good personality. Xu Zhimo also encouraged 'youth education'. He wrote in <<Loushu and youth education>> that "the formation of one's character is before the age of six, not after six", emphasizing the importance and necessary to implement youth education.

Knowledge is something that one can never be lack of. The level of education of a person plays an important role in the person's personality. Xu Zhimo said that the fundamental requirement of gaining knowledge is to have great curiosity. Only curiosity can give a person limitless energy in pursuing knowledge. He commented that pureness, romance and innocence is the most everlasting and powerful thing on the Earth. It can bring a person limitless curiosity to discover the profound mystery of the sea of knowledge. Therefore, one must possess great curiosity if one wishes to gain more knowledge.