The Revival of WANG Gen’s Shidao: His Educator’s Ethos of Popular Education

WANG Gen (1483-1541), founder of the Taizhou School, pioneered popular education by dedicating his life to teaching through life-long commitment to practice. He championed Shidao (the Way of teachers), viewing it as a pivot to awakening people and saving the world. His philosophy emphasized educators’ responsibility to first cultivate their own moral character before guiding others. This responsibility was paired with an unwavering commitment to patient instruction and the rule of enlightening the later awakened with the earlier awakened. WANG’s ethos of popular education rests on three pillars. Firstly, professional knowledge can be built through diligent study, practice, and inquiry with an open mind. Secondly, professional character is the root for fulfiling one’s purpose and mission, and upholding integrity while innovating. Thirdly, professional wisdom can be structured by cultivating self-discipline as the foundation and adapting teaching to individual needs. An interpretation of WANG’s conception of reviving Shidao and the evolution of his educational ethos can illuminate path for building a high-caliber teaching force in the new era.