“审美”，是一种核心竞争力
01
The reason why people need aesthetics is that there are many things in the world that require us to choose and find the part that suits our needs, namely beautiful things.
人之所以需要审美，是因为世界上存在着许多的东西，需要我们去取舍，找到适合我们需要的那部分，即美的事物；
Besides self-pleasure, the reason why people pursue aesthetics is largely to improve themselves.
人之所以审美，除了愉悦自己的目的之外，在很大程度上也是为了完善自己；
Moreover, the pursuit of aesthetics is to observe and comprehend life’s aesthetic phenomenon from an artistic perspective, not a moral one, which also implies an aesthetic attitude towards life.
人之所以审美，更是将人生的痛苦当作一种审美现象进行观照，同时也就意味着是一种从艺术的视野而不是从道德评价的视野来观察和感悟生命的审美的人生态度。
Aesthetician Jiang Xun believes that “a person’s aesthetic level determines their competitiveness level, because aesthetics represents not only holistic thinking but also attention to detail. The best gift for children is to cultivate their aesthetic ability.”
美学家蒋勋认为：“一个人审美水平的高低，决定了他的竞争力水平，因为审美不仅代表着整体思维，也代表着细节思维。给孩子最好的礼物，就是培养他的审美力。”
In fact, every child has an innate desire for beauty, but it can be easily “extinguished” during growth.
其实每个孩子都有天然的，对美的渴望，但却很容易在成长中被“熄灭”。
Our easily overlooked aesthetic ability has become an increasingly important core competitiveness.
我们不以为然的“审美”能力，正成为越来越重要的核心竞争力。
In the upcoming artificial intelligence era, scientists predict that 50% of existing jobs will be replaced by machines, especially those repetitive and mechanical ones. What kind of work is not easily replaceable? Creative and artistic work.
在即将到来的人工智能时代，科学家预测，50%的现有工作将会被机器取代，尤其是那些重复性机械性的工作。什么样的工作才不容易被取代呢？那就是有创造性的、艺术性的工作。
As an important carrier of aesthetic education, art courses have not received due attention in our basic education stage.
而作为审美教育的重要载体——艺术课程，在我们的基础教育阶段，并没有得到应有的重视。
In school education, music, art, and other courses have always been regarded as “secondary courses” and have not been valued. Even parents send their children to various piano, painting, and art training classes with the mindset of learning for “admission” or “grading”, rather than obtaining spiritual nourishment from art.
在学校教育中，音乐、美术等课程，一直被认为是“副课”而不受重视，就连家长为孩子报各种钢琴、绘画、艺术培训班，也大多带着为“升学”或“考级”而学的心态，而非从艺术中得到心灵的滋养。
02
In the absence of aesthetic education, how can we help children discover beauty, contemplate beauty, and ultimately create beauty?
在审美教育缺位的情况下，我们又谈何能帮助孩子发现美、思考美，进而创造美？
Let’s look to Finland, an educational powerhouse admired worldwide, and see how they conduct art courses and provide aesthetic education.
不妨将眼光转向芬兰，看看这个令全世界称叹的教育大国，是怎样开展艺术课程，进行美学教育的？
Finland has attracted global attention over the past two decades due to its exceptional performance in the PISA tests. It is also renowned as a “Design Nation,” where art education holds a unique and unparalleled status.
近二十年来，芬兰因为在历年PISA考试中取得的卓越成绩，引发全世界的关注。殊不知，它还被誉为“设计大国”，艺术教育在这个国家，同样有着无与伦比的地位。
At the basic education level in Finland, art courses are considered highly important. Not only are they mandatory subjects, but they also hold a status equivalent to academic courses.
在芬兰的基础教育阶段，艺术课程被认为是一门非常重要的学科，不仅列为必修科目，还有着与学术课程相等的地位。
“Art can promote the development of students’ self-awareness, the exertion of creativity, and is crucial to personal development and happiness.” This is the Finnish educational ethos.
“艺术，能促进学生自我意识的发展、创造力的发挥，对个人的发展和幸福至关重要”，堪称芬兰的教育信仰。
This is a Finnish elementary school student’s curriculum, simple and unadorned, yet stirring countless thoughts.
这是一张芬兰小学生的课程表，简简单单，朴朴素素，却让我们思绪万千。
The Finnish curriculum even includes a separate curriculum for arts education, the “National Core Curriculum for Basic and Upper Secondary Art Education,” which was last updated in August 2018.
艺术教育是芬兰教学大纲里不可或缺的一部分。芬兰教育部门甚至还专门就艺术教育单独发行了《基础教育中一般和高级艺术教育国家教学大纲》，最新一版于2018年8月开始实施践行。
This curriculum specifies nine forms of art education to be implemented at the basic education level in Finland: architecture, visual arts, handicrafts, media arts, music, literary arts, circus arts, as well as dance and drama.
在这份国家艺术教育教学大纲里，明确规定了在芬兰基础教育阶段开展的九种艺术教育形式，它们分别是建筑、视觉艺术、手工、传媒艺术、音乐、文学艺术、杂技艺术，以及舞蹈、戏剧。
Among them, core art subjects like music, visual arts, and arts and crafts are required to be integrated into various academic fields throughout the entire teaching process.
其中，音乐、视觉艺术和工艺美术的核心艺术科目，要求贯穿于整个教学过程，融入不同的学科领域。
Additionally, the curriculum explicitly outlines the learning philosophies, environments, and methods for these art forms, as well as how to implement personalized learning, assessments, parental collaboration, and more.
此外，这份大纲还明确规定了它们的学习理念、环境、学习方法，以及如何进行个性化学习、评估、与家长的合作等等。
It’s no exaggeration to say that nearly one-third of the school curriculum is devoted to art subjects. The basic aesthetic education provided by the school can fully meet the needs of every child.
毫不夸张的说，学校课程几乎有三分之一左右，都是艺术科目。学校的基础美学教育，完全能满足每一个孩子的需求。
In addition to familiar subjects like music, art, and physical education, the curriculum also includes handicrafts, knitting, sewing, carpentry, and architecture courses. In sewing class, children first practice in textbooks before operating sewing machines for practical application.
不仅有我们所熟知的音乐、美术、体育，还有手工、编织、缝纫、木工、建筑等课程。在缝纫课上，孩子们会先在课本上练习，再在缝纫机上进行实践操作。
The curriculum also emphasizes practical life-based teaching to inspire students’ understanding and choice of future professions.
此外，芬兰的艺术课程，还注重与实际生活相结合，激发学生们对未来职业的了解和选择。
As early as 20 years ago, Finland put the concept of “children conversing with architecture” into practice. Finns value aesthetics and believe that recognizing beauty from an early age fosters the creation of beautiful things. Aesthetic education in daily life is essential. The architecture found everywhere allows children to take their first step in recognizing “beauty,” while studying architecture forms the basis of all aesthetic and design education.
早在20多年前就将「让孩子和建筑对话」付诸行动。芬兰人重视美学、美感，认为从小认识美，才能创造美的事物，生活中的美学教育是最重要的养分。随处都可以接触到的建筑物，则是孩子认识「美」的第一步；学习建筑的过程，就是所有美学教育与设计的基础。
In 1998, the Finnish Education Commission passed an amendment to the Education Act, stipulating that from elementary to high school graduation, students must attend two hours of aesthetic classes daily. Architecture education is also listed as part of aesthetic education, and students with a strong interest in architecture can participate in after-school tutoring and summer camps.
芬兰教育委员会1998年通过《教育法修正案》，明订从小学开始到中学毕业，每天都要上2小时的美学课程，其中建筑教育也被列为美学教育一部分，如果学生对建筑有高度兴趣，还有课后辅导、暑期夏令营可以参加。
With such a strong foundation in aesthetic education, it’s no surprise that Finland has produced numerous design masters and earned its title as the “Design Nation.”
有了这样的美学教育基础，我们就不难理解，为什么芬兰涌现出众多设计大师，甚至被誉为“设计之国”。
03
Moreover, the embodiment of Finland’s history and heritage in design extends far beyond the works displayed in museums and art galleries. This aesthetic education, woven into the very fabric of daily life, has a profound impact on children.
当然，设计在芬兰的历史和传承，绝不仅仅是博物馆和艺术馆里陈列的作品，它还体现在无处不在的生活细节里，这种生活中的“美育”对孩子的影响更深远。
From architecture to furniture, from storage baskets to water cups, Finns adhere to the principle of seamlessly weaving nature into daily life. They draw inspiration from the natural world, integrating it into their architecture, objects, and clothing.
从建筑到家具，从储物篮到水杯，芬兰人信奉“把自然无缝编织进日常生活”，他们更多地从大自然中汲取灵感，融入到建筑、物件和服饰的日常生活之中。
Compared to the macroscopic art education curriculum, perhaps the unique characteristics of Finland’s aesthetic education are best reflected in every specific art classroom.
相比较宏观的艺术教育大纲，也许每一节具体的艺术课堂，更能体现芬兰的美育特色。
Upon entering a classroom, you might find one student crafting a sculpture of clothing being exploded in mid-air, while another student creates graffiti murals inspired by Marilyn Manson or Donald Trump; some students even create mind-expanding sculptures.
当你走进一间教室，可能发现，一名学生正在制作一件衣服在空中被炸毁的雕塑，另一名学生则在创作受到一面关于玛丽莲·曼森或者唐纳德·特朗普的涂鸦壁画；还有学生甚至在制作一些脑洞大开的雕塑。
You’ll also find children’s drawings tucked away in various corners of the school—some created for fun, and others as part of their lessons. For instance, during a Japanese lesson on history and culture, children will engage in cherry blossom painting.
你还将在学校的各个角落，找到孩子们的绘画作品，有些是为了好玩而做的，有些则是课程的一部分。比如，在讲述日本历史文化的日本课上，孩子们会进行樱花的绘画。
Additionally, a notable characteristic of Finnish art classrooms lies in their focus on project-based learning, which can span 4-5 weeks or even an entire semester. If a semester is dedicated to exploring textile arts, the entire term will likely revolve around that theme.
此外，芬兰的艺术课堂的一大特色还在于，它会以“作品”为导向，进行一个较长周期的主题学习。芬兰艺术学校的课程设计是，很多课程会用4-5星期，甚至是一整个学期完成。如果这一学期是探索纺织艺术，可能整个学期都会围绕这个主题展开。
A country’s museums are essentially treasure troves of art, with immeasurable aesthetic value in education. In Finland, museum visits have become the norm due to their importance in aesthetic education.
一个国家的博物馆，简直是最丰富的“艺术宝库”，它所具有的美育价值，不容小觑。作为美学教育中非常重要的一环，芬兰人将“逛博物馆”变成了一种常态。
Finns enjoy frequenting traditional and modern art galleries, natural history museums, and are passionate about attending operas, plays, variety shows, and other stage performances.
芬兰人喜欢流连于各种传统和现代艺术馆、自然历史博物馆，热衷看歌剧，戏剧，欣赏杂技或其他舞台表演。
So, how does Finland, the “Design Nation” that emphasizes aesthetic education, integrate museums with art education?
注重审美教育的“设计之国”芬兰，怎样将博物馆与艺术教育相结合？
On one hand, Finnish teachers meticulously design “museum tour courses.”
一方面，芬兰老师会精心设计“艺术馆导览课程”。
On the other hand, museums also feature art workshops for students to practice. For instance, during the “Museum Tour Class” at the Helsinki National Gallery, not all time is spent with teachers guiding and explaining exhibits to students. Instead, a “Collage Workshop” is incorporated into the experience, allowing students to create story-based collages using images from Finnish masterpieces they have encountered. This encourages them to integrate their own understanding and thoughts into their artwork.
另一方面，博物馆内也会设置一些艺术工作坊，供学生实践。比如，在参观赫尔辛基国家画廊的“博物馆导览课”上，并非所有时间，都由老师向学生们讲解导览，而是会将“插画工作坊”的环节融合进来，将之前参观中看到的一些芬兰大师作品中的形象，进行故事化的拼贴，融入自己的理解和思考。
This hands-on approach not only connects previous learning experiences but also keeps students engaged and encourages them to construct their own interpretations of these masterpieces.
这样一个动手操作的过程，不仅起到承上启下的作用，让学生不至于感到枯燥，而且能让学生建构自己对大师名作的理解。
Only when students develop an interest in, understanding of, and critical thinking about these works, can a meaningful “connection” be established between the students and the art pieces.
只有学生对这些作品产生了兴趣和理解和思考，这些作品才算是与学生产生了“链接”。
04
From “Aesthetics” to “Finnish Education” and from “Finnish Education” to “Aesthetics,” we may not be able to obtain all the methods of Finland’s aesthetic education, but we can gain an appreciation for and understanding of the importance of aesthetic education for our children. Thus, by influencing our children’s aesthetics, we can lead them towards a happy life!
从“审美”到“芬兰教育”，从“芬兰教育”到审美“，我们可能无法获取芬兰美育的全部方式方法，但获得一种对孩子美育的重视与见解。从而，通过自己影响孩子的审美，通往幸福的人生！
“There are four states in life: the state of desire, the state of seeking knowledge, the state of morality, and the state of aesthetics. Aesthetics is the highest state.”
The so-called aesthetic state is living aesthetically—living beautifully.
Let us live in the present, rediscover the aesthetics of life, and thereby influence the next generation.
“人生有四种境界：欲求境界、求知境界、道德境界、审美境界。审美为最高境界。”
所谓审美境界，就是要审美地生活，就是要活得美。
让我们活在当下，重拾生活的审美，从而影响下一代。
As Kant said, “A direct interest in natural beauty is always a sign of a good heart.”
A quote from Montagne perfectly interprets this: “We only see the ostentatious, noisy, and pretentious emotions.
The beauty hidden under innocence and simplicity
Easily slips through the eyes of worldly people like us.
This exquisite and hidden beauty
Must be seen with a pure gaze
To discover the hidden sparkle within.”
Perhaps this pure gaze
Is the greatest luxury—aesthetic self-discipline.
康德说：“对自然美抱有直接兴趣，永远是心地善良的标志。”
蒙田的一句话刚好可以解读它：“我们只看到显眼、胡闹和装腔作势的矫情。
掩盖在天真纯朴之下的美，
在我们这样的俗人眼里容易一溜而过。
这样的美精致隐蔽，
必须以清纯的目光，
才能发现里面隐藏的闪烁。”
这种清纯的目光，
或许就是最大的奢侈品——审美自律。
