“士之仕也，犹农夫之耕也”——《齐民要术》职业教育思想及其当代价值

“An Intellectual Taking Office Is Like a Farmer Plowing the Fields”: The Vocational Education Philosophy in “Qimin Yaoshu” and Its Contemporary Value

摘要: 《齐民要术》作为中国古代农业科学的瑰宝，不仅是我国现存最早的完整农书，也是世界农学史上的重要专著，其成书背景深厚，价值意蕴深远。这部古代农业巨著以“士之仕也，犹农夫之耕也”的职业教育理念旨在“劝民农桑”，强调职业的平等性，还展现了“资生之业，靡不毕书”的职业内容选择，涵盖众多实用的职业知识，以及“虽有智惠，不如乘势”“相继以生成，相资以利用”“智如禹汤，不如尝更”灵活多样的职业教育原则。深入考察《齐民要术》，挖掘古代职业教育思想的现代价值，为当今职业教育的高质量发展提供宝贵启示。为实现职业教育的现代化，我们应立足于人民的实际需求，重视职业教育教材的开发与编写，积极建立实训基地，并致力于建设具有中国特色的职业教育自主知识体系。

Abstract: “Qimin Yaoshu”, a gem of ancient Chinese agricultural science, is not only China’s earliest extant complete agricultural treatise but also a seminal work in the global history of agronomy. Its compilation is deeply rooted in its historical context, and its value is profound. This monumental ancient work embodies a vocational education philosophy encapsulated in the dictum, “An intellectual taking office is like a farmer plowing the fields.” This philosophy aimed to “encourage the people in agriculture and sericulture,” thereby emphasizing the inherent dignity and equality of all professions. It demonstrates a comprehensive approach to vocational content selection, striving to “leave no trade undocumented that sustains livelihoods,” which encompassed a vast array of practical occupational knowledge. Furthermore, it articulated flexible and diverse vocational education principles, such as “Though one may possess wisdom, it is better to seize the prevailing circumstances,” “Things thrive by supporting one another and prove useful by complementing each other,” and “Having the wisdom of the legendary sage-kings Yu and Tang is not as good as personal experience through practice.” A thorough examination of “Qimin Yaoshu” to unearth the modern value embedded within these ancient vocational education thoughts can provide invaluable insights for the high-quality development of contemporary vocational education. To achieve the modernization of vocational education, it is imperative to ground our efforts in the practical needs of the people, prioritize the development and compilation of vocational education textbooks, actively establish practical training bases, and dedicate ourselves to building an independent knowledge system for vocational education with distinctive Chinese characteristics.