Abstract: The reformation of moral education curriculum reflects the cultural shifts in modern China. Focusing on the curriculum reforms of the early 1920s， this article examines the evolution of moral ideals in the light of the changes in the social situation of the Chinese intelligentsia. With the establishment of the modern school system， moral education was institutionalized in the form of self-cultivation （Xiushen） curriculum. Educators denounced traditional moral education centered on Confucius classics and hoped to apply Western pedagogical theories to the teaching of Xiushen. They advocated the replacement of abstruse classics with easy-to-understand textbooks as well as the adoption of pedagogical methods aligned with children’s psychological development. In the early 1920s， however， under the influence of the New Culture Movement， educators began to question the moral authority of teachers， and thus the rationality of the Xiushen curriculum. Drawing on the prevailing Deweyism at the time， educators argued that moral education should be grounded in the study of and active participation in “society”. This realization led to the abolishment of Xiushen and the establishment of Civics （Gongmin） training curriculum. Furthermore， the reformation of moral education curriculum was also linked to the transformation of the intelligentsia. In traditional China， the moral principles in the Confucian classics not only served as moral norms but also the basis of legitimacy of social domination. Literati who mastered Confucian discourses could move upwards to be ruling officials through the imperial examination system， and whereby enjoy political and economic privileges. Thus， the critique of classical education marked the intellectual class’ departure from its traditional social identity as scholar-officials， and the discussion around“society” represented an attempt to interpret moral education based on their new social situation. No longer dependent on imperial power， the intelligentsia began to value the political potential of the common people. Analyzing the transformation of moral education curriculum helps to further understand the sociological implications of the moral revolution during the late Qing and early Republican periods.

Key words: moral education, educational reformation, Xiushen, Gongmin, intellectuals