瑪莎．紐斯琫（Martha C. Nussbaum，1947～）在其《培育人文：人文教育改革的古典辯護》（1997）中提到，「高等教育應該以各種方式來發展學生對文學的體會」，因為「在世界公民的課程中，文學有尤其豐富的貢獻，因為它能夠表現出各種不同人之獨特環境和問題。」這就是紐斯琫所強調文學獨特的「敘事的想像」；紐斯琫所謂的「文學」可能不一定是小說、散文、詩或戲劇，而更可能涵蓋廣義的「經典」，而透過各種不同文化的經典教養，現代的公民得以從中獲得某種「世界性」（universal），進而成為「世界的公民」。同時，衡諸當今社會所發生之諸多問題，都來自於對於傳統文化缺乏善意與同情的理解，這些問題除了尋求各類專業的解決之道外，也恐怕與文化的教養有極大的關連──進一步說，在全球化與現代性的要求下，立即犧牲的，即是古典的、關於傳統的觀念與價值。通識教育中所擔負的經典教育，應該有別於專門／專業系所視野下的意義，而更希望透過經典教育所獲致的美感經驗，不僅可以如紐斯琫所說可以發展想像力、更可以透過這種想像力，進而培養一種同理心（sympathy）和人我共通的情感，除了能夠提高生命的層次之外，更可以活絡人與人之間的關係，創造更加和諧的現代公民社會。現代公民素養的建立，往往有其政治與社會的意義－－如同經典的形成與流傳，亦有其特殊的時代性與文化意涵，白人菁英所建構的經典傳統，恐怕並不見得符合非白人社會的文化需求。準此，本文擬透過中國傳統經典的美學思想與美感經驗，析論這些經典是如何反映時代的公民素養、以及這些經典又是如何召喚模塑理想的公民素養。

As Martha C. Nussbaum has mentioned: ”Higher education should use a variety of methods for students in developing and experiencing literature,' because' in the course of the world citizenship; literature is particularly rich in contribution that it can convey the unique environment and problems depending on individuals” (Martha C. Nussbaum. Cultivating Humanity - A Classical Defense of Reform in Liberal Education. (1997). Harvard University Press.).To Nussbaum, the so-called ”literature” would be a ”classic” that widely covered more than just novel, essay, poetry or drama, etc., in which could enrich the citizens to encourage their thought in a universal way by bringing up the education through a variety classic education from different culture.It often contains political and social significance in the establishment of the modern citizenship; as the formation and spread of classics, it still has its unique relevance and cultural implications. The classical traditions built by Caucasian elites may not all fit well to the cultural needs of Caucasian society.As a result, this article analyzes how these classics reflect on civic literacy in times through Chinese traditional classics aesthetic concepts and experiences, and also how these classics pursuit the ideal models in citizen's competence.