The current educational agenda is highly focused on qualifications and measurable outcomes (c.f. Biesta, 2009). It is argued that this strong emphasis on qualification and measurement culture for preparing the future workforce might hinder students from living meaningfully (c.f. Schinker, De Ruyter, and Aviram, 2016). The assumption that attaining high grades, attending prestigious universities, and securing decent jobs ensures students' good lives appears to be uncritically accepted. Through the process of qualification and neo-liberal discourse, education seems to promote this narrowed concept of valid life. Furthermore, the question of life's meaning has attracted insignificant notice across both educational practice and educational research (c.f. White, 2009; Kronman, 2007; Lewis, 2006). Based on those issues, this research intends to explore the question of meaning in life and how education could help students live more meaningful lives.

In the first stage, I explored the question of what a meaningful life is by investigating key philosophical and psychological literature on life's meaning in the last thirty years. It cements an explanatory framework for the meaning of life by outlining its difference from the meaning of life (c.f. Seachris, 2009), whether it pertains to the subject or the objective (c.f. Wolf, 2015; Metz, 2013), whether life in its totality or elements delivers this meaning (c.f. Kauppinen, 2015; Brannmark, 2003), and the coherence, purpose and significance as three central aspects in sensing meaning in life as argued by psychologists (c.f. Martela and Steger, 2016; Baumeister, 1991; Frankl, 1985). Those theories provide conceptual knowledge about the structure of meaning; however, they might be neither sufficient nor necessary conditions for people to lead meaningful lives and it is difficult to draw meaningful implications for education.

I then consider the Confucian approach as an alternative and explore both the content and the form of the Confucian texts to bring insights into how education could help students to live more meaningful lives. In this section, I explain his key concepts and argue his understanding of education centres on how to live. His concept of Ren (仁) establishes the necessity for developing ideals and an ultimate purpose in life - elements that contemporary education ignores. His concept of Xue (学 learning) indicates the paths to Ren (仁) which is characterized by enactment, embodiment, and a continual and proactive learning process towards Ren (仁). The lifelong learning process for Ren (仁) constitutes a way to live meaningfully. His concepts of Dao (道 the Way), Yi (义 Rightness), and Ming (命 Fate) demonstrate the importance of self-endeavour under the acknowledgement of the limitations of human conditions. In this way, people learn what to be concerned about and what worries could be settled. It is argued that such an education could bring about meaningful lives. It is noticed that Confucian texts differ in style and format from those of analytical philosophers. The use of short, contextual dialogic aphorisms instead of long, clear philosophical arguments create a different relationship between the texts and the reader. It summons the hermeneutics of the reader, speaks to the reader, allows a space for the subject to think and come, and promotes the practical process of realizing the wisdom in the classics in each one's life. The artistic character of the form might inform a pedagogy for cultivating meaningful lives. While the theorising approach focuses on the theoretical question of "what is the meaning in life?" The Confucian approach focuses on the practical question of "how to live?" This raises the contentious inquiry of which of these questions is better to ask to bring about meaningful lives.

In the first stage of this project, the traditional philosophical analysing approach was taken to clarify questions and concepts, identifying the main elements and structure of certain concepts. This approach serves to build generalizable knowledge to understand life’s meaning. After summarizing the theories, the research implies autobiographical and Socratic inquiry to critique this traditional approach to knowing-- scientific, linear approach to know the fact first to solve the problem. However, this approach of acquiring “what is meaningful life” did not lead to the answers to the "how to lead a meaningful life" question. A turn to the Confucian approach has been adopted as an alternative. This approach is argued to be different from the traditional theorizing approach but is more in alignment with art-based research. Both the content and the form of Confucian texts are considered to work as art that provides non-linear insights into how to lead meaningful lives. Veering from carefully controlled parameters of traditional research practice, art-based research is encompassed by the dynamic assessment of experiences through the lens of artistic expression seeing an exploration of finalized product and its fabrication. The necessity for this alternative vehicle of research is inherent in the unrecognized limits of the traditional approach though it need not be antagonized. Arts-based research, rather than reconfiguring an inquiry into the boundaries of a conventional research method, seeks to address the issue directly and tailor itself to it accordingly. The research should be defined by a simple and replicable methodology seeing a clearly defined structure that allows for the researcher's liberation and for it to be of use to others even if there is an embracing of the multiplicity of subsequent outcomes (McNiff, 2008). The artistic thread to Confucius lies in how the Confucian structure, unlike that of Western contemporaries, is directed towards immediate conclusions seeing interpretations of the conclusions feature the elaborative structure of logic and argument to back the conclusion’s existence. Furthermore, Confucian responses to the same questions - though connected by a unifying thread - vary across distinct contexts and surrounding environments. Thus, the endlessly interpretive nature of Confucian directives parallels the infinitely meaningful nature of artistic mediums like painting and poetry, which derive rich meaning from their timeless nature. In positioning Confucius as a dynamic literary art medium, arts-based research methodology can decipher the deeper and more mystical understandings of the inquiry of education and the meaning of life.

The potential outcomes of the thesis might be the following: (1) an argument that education should help students to live more meaningful lives and, thus, shift the focus on educational aims, research, and practice to a more holistic and meaningful end for both individuals and society. (2) A critique of the analytical philosophy and positive psychology that utilize the theorizing approach to bring about a meaningful life and why adding a new course about the theory of meaning in life in the school curriculum would not be well-served for an educational purpose. (3) The implications drawn from both Confucian texts' content and form for education to bring about meaningful lives (in comparison with the theorizing approach) might require an education which ignites and guides students to establish their (normative/significant) ideals/lifelong purpose/directions in life; an education that emphasis lifelong striving for growth, down-to-earth practice in daily life, realizing wisdom and embodiment under the recognition of human limits. A pedagogy informed by the writing style that creates space and dialogue to evoke thinking and action for oneself. These discussions will set the foundation for education in terms of (4) the kind of educational questions, knowledge, contents, pedagogy, and research methods to bring about meaningful lives.

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