亚伯拉罕·弗莱克斯纳在他的《现代学院与现代学校》一书中论述了他的现代通识教育思想。他反对自由选修制,认为自由选修制导致课程混乱以及学生知识过早地专门化、缺乏系统性。他对职业发展与人的发展进行了系统的分析.认为现代学院教育应为学生提供普通的基本的科学文化训练,实施通识教育。对于如何实施通识教育,他提出了在课程体制上将绝对的自由选修制改为分组制(group system)、完善教育组织管理、给予学生更大的学习自由等一系列主张。他的现代通识教育思想对于我国实施通识教育仍具有较好的启示和借鉴作用。
Abraham · Flexner illustrated his understanding of general education in his book ModernCollege and the Modern School. He was against free elective system and argued that free elective systemled to chaos and premature specialization of students. He analyzed professional development and personaldevelopment and proposed that college education should provide general education for students. He putforward the change of free elective system into grouping system, improving teaching management, andgiving students more learning freedom. Chinese general education can learn a lot from Flexner' s thoughtof general education.