Abstract
This review surveys the literature on the philosophy of adult education. Among the major writers included are Broudy, Ber gevin, Knowles, Lawson, Freire and Lindeman. Their positions are analyzed in terms of (1) the aims and objectives of adult edu cation, (2) the teacher, the learner, and the instructional process and (3) the content of adult education. Because many of the writers hold very different assumptions about the basic nature of adult education, the survey revealed little agreement on such fundamental issues as adult education's role in promoting social change, teacher-centered instruction and the legitimate sources of educational content. Neglected in the philosophical writing on adult education are the issues of the professionalism of the field and the ways in which adult education differs from other aspects of education. Particularly unfortunate is the current lack of atten tion given to disciplined philosophical inquiry on major issues and problems in adult education.
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