Rational Autonomy as an Educational Aim

We have become rather shy about stating aims of education. There is wisdom in this attitude. Discussion gets further if it deals with the known. Talking about defects to be removed is therefore more productive than talking about goods it would be nice to attain, because the defects are part of most people’s experience and so are known, whereas the goods for which we might strive are ex hyp. not present and hence our picture of them is less clear (see further Popper 1966, Vol. 1, pp. 158–159, 284–285 [n. 9, Chap. 9, and text]). Modern schooling has some clear defects. To name just three, there are young people whose ability to do what they want is hindered by their lack of skills in decoding print, whose ignorance of simple mathematical operations makes them look foolish, or whose credulity leaves them open to exploitation. Nevertheless, it is sometimes useful to step back from the tasks of the moment and try to find a short formula which unifies and systematises the varied activities in which we are engaged. One such formula which has perhaps been too hastily dismissed as an aim of education is rational autonomy.