ABSTRACT

The demand for a foundation rejects the pragmatic strategy of setting specific goals in favor of finding some broader theoretical or ideological guidance. This guidance might come from a broad theory of liberal democracy from which we could derive a persuasive account of the role of public education in the society. Liberal democratic theory and policymaking in the society inevitably involve a plurality of values that overlap and conflict with one another. The demand for foundation work or a more principled analysis of reform seeks some theoretical basis or explicit principles that can justify and guide educational policy. Liberal democratic theorists have repeatedly attempted to provide an objective foundation for their political beliefs. The theoretical mystique implies certain expectations and demands concerning the relationships among principles, the nature of consensus and justification, and the relationship of theory to practice.