ABSTRACT
Partly, we think, such blindness to some of the real issues comes from confusing two different things; the first of these is the concept of education which, we shall argue, is relatively unproblematic and concerns what must occur in every society,
namely, the preparation for adult life of future generations. The second is the different conceptions of education on offer which give substance to education in particular societies. Since these conceptions are often competing and conflicting, they always stand in need of justification and argument Thus, we might ask whether education should be about preparation for work or for a life of leisure, and if it is about preparing for leisure for some, how shall we decide who shall be prepared for work and who for leisure? Or, to take another example, if one group within a society believes that a worthwhile life can be lived without religious belief, while another deems it absolutely essential for a worthwhile life that children are brought up with specific religious beliefs, how can these two apparently conflicting views be reconciled with each other, if, indeed, they can be reconciled at all?
