ABSTRACT
Theconceptofa'learningsociety'oran'education-centredsociety'asitismoreinfrequently called,is,theFaurereportdeclares,its'central theme'.[2JItisr·eferredtorepeatedlyinthe literatureonlifelongeducationwhereitsstructuresandpoliciesarediscussed,butitisinthe reportthatitismoste>t'tensivelydescribedasa concept.Thereitsadvent,thoughconsideredtobe Cl.lrrent1y'utopian·'·isconfident1ypredictedonthe basisofcertain'trends'discernitl1eintheworld, certainmovementsandchangesineducationalpracticessharedbysocietieseverywhere,developedand non-developed.Infact,thereportdeclares,the prospectofsuchasocietyseemsnotonlytoconform towhatitdescribesas'thepresent-daywor1d's fundamentalneedsandmajorevolutionarydirection', italsofitsanumberofphenomena,includingeducational,emergingalmosteverywhereandincountries whosesocio-economicstructuresandeconomicdevelopmentlevelsareverydifferent.(3J
The'learningsociety'will conceptionofeducationwhich
individualeducationalneeds,thisiswhyforhim, asforDewey,though'lifelongeducationisdeeply rootedinsocialreality,itsimmediatefoundation istheindividual'.[9]Andagain,inevenfurther accordwithDewey,hearguesthat'thedevelopment ofmoderncivilizationhasdestroyedthetraditional bondwhiehusedtoholdpeopletogether'.Industrialization,hesays,andtheconcomitantprocess of1.1rbanizationithassetintomotion,'havedemolishedthestructuresof'neighb01.1rly·solidarity', ledtothedisintegrationoftraditionalfamilyties andsociallinks,andproducedtherestlessnessand superficialitycharacteristicofmasscivilization'. [10]
Theseoutcomes,Suchodolskiclaims,havetended towardstheisolationoftheindividualwho,contemporaneously,becamevictimtoaCalvinistand Puritanideologywhichimposedits'virtues'asthe culturalmodelforallmen.These'virtues',of dedication,thrift,competitiveness,obedienceto duty,andsoon,·becamethedecisivefactorinthe developmentofbourgeoissocietywhichhelpedto 'buildup'thecapitalistsystem',CllJwhosefirst modeofsocialexpressionwasthe'productionsociety'butwhichlaterevolvedintoa'consumersociety'.'Theneedtofindawayoutofthelabyrinth ofproductionandconsumption',Suchodolskisays, 'isoneofthejustificationsforadvocatinga 'learningsociety''.C12J
AlisdairMaclntyre,whorecentlydeliveredthefirst ofthePeterslecturesentitled'TheIdea.ofan EducatedPublic',arguesthattheapparentdichotomy betweenthetwogoalsmoderneducationalsystems typicallysetthemselvesthatofsocializingpeople andcontemporaneouslygettingthemtothinkfor themselvescanberesolved;itisnotsomepermanent conditionofhuman1ife.(18]Toresolveitrequires,hesays,therestorationofthoseconditions thatmakean'educatedpublic'possible,andhegoes backinhistorytoseewhatthesecouldbe.He arguesthatinordertofindtheembodimentofthe conceptofan'educatedpublic'weneednotreturn toasremoteatimeasAncientGreece,butto18th centuryScotland.Itsprimarycondition,hepoints out,wasthestructureoftheScottish1ife-style itself,whichresolveditselfintosmalllocalcommunities,andthechallengeswhichitwasforcedto meetateverylevel,cultural,politicalandeconomicbecauseofchanginghistoricalconditions.Its spearheadwasitsuniversities,butitssuccess resultedmainlyfromanumberoffactorsthatare inherentintheconceptofcommunity;thepossession ofacommonbodyofknowledgewhichisaccorded 'canonicalstatus'byitsmembers,wherewhatis meantisn<.ttthattheyprovide'afinalcourtof appeal'b~tthat'appealtothemhastobetreated wit,haspec;:ialserioLtsness,thattocontrovertthem requiresaspecialweightofargument·;andthe facilecommunicationande>:changeofopinionat differentsociallevels.
