ABSTRACT
THROUGHOUT the major part of this book we have been speaking of education for a democratic society. We have thus made the basic assumption, or pre-supposition, that what we call democracy is the best way of life. The sociologist can record that this is an assumption that the majority of people in our society make, and can study its effects on the social system, but to justify it and consider its ultimate ends is outside his immediate province. To ask the question: 'Why do we believe in democracy?' is to enter the realm of social philosophy. Our first chapter ended with the suggestion that educators needed a set of beliefs on which to base their educational aims. It is not enough to educate for society as it is, we must also ask what its future ought to be, and direct our energies towards the realization of our ideal.
