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Is the Principal Goal of Education to Promote Autonomy?

Yinglin Dai

Abstract


The use of autonomy is by now well-documented, implicitly being regarded as a benign capacity and a good thing (Dearden, 1972; Crittenden, 1979; Robson, 1991). However, what educational evaluation can be made for it? It seems sensible that autonomy could be firmly legitimized as an educational aim when we are convinced for its actual worth and for what it makes possible. So this paper explores some potential justifi cations that autonomy can make for the education goal. It begins with the contribution of autonomy can make to the externally imposed authority confronted by children by transforming Isaian Berlin’s (1958) definition of autonomy. The paper then turns to extend Dearden’s (1972) account of autonomy to the subjects’ own internally sovereign authority. The first two sections will deeply explore what is autonomy and its worth. In the third section, it proceeds to present its value regarding what autonomy could introduce in the shape of children’s rights, and furthermore why it is valuable to be an educational goal.

Keywords


Autonomy; Rights and education; Paternalism; Egoism

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18686/ahe.v7i30.10938

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