Autonomy as an educational aim: Christopher Winch

Abstract

A major theme in the liberal project of the definition and justification of education has been the selection of autonomy or rational autonomy as an aim.1 The purpose of this chapter is to argue: first, that although there are no a priori grounds for making autonomy a non-trivial educational aim for all societies, there are good grounds for thinking that some form of autonomy has to be an aim of public education in democratic societies; second, that if it is accepted as a non-trivial educational aim, then it is quite compatible with a wide variety of different forms of educational practices and curricula; and third, that there are, contrary to the views of many liberal thinkers, grave problems about adopting strong autonomy as an educational aim. In effect, the liberal educational project as it has traditionally been conceived of exclusively as a form of academic education cannot be sustained if autonomy conceived of in a broad sense is a primary educational aim. I will also argue for a minimal sense of autonomy, which is usually ignored by the advocates of autonomy as an educational aim. By a minimal sense of autonomy is meant the degree of independence necessary to fulfil any other aims of education, whatever they may be.