This book examines the philosophical foundations of adult education (AE). The following topics are discussed: philosophy of AE (philosophy and action in theory and practice and philosophy for adult educators); liberal AE (historical development, liberal education and the educated person, broad scope, process, liberal education of adults, Great Books program, evaluation of adult liberal education); progressive AE (historical perspective, progressive education and the AE movement, basic principles, contemporary programs inspired by progressive AE, assessment of progressive AE); behaviorist AE (antecedents of 20th-century behaviorism, behaviorism's founder John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner and modern behaviorism, behavioral objectives, competency-based education and AE, program planning in AE, instructional methods); humanistic AE (humanism in historical context, basic assumptions of humanistic philosophy, general and adult humanistic education, assessment); radical AE (historical roots; Paulo Freire's life, works, and philosophical and educational principles; theory and practice in radical AE, the deschooling movement and AE); analytical philosophy of AE (historical background, philosophy as conceptual or linguistic analysis, conceptual analysis in AE, assessment); and philosophy of AE in the past and future. The final chapter is a bibliographic essay on the philosophy of AE from 1980 through 1994, which includes 92 references. Most of the other chapters include substantial bibliographies. (MN)