In this article, the author talks about power, pleasure and community in a learning society. He argues that the resistance against the grand narratives or universal truths of this age is best achieved through the cultivation and development of local narratives and truths which are subject to continuous debate and critical reflection within a democratic learning environment. The author believes that the opportunity to create a learning society is particularly strong within communities that have been brought to the brink of destruction through high unemployment, poor housing, discrimination, crime and drugs. It is through resisting power at the local level that a new lasting theory and understanding of power can be developed. It may well be that in a time of economic recession, there is an opportunity for those involved in adult and community education to generate a new debate about power, to develop new ways of learning, to create new truths. There is a need for a new agenda for adult learning. Here, the author aims to tease out some of the issues involved in fulfilling this agenda. (Contains 3 footnotes.)