Teaching philosophy is much more than just teaching style, or a framework for a course. It can be defined as one's beliefs about life that are carried out in his/her teaching practice, which serve as a foundation for his/her educational philosophies. The majority of literature addressing philosophies in adult education practice focus on how philosophy influences traditional, face-to-face classroom settings. However, little information exists that describes how philosophy relates to online adult education instruction. The purpose of this article is three-fold. First, it describes the intent and purpose of adult education philosophy. Second, it examines key differences between traditional and online instruction, with the main body of this paper focusing on the role of adult education philosophy in online education. Focusing on three, updated philosophies--humanism, critical-humanism, and emancipatory education--the final section explores how adult education philosophy undergirds and influences online education program settings, particularly from the standpoint of the instructor's role.