Comprehensive secondary schooling is currently beset by changes and challenges. The creation of specialist schools and emphasis upon league tables and parental choice appears to be undermining comprehensive schooling. Inequalities within the current system are highlighted by increased variation of perceived quality between schools, the existence of a minority of state grammar schools, the independent sector and ongoing concerns regarding access to higher education for state school students. These conflicting and contradictory aspects of current secondary provision suggest an urgent need for a re-evaluation of the idea and value of comprehensive schooling. In this article, based upon philosophical work undertaken for a Master's thesis, the author considers the complexities of comprehensive schooling, and questions whether there are any logical arguments in support of it. She begins by identifying the current ambiguity regarding any comprehensive principle, goes on to consider ideas of inclusion and equality as central features of a comprehensive ideal, and concludes by addressing some of the tensions and drawing conclusions regarding the value of the ideas of social inclusion and equality for common schooling. (Contains 6 notes and 2 figures.)