The Moral Dimension of Lifelong Learning: Giddens, Taylor, and the "Reflexive Project of the Self"

Abstract

A key aspect of contemporary lifelong learning theory, policy, and practice is the idea that, because of rapid changes in contemporary societies, there is a constant need for individuals to learn new knowledge and skills in order to adapt themselves to changing conditions. There is, therefore, an increased emphasis on the personal dimension of lifelong learning and on the need to reflexively engage in the (re)construction of one's self and identity. We can find this, for example, in Anthony Giddens's idea of the "reflexive project of the self." The authors argue that this idea is too individualistic and lacks recognition of the moral dimension of self-formation. It therefore not only leads to an impoverished conception of the self but also to an impoverished view of the role of learning in this process. The authors present ideas from Charles Taylor on self and identity to show the role that moral and intersubjective dimensions play in the formation of self and identity. The authors argue that Taylor's work points to a different form of lifelong learning in late-modernity, one that is more explicitly concerned with the moral dimension of lifelong learning and adult education. © 2012 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.