Korean society is in the midst of a conflict between modern and postmodern condition. The concept of modernity is rooted in the Enlightenment, which valued reason and proposed the rational and progressive construction and transformation of society and reality. As a result of a rational differentiation between culture and society, modern phenomena such as fragmentation, discontinuity, and loss of meaning have emerged. The consequences of modernization have been identified in Marx's analysis of alienation, Weber's analysis of bureaucratization and instrumental rationality, and Durkheim's analysis of anomie and social integration. Representative postmodern thinkers are Foucault and Lyotard, who attempt to deconstruct the basis of modernity, eradicate the roots of reason, and foster a criterialess society. Habermas develops his concept and analyses of reason and human action through the concept of "colonization of the lifeworld." In the Korean context, disturbances in the lifeworld mean problems in cultural production and reproduction, social integration, and personality development. Adult education should play a part in revitalizing lifeworld functions in society through promoting communicative rationality. An adult education oriented toward a lifeworld perspective can assist in creating the environment for co-learning and co-teaching. (Contains 25 references.) (YLB)