This book, which is intended primarily for students and others interested in the theory and practice of adult education, contains nine essays demonstrating how traditional adult education values that are derived from philosophies of "individualism" also imply a "public" dimension that is referred to as "mutuality" and manifested not only in the liberal idea of "citizenship" education but also in the concepts of "autonomy,""knowledge and truth," and "rationality," and in language and communication. The essays also make the argument that adult education cannot be detached from such ideas as "moral obligation." The titles of the essays are as follows: Some Problems in the Conceptualization of Adult Education for the Purposes of Research and Practice; Deontological Liberalism: The Political Philosophy of Liberal Adult Education; Liberal Education, Rule-Governed Behaviour and Legal Philosophy; From Citizen to Self; The Concept of "Moral Obligation" as an Ethical Foundation of Liberal Adult Education; Limits to the Concept of "Autonomy" as an Adult Education Objective; The Concepts of "Tradition" and "Translation"; Rationality, Meaning and Truth; and "Intention" and the Concept of Self-Directed Learning. The book contains 90 references and an index. (MN)