This volume addresses the recent concern over the state of education in the U.S. today by tracing the history of educational theory from its classical roots to the reforms recommended by early and later liberals. Originally published by Rand McNally in 1966, this updated edition will help the beginning educator to gain a balanced perspective on the philosophy of education. Contents: Philosophy and Education; Liberalism Versus Conservatism; Classical Educational Theory; Renaissance Humanism: The Culmination of Educational Conservatism; The Beginning of Educational Liberalism; The Flowering of Liberalism; The Neo-Conservative Reaction; Educational Liberalism Redefined; A Proposed Solution; Educational Psychologists; Postmodernism; Unity Within Diversity; Appendix; Index.