Fulfillment

Abstract

The chapter aims to give a precise account of the notion of personal fulfillment. Two questions have been central to philosophy since its origins: How should I live? How should we live together? These questions should be rephrased—instead of striving for perfection, we should ask how to make human lives and human societies go better. The individual question is addressed by revising a standard liberal conception, according to which people should formulate the plans for their lives (their identities) autonomously. Probing the concept of autonomy, it is suggested that education consists in a delicate dialogue between society and the individual, in which the voices of both must be heard. This approach is elaborated by showing how it applies to the concrete proposals made in Chapter 2.