臺灣地區推動「通識教育」(general education)最大的問題，在於「理論的貧困」。沒有理論的爭議，具體施行便會產生偏歧，甚而無從修正。因此，「通識教育」理論為何，是否必須另行思索，同時如何指引具體實踐方向，正是本文關懷所在。 如果說教育的唯一目的，在保證一個人人格的可能完整性，那麼，它就必須以每一個人作為目的。職是之故，教育的目標在「人格」，不在「人力」。「通識教育」的核心理念，便是促進人之覺醒或自我解放，以成為頂天立地之人；無疑是踐履教育目的。相對於通識教育的「專門教育」(special education)，實亦具有教育的嚴肅意義，除基本知識的積累，職業能力的培蘊外，更具提供各種理論說法的爭辯，以供學生思考，進行抉擇。不過，「專門教育」較無法關照人的存在蘊義，則是無可辯駁的事實。於此，正顯示「通識教育」之位階的重要。 依之，反省時下對「通識教育」流行之觀點，無論是補足說、平衡論，抑或是具有「科際整合」之功效，或呈顯理想，或亟欲解決人文素養缺欠之心，事實上則忘卻了「通識教育」的核心，不在純「知識」(knowledge)的積累，而在對人之事實的反思。基於如是標準，探查無論是理想主義(idealism)、進步主義(progressivism)、本質主義(essentialism)，抑或是實用主義(pragmatism)等，實則各有優劣。論者提出，「多樣文化論」(multi-culturalism)，或許是在現行分科、分系之本位教育體制下，推動正確通識教育的可行之方。

Theory is the guidance for practice. One of the serious problems about Taiwan's general education is the poverty of theory. This article concerns the theory of general education. If the main point of education is the integrity of personality, then it must treat every person as an end rather than as merely a means, as a man power. Special Education, however, has much to do with supplying professional knowledge, with cultivating one's career ability, but much less with reflecting human personality. General education has a higher status than Special education. In view of this, we can indicate the imperfection of the widespread theories of general education, such as the "complementary theory", the "equilibrium theory": though they have merit of interdisciplinary integration, of humanistic education to some extent, they give no enough reflections about the person itself. This article appraises the excellences and defects of idealism, progressivism, essentialism, pragmatism etc., and suggests the multi-culturalism as a practicable instruction.