教育為個人社會化的過程，因此，教育所屬的層面，除了個人的身心二個層面外，社會的層面對教育的影響至深且鉅。在教育日益成為社會的一項制度之後，教育在組織性活動的互動下，難免會受制於社會的制度。因此，當一個社會制度影響到個人的自由時，自由的呼聲就大受人們的重視。 　　近來國內政治開放風氣的帶動下，使經濟、文化、教育的自由化為之加快了速度。面對此一快速的社會變遷，教育與自由的關係，究應如何維持？遂為教育人員所關注的一項問題。本文利用文獻分析方法，對自由的相關問題，諸如：自由的需要、自由的類別、自由意志等，均有所探討。為期明瞭自由與教育的關係，隨後又對自由與能力、自由與選擇、自由與責任、自由與規範及自由與人文加以研討。不過，在研析此類問題時，皆以教育為探索的領域，其目的即在了解如何利用教育對這些問題加以探討，並試圖陳述教育所能盡力之處為何？相信在瞭解了自由與教育的關連性後，教育工作者當不致於在教育實施上，濫用自由或誤用自由。

The desire to be free is deep-rooted in human nature. However, the idea of freedom, as some scholars have pointed out, is a produst of humam endeavor. It is profoundly related to the development of human society and its culture. Historically, freedom is a very ambiguous concept that needs to be clarified as the development of human society moves on. This study attempts to examine the problems of freedom and its relation to education. Several topics are discussed carefully, such as the needs of freedom, the meanings of freedom, the problems of free will and the kinds of freedom shared by people in most developed countries. Then, from the educational points of view, the topics of man's abilities and freedom, making choice and freedom, responsibility and freedom, regulations and freedom and the humanistic nature of freedom are considered separately. Finally, it is the writer's belief that to clarify the concept of freedom will be helpful while people using it.