This volume has been prepared in the framework of Project 1: "Educating Man for the 21st Century" of Plan Europe 2000, sponsored by the European Cultural Foundation. While most of the studies launched under this Project deal with specific aspects or levels of education the present volume attempts to provide a more global view of educational futures and their relationships to alternative futures of the overall socio-economic system. It should not be considered as a general integration or synthesis* of the different studies of the Education Project of the European Cultural Foundation - although it draws on them as well as other recently published documents. Rather, it should be regarded as one of several possible approaches, analytical tools, and incentives to the study and open discussion of educational problems seen in a long-term perspective. The volume is the result of a collective effort of a multinational team of researchers. A colloquium of some sixty participants, meeting at the Uni versity of York in October 1972, provided critiques and comments to the first version of the report. But only the authors themselves claim responsibil ity for the methodology of the study, and the opinions and conclusions expressed therein. These do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsors of the volume, the European Cultural Foundation and the Scientific Committee of its Education Project. * Such a synthesis will appear as the concluding report of the Project.

In instituting its prospective studies the European Cultural Founda tion has to some extent gone against tradition. Until now those who were deeply committed to the idea of a European Community looked into the past rather than into the future for bases on which the com munity could be integrated. However, if we want a European society to become a reality it must be built on the basis of shared fundamental values. The majority of publications dealing with a unified or inte grated Europe have until now accepted that this foundation guarantee ing the stability of a future European society should be found in certain common elements of the history of the European nations. The futurological studies instituted by the European Cultural Foun dation have not rejected this mode of approach outright. They have respected the historical framework indispensable to any futurological undertaking. But the research and discussions of the groups working within the framework of Plan Europe 2000 offer increasing support to the conviction expressed by Gaston Deurinck in the first words of his introduction to the present study: "The future does not exist .. thf> future is to be created, and before being created, it must be conceived, it must be invented, and finally willed" .."