本文寫作的目的在於嘗試建構適合於台灣地區之大學通識教育之理論。除了第一節說明全文宗旨之外,本文第二節探討現代大學通識教育核心課程設計過程中,常見的三種理論―一精義論、均衡論、進步論,並探討三者之理論內涵。第三節分析這三種理論所潛藏之問題。第四節則在這種批判性的探討的基礎之上,提出「多元文化論」(multi-culturalism)作為設計現代大學通識教育課程的理論,並針對以「多元化論」作為通識教育理論基礎時,所可能遭遇的兩種質疑加以分析,從而指出「多元文化論」之深層原則是「並列原則」而不是「從屬原則」“本文第五節則綜合本文論點,提出結論性的看法,指出通識教育之誰動必須扣緊本國學術與教育之脈絡並與時俱進,始克其功。
This article aims at proposing a theory of curriculum pertinent to the college general education in Taiwan. After reviewing three current theories including, progressivism, essentialism and equal-distribution theory (section 2), the author analyzes the strengthes and weaknesses of them (section 3). The author proposes ”multi-culturalism” as a possible theory for Taiwin's college general education (section 4) and concludes that contextualization is the guiding principle for putting the theory into practice (section 5).