Individual-oriented theory means that the purpose of education is to cultivate well-developed people, tap human potential and develop human nature, rather than serving a certain group or class, emphasizing that education should obey human growth, meet human development needs, attach importance to the value of education to individuals and promote the realization of individual self.
The representative figures of the individual-oriented theory are Rousseau, Locke, Comenius, Pestalozzi, Maslow and Mencius.
Social-oriented theory holds that the purpose of education should not be based on the needs of human nature, but on the needs of the country and society. It believes that educational achievement can only be measured by social function. Individuals live in society and are subject to social environment. The quality and effect of education can be evaluated by various indicators of social development. Representative figures include Herbart, Durkheim, Comte, Baglai (essentialism) and Confucius.
The theory of educational aimlessness holds that education itself has no purpose, and only people, teachers and parents have a purpose. Dewey, an American pragmatic educator, is a representative figure. He advocated the aimless education theory that "education is life".
The purpose of education exists only in the process of education, not outside the process of education. It is believed that education is the social life itself, the continuous expansion and accumulation of personal experience, the educational process is the educational purpose, and there is no educational purpose except education.