The theory of educational purpose is one of the important branches of pedagogy, including religious standard theory, social standard theory, individual standard theory, educational aimless theory, dialectical unity theory and so on. This paper will focus on the introduction of social-based theory and individual-based theory to help readers better understand these two theories.

Serve social development.

Representatives of social standard theory, such as Herbart, Plato, Comte and Durkheim, believe that education should serve social development and cultivate qualified citizens and members of society. They believe that education is a national cause, and the evaluation of education depends on its contribution to society.

Respect the law of personal growth

Representatives of the individual-oriented theory, such as Rousseau, Rogers, Froebel and Pestalozzi, emphasize that education should respect the law of individual growth and meet people's needs. They advocate the cultivation of "natural persons", the development of individuality, the promotion of human values and the realization of self-worth.