知識經濟時代，終身學習是必然的趨勢。原有學校所學，已無法滿足資訊變遷神速的時代。我們正要透過終身學習來達到自我能力的提昇，適應資訊爆炸、科技日新月異的社會。其實，終身學習的概念從數千年前早見於我國教育家的思想中，如孔子「學而時習之，不亦說乎。」、莊子「吾生也有涯，知也無涯。」、荀子「學，不可以已。」的觀念。本文一方面探討終身學習的起源及傳統文化中終身學習內涵，並分析終身學習社會中的時代特徵和有目標、紀律的終身學習；另一方面，從荀子的思想中尋找荀子的終身學習觀及荀子終身學習的態度及方法，驗證今日終身學習概念，深化對此議題思考。

In an era of knowledge economy, lifelong learning is an inevitable trend. What we learn in school may not meet the need of a society with rapid changes. Lifelong learning enables us to enhance our self-ability and to adapt to a society featuring information explosion and the advancement of technology. In fact, the concept of lifelong learning was seen thousands of years ago in the thoughts of our early educationists, such as Confucius. "Lean and review it from time to time." Zhuangzi, "Life has it"s limit, but knowledge has not limits." Xunzi "Learning can not stop." In this article, we probe the origin of lifelong learning and the intension of lifelong learning in the traditional culture. We also analyze the characteristics of the lifelong learning society and the lifelong learning with goals, On the other hand, we look for the view, the attitude, and the method of lifelong learning from Xunzi's thoughts. We also want to verify the concept of the lifelong learning and deepen the thought of it.