Abstract
In the second half of the 20th century a number of theories on adult learning and education emerged. They apired to explain and, by practical application, facilitate the adaptation of adults to the rapid social and technological changes which had begun to affect various aspects of human life in western society.
One of these theories is Jack Mezirow`s tranformative learning theory, a constructivistic theory designed for adult educators and specifically aimed at adult learners who want to learn more than they did during childhood owing to uncritical subordination to authorities. The aim of the article is to present the theory of transformative learning in terms of its development and current form, including criticism, as possible inspiration for theory and practice of adult education in the Czech Republic.