Mortimer J. Adler

112 Pages·2001·1.47 MB·English

Mortimer J. Adler

CONTENTS
Introduction
Introduction
Biography
Basic Tenets of
Alder's Mortimer J. Adler is a chairman of the Board of

Philosophy
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the director
for the Institute for Philosophical Research in
Knowledge and
Philosophy Chicago and a senior associate at the Aspen Institute
for Humanistic Studies. He is a modern day
The Six Great
philosopher and the author of more than 50 books.
Ideas
His method in several of these books is Socratic
Common
underpinning his familiarity with a wide range of
Philosophical
works of ancient and contemporary philosophers. His
Mistakes
philosophy has touched a broad spectrum of society
The Paideia including education.
Proposal
References
Basic Tenets of
Alder's Philosophy
Adler believes that philosophy is for everyman. He believes that
becoming, "a generally educated human being also involves some
grasp of the history of history and of philosophy, and some
understanding of the philosophy of history and of philosophy."
(Adler, Four Dimensions of Philosophy, pgs. viii-ix) Because Adler
feels that philosophy is something that everyone should do he has
made several proposals, to return philosophical dialogue about
the "great ideas " into current thinking and modern educational
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curriculums.
In Conditions of Philosophy, Adler laid out six conditions for
philosophy to reacquire its former prominence in society. They
are:
1. Philosophy must be recognized as an autonomous branch of
knowledge
2. Philosophical knowledge should be knowledge of the first order
3. Philosophical theories should be judged by the same standards
of objective truth that are applied to the natural sciences.
4. Philosophy should be a public undertaking.
5. Philosophy must develop a method distinctly its own.
6. Philosophy must not be esoteric and out of touch with the real
world.

Knowldege And Philosophy
To Adler knowledge is truth beyond the shadow of a doubt. It is
"doxa " a well founded opinion, based upon evidence and reason
that is testable, falsifiable and corrigible. Philosophy is like
mathematics to Adler, in that it is non-investigative. In other
words math can be developed without special equipment to
conduct investigations. Philosophy is also like math because it
deals with ideal objects, objects of thought. However; unlike
math, philosophy is empirical. This is because philosophy is based
on synthetic judgments in contrast to analytical judgments. This
type of judgment is testable by "sense experiences ", because all
human beings have "common experiences " that include the
knowledge acquired without ever asking a single question. It is
Return to Top
possible for anyone to verify or reject a synthetic judgment;
therefore, it is possible for every man and woman to be a
philosopher. Philosophy is like common sense it is acquired by
intellectual insights and rational thought processes. "It cannot be
too often repeated that philosophy is everbody's business. To be a
human being is to be endowed with he proclivity to philosophize."
(Six great Ideas, pg.3 )
Adler believes new philosophy must be knowledge of the first
order. This means knowledge about reality. Knowledge of the
second order is knowledge about knowledge itself. However,
Adler notes that philosophy is the only branch of knowledge that
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exists in a number of different dimensions. In fact he breaks
philosophy up into four distinct dimensions. Metaphysics and
moral philosophy would be examples of philosophy that is first
order knowledge. The understanding of ideas and subjects would
be examples of philosophy that is second order knowledge. Note
that in these four dimensions Adler refers to philosophy as both
knowledge and as understanding. We know metaphysics and
moral philosophy. We only understand ideas and subjects.
One way to test our "knowledge" of philosophy is by applying the
tests of truth. These include: the pragmatic test which analyzes if
a judgment which led to an action had a successful outcome and
the test of generalizations which analyzes if perception is altered
by one or more negative instances, but perhaps the most
important test of truth to Adler is the test of coherence. This test
shows whether or not a philosophy is consistent with reality, "only
a coherent theory or doctrine can correspond with reality." (Four
Dimensions, pg. 32)

The Six Great Ideas
To Adler, philosophy is about ideas, especially "great ideas ".
Adler believes that Plato was right in, "holding that ideas are
objects that the human mind can think about." (Six Great Ideas,
pg. 9) Adler narrowed the great ideas to six. He argues that a
philosopher should begin with these six because of our common
call to be good citizens and thoughtful human beings. He notes
that five of the six ideas are prominent in the three documents
that are the prime source of the American testament; the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the
Gettysburg Address. According to Adler three of these ideas we
judge by truth, goodness and beauty and three of these ideas we
live by and act on liberty, equality and justice.
About truth, Adler says that it has both objective and subjective
elements and that we should incorporate a mild form of
skepticism that questions not its objective aspect but its subjective
aspect.
"The objective truth of a statement may be immutable, but not
our subjective judgment about whether it is true. there are no
degrees of objective truth. ...But when, subjectively, we judge a
statement to be true or false, we may do so with more or less
assurance, and accordingly, we may speak of it as being more or
less true...." (Six great Ideas, pg.45)
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According to Adler the pursuit of truth in all branches of
knowledge involves:
1. The addition of new truths to our existing body of knowledge.
2. The replacement of less accurate or comprehensive forms with
better ones.
3. The discover and rectification of errors.
Return to Top 4. The discarding of generalizations that have been falsified by
negative instances.

"The sphere of truth, in short, is the sphere of those matters
about which we think disagreement is profitable precisely because
we think that these are matters about which it is possible to
resolve differences." (Six Great Ideas, pg. 58)
According to Adler, the difference between truth and goodness is
found in the relationships that they both pose.
"When we talk about the pursuit of truth, we are regarding truth
as an object of desire and, in doing so, we are in effect attributing
goodness to truth."
(Six Great Ideas, pg. 67) According to Adler, we can determine
what is good if we can discriminate between our natural and
acquired desires, our wants and needs if you will. this distinction
allows us to draw a line between real and apparent goods. Those
things which fulfill are natural desires our good for us. Goodness
allows us to express three degrees of evaluation, the positive, the
comparative and the superlative.
While Adler acknowledges the skepticism that would say that
truth, goodness and beauty are all subjective. He effectively
argues that there are elements of each which are objective. Beauty
is intimately related to goodness because it too so based upon it
relationship with us. The whole idea of beauty and how it is
defined and perceived Adler further explores in Arts, the arts, and
the Great Ideas.
Adler notes that of the three great ideas we act upon justice is
sovereign to liberty and equality, much as truth is sovereign to
goodness and beauty. He also believes that all three ideas fall into
the domain of goodness. for instance, to act rightly or justly is to
do good. According to Adler all three are "real goods" that are
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needed in the pursuit of happiness. Of these three only justice is
an unlimited good.
Regarding freedom Adler says there are three forms. They are: 1.
natural freedom, the freedom that we are born with, freedom of
our wills, 2. liberty, the freedom associated with wisdom and
moral virtue and 3. circumstantial freedom which is contingent
upon conditions and can change frequently in the course of a
lifetime.
Regarding equality Adler says, "The equalities to which we are
entitled, by virtue of being human, are circumstantial, no
personal. They are equalities of condition-of status, treatment and
opportunity." (Six Great Ideas, pg.165)

Ten Philosophical Mistakes
Finally, Adler in Ten Philosophical Mistakes discusses the errors
that plague modern philosophy. He identifies:
1. the mistake about consciousness
Return to Top 2. the mistake about the human mind
3. the failure to recognize that ideas are meanings
4. the mistake of not acknowledging the contributions of
philosophy are as important as those of the sciences.
5. the mistake that makes good and evil subjective
6. the mistake in the identification of happiness
7. the misunderstanding between freedom of choice and
determinism
8. the denial of human nature
9. failure to understand how the basic forms of human association
are both natural and conventional
10. the fallacy of reductionism

To renew philosophy in this century we must remove many of the
mistakes that have beomce all too common in modern philosophy.
Many of these mistakes are small to Adler, theideas that fix them
are simple. Many of these moder mistakes have roots that lie in
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Mortimer J. Adler
antiquity. The two most significant philosophical mistakes though,
are the first two.
The first mistake is based upon Locke's view of consciousness,
which said that all ideas are that which we apprehend when we
are conscious of anything. In contrast, Adler says that a cognitive
idea cannot be that which and that by which I apprehend
something. That this view defies common sense. The second
mistake, the mistaken view of the human mind is based upon
Hobbes, Berkeley and Hume who believed that the mind was
entirely a sensitive faculty, with no trace of intellectuality. Adler's
counter argument is based upon Locke's argument which
differentiated between perceptual and conceptual thought based
upon man's reflective ability.
How is all of this realized? Below is a diagram of the Paidea
Program Adler's idea of what contemporary schools should look
like.
Return to Top
The Paideia Curricular Framework
Column One Column Two Column Three
Development of Enlarged
Acquisition of
intellectual skills - understanding
Goals organized knowledge
skills of learning of ideas and values
by means of
by means of by means of
didactic instruction, coaching exercises, Maieutic or Socratic
lectures & responses and supervised questioning and
Means
practice active participation
in three areas
of subject matter in the operations of in the
reading, writing,
discussion of books
language, literature speaking, listening,
(not textbooks) and
and the fine arts, calculating and
other works of art
mathematics and problem-solving,
Areas and involvement in
natural science, observing,
artistic activities
history, geograpahy estimating,
(e.g., music, drama
and social studies exercising critical
and visual arts
judgement
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Mortimer J. Adler
Mortimer Adler has given a resonding response to positivism and
reductionism which find all their answers only in the empirical
sciences. He has quieted radical skepticism and provided a
contextual framework for both the subjective and the objective in
philosophy, but probably his greatest contribution is as a
Web spokesperson for philosophy a forgotten art.
Links
References
Biography
Adler, M.J. (1994). Art, the arts, and the great ideas. New York, New
A brief biography York. Touchstone Books.
of Adler
Adler, M.J. (1993). The four dimensions of philosophy. New York,
Center New York. MacMillan Publishing.
for the Study of
Adler, M.J. (1981). The great ideas. New York, New York.
The Great Ideas
MacMillan Publishing.
Philosophical
research center Adler, M.J. (1985). Ten philosophical mistakes. New York, New
founded by Adler York. MacMillan Publishing.
Bibliography
Writings of Adler

and other noted
educators

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"The only standard we have for judging all of our social, economic, and political
institutions and arrangements as just or unjust, as good or bad, as better or worse,
derives from our conception of the good life for man on earth, and from our conviction
that, given certain external conditions, it is possible for men to make good lives for
themselves by their own efforts." Mortimer J. Adler
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Welcome to the Mortimer J. Adler Archives
Books by Dr. Mortimer J. Adler on . . .
Mortimer J. Adler
l W hat every person "needs" in order to live a whole good life (happiness)
l T en Rules and Recommendations for Achieving Both Success and
Happiness
Capsule Comment: Max Weismann and Mortimer Adler on Natural & Civil
Rights
New & Used College Essays and Discussions Currently Online
Textbooks at
Discount Prices Philosophy in General Metaphysics and Epistemology
College Education l W hy Philosophy is l K nowledge and Opinion
Directories & Study Everybody's Business l A ppearance and Reality: A Tale
Resources
l W ith Respect to Philosophy of Two Tables and a Chair (A
Education Resources l P hilosophy's Past Philosophical Problem
& Study Help Concerning Human Existence
l A bout Philosophy in
with a Solution by Mortimer
Relation to Common Sense
Adler - Part One
l W hat is an Idea?
l A ppearance and Reality: A Tale
l T he Truth and the Good - Is
of Two Tables and a Chair (A
and Ought
Philosophical Problem
l S ome Questions About Concerning Human Existence
Language with a Solution by Mortimer
Adler - Part Two
Moral Philosophy and Ethics
l T he Nature of Man - Part One -
l A ristotle's Ethics: The
Human Nature
Theory of Happiness I
l T he Nature of Man - Part Two -
l A ristotle's Ethics: The
Human Nurture
Theory of Happiness II
l T he Great Idea of God
l T he Ethics of Common
Sense: The Only Moral
Education
Philosophy That Is Sound,
l O nly Adults Can Be Educated
Practical, and Undogmatic
l T he Joy of Learning
l O n Moral Philosophy
l O ur Goal for the Next Century: A
l T he Ethics of Enough
Moral and an Educational
l D oes the End Justify the Revolution
Means?
l C ritical Thinking Programs: Why
l O n the Mistake of Giving They Won't Work
Primacy of the Right Over
l S chooling is Not Enough
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Welcome to the Mortimer J. Adler Archives
the Good l A Moral and an Educational
Revolution
l O n Law: Are You a
Naturalist or a Positivist? l T eaching, Learning, and Their
Counterfeits
l H abits, Good and Bad
l M edicine and Morals l T he Great Books, the Great Ideas,
and a Lifetime of Learning
l O n Romantic Love
l P hony Tolerance
l O n The Relativity of Values
l M ortimer Adler on
l T he Nature of Natural Law
Multiculturalism - Part I:
l A Dialectic of Morals: Part 1
Introduction
- Introduction, The
l M ortimer Adler on
Dialectical Task
Multiculturalism - Part II:
l A Dialectic of Morals: Part 2
Instructional Aims
- Preference and Pleasure,
l T he Art of Teaching
Induction of a Principle
l G eneral Education vs. Vocational
l A Dialectic of Morals: Part 3
Education
- Pleasure and the Order of
Goods l U nderstanding the U.S.A.
l A Dialectic of Morals: Part 4 Adler on Salesmanship
- The Order of Goods and
l T he Art of Persuasion - I
Happiness
l T he Art of Persuasion - II
l A Dialectic of Morals: Part 5
l T he Art of Persuasion - III
- Psychological
Presuppositions: Limitations The Ideas of Work and Leisure
of the Dialectic l P art 1 - - (Introduction; The Six Parts
l O n Inalienable Rights (and of Life)
comments on capital l P art 2 - - (Categorizing Human
punishment) Activities; Sleep or Sleeping; Work or
Working that is Toil or Labor; Work or
l L ove as an Object of Right Working that is Leisuring Rather than
Desire Toiling; Playing or Amusing One's
Self)
l W hy Strength of Character
l P art 3 - - (Is a Particular Activity
is Needed to Lead a Good
Sleep, Toil, Leisure, Play, or Some
LIfe Mixture of These?)
l V irtue as an End and as a l P art 4 - - (The Spectrum of Work,
Means Compensated and Uncompensated;
Idling and Rest)
l V irtue and the Pursuit of
l P art 5 - - (The Options Open to Us for
Happiness
the Use of Our Free Time)
l H uman Equality
Miscellaneous
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