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Mortimer Adler

    December 28, 1902 – June 28, 2001

    Mortimer Adler was an American educator and philosopher who dedicated himself to making complex ideas accessible to a broad audience. His work drew from Aristotelian and Thomistic thought, yet was written in a style intended for readers beyond academia. Adler aimed to equip people with the tools for better reading and understanding of challenging texts, thereby elevating their intellectual engagement. His lifelong mission was to bridge philosophy and everyday life, inspiring profound thought in the general reader.

    How to read a book
    How to Think about the Great Ideas
    Some Questions about Language: A Theory of Human Discourse and Its Objects
    What Man Has Made Of Man
    Adler's Philosophical Dictionary
    Time of Our Lives
    • Time of Our Lives

      The Ethics of Common Sense

      • 380 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      4.5(28)Add rating

      Exploring the essence of a fulfilling life, Mortimer Adler questions the relationship between happiness and a "good life." He provides a framework for evaluating contemporary society against historical standards, examining how culture influences individual pursuits of fulfillment. Adler advocates for a moral and educational revolution, emphasizing the need for significant social, economic, and political reforms to address injustices. Central to his philosophy is the idea of "the ethics of common sense," which defends the individual's right to seek happiness and a meaningful existence.

      Time of Our Lives
    • Adler's Philosophical Dictionary

      125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon

      • 224 pages
      • 8 hours of reading
      4.1(32)Add rating

      Exploring profound philosophical questions, Adler delves into concepts such as beauty, immortality, knowledge, and erotic love with clarity and rigor. He offers precise definitions for 125 commonly used philosophical terms, including chance, good and evil, memory, and human nature. Organized in an accessible A-to-Z format, this work serves as both a stimulating read and a comprehensive introduction to the history of significant ideas, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in philosophy.

      Adler's Philosophical Dictionary
    • What Man Has Made Of Man

      • 268 pages
      • 10 hours of reading

      Exploring the intersection of science and psychology, this work examines the evolution of psychological thought and the implications of modern scientific methods. The author critiques the excessive specialization and mechanization in research, arguing that it leads to a disconnection from fundamental problems and a reliance on technical procedures over theoretical understanding. Through a series of lectures, the text highlights the challenges faced by contemporary psychoanalysts and the need for a broader perspective in empirical research.

      What Man Has Made Of Man
    • How do meaningless marks and sounds become the meaningful words of a natural language? To what do words having referential significance refer? What is the meaning of the words that do not have referential significance? Can ordinary language really do what it appears to do, or is this an illusion? Dr. Adler maintains that these fundamental questions are not satisfactorily treated in the two main philosophies of language that have dominated twentieth-century thinking on the subject - the syntactical and 'ordinary language' approaches.Drawing upon the tradition of Aristotle, Aquinas, Poinsot, and Husserl, Dr. Adler's own discussion exemplifies the third approach, which he describes as "semantic and lexical." In this now -classic work, the fruit of more than 50 years' concern with the philosophy of language, Dr. Adler advances a powerful theory of meaning and applies it to some outstanding philosophical problems. In unpretentious and uncluttered prose, he provides a limpid introduction to a number of knotty philosophical issues and at the same time issues a challenge to some of the most tenacious doctrines of the modern world.

      Some Questions about Language: A Theory of Human Discourse and Its Objects
    • Drawing on his extensive knowledge of Western literature, philosophy, and history, Adler considers what is meant by democracy, law, emotion, language, truth, and other abstract concepts in light of more than two millennia of Western civilization. 15 photos.

      How to Think about the Great Ideas
    • "Investigates the art of reading by examining each aspect of reading, problems encountered, and tells how to combat them."--]cProvided by publisher

      How to read a book
    • Six Great Ideas

      • 256 pages
      • 9 hours of reading
      4.0(399)Add rating

      Each summer, Mortimer J. Adler conducts a seminar at the Aspen Institute in Colorado. At the 1981 seminar, leaders from the worlds of business, literature, education, and the arts joined him in an in-depth consideration of the six great ideas that are the subject of this book: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty - the ideas we judge by; and Liberty, Equality and Justice - the ideas we act on. The group discussions and conversations between Dr. Adler and journalist Bill Moyers were filmed for broadcast on public television, and thousands of people followed their exploration of these important ideas. Discarding the out-worn and off-putting jargon of academia, Dr. Adler dispels the myth that philosophy is the exclusive province of the specialist. He argues that "philosophy is everybody's business," and that a better understanding of these fundamental concepts is essential if we are to cope with the political, moral, and social issues that confront us daily.

      Six Great Ideas
    • The Common Sense of Politics

      • 290 pages
      • 11 hours of reading

      Focusing on the intersection of politics and moral philosophy, this work argues that common sense is essential for evaluating societal values and institutions. It emphasizes the importance of understanding what constitutes good and bad, right and wrong in political discourse, suggesting that a moral framework rooted in common sense is crucial for effective governance and ethical decision-making.

      The Common Sense of Politics
    • Mortimer J. Adler's Haves Without Have-Nots is a compilation of six essays revolving around a unifying theme: the convergence of capitalism and socialism in a politically and economically democratic world society, the likes of which has never been seen until now, as the 20th century draws to a close.

      Haves Without Have-Nots
    • Ten Philosophical Mistakes

      • 224 pages
      • 8 hours of reading
      3.9(562)Add rating

      This illuminating critique explores the intricacies of modern thought, offering insights from a philosopher known for making complex ideas accessible to the general public. The book delves into contemporary philosophical debates, challenging readers to rethink their assumptions and engage with profound questions about society and existence. Its first-time availability in paperback makes it a valuable addition for those seeking to deepen their understanding of philosophical discourse.

      Ten Philosophical Mistakes