Mortimer Jerome Adler

Mortimer Jerome Adler is known for his many contributions to the fields of philosophy and education. Born in New York City, December 28, 1902, his father was a jewelry salesman. At age 14, Adler dropped out of school, and he went to work at the New York Sun as a secretary and copy boy where he decided to become a journalist. He eventually enrolled at Columbia University.

While studying at Columbia, he read the autobiography of John Stuart Mill, the English economist and philosopher. After reading about Mill’s early accomplishments (Mill read Plato at age five and wrote and edited several books by age 14), Adler began to pursue his own work in philosophy. Becoming so consumed with his work in philosophy, he failed to attend Physical Education classes, a school requirement for graduation. As a result, he did not receive his bachelor’s degree. After completing his doctorate in philosophy, he was a few years later retroactively awarded his undergraduate degree.

Adler became an instructor at Columbia University. While at Columbia, he became involved in the Honors program which had been found by John Erskine. Surrounded by some of the leading intellectuals of the period, including Erskine and John Dewey, Adler developed an interest in the study of the “Great Books” of Western Civilization. His approach became instrumental in advancing the idea that philosophy should be integrated with other disciplines, i.e. Science, Literature, and Religion. As a result of his interest in medieval thought, Adler published in 1927, Dialectic. It contains a summary of ideas held during the Medieval period. Since this initial work, he has published numerous books and articles.

Over his professional career, he worked with the University of Chicago and the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). He held the position of Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago (1930 – 1952). While as an instructor at the University of Chicago, he and Robert Hutchins co-founded The Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. Adler later assisted in the development of The Institute for Philosophical Research and the Aspen Institute. He also served on the board of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Adler along with Max Weismann co-founded The Center for the Study of the Great Ideas, and he is perhaps most well-known for his work in promoting The Great Books of the Western World, as a subject for reflection and systematic study. In 1952, his efforts led to the publication of the Encyclopedia Britannica’s “Great Books of the Western World.”

Throughout his professional and personal life, Mortimer Jerome Adler has been consumed by the opportunity to learn and to teach others. His belief is that education is a life-long process. As he has argued, “No one can be fully educated in school, no matter how long the schooling or how good it is.”

See also the transcript of Adler’s speech
“The Great Books, the Great Ideas, and a Lifetime of Learning”
given at Harvard School of Continuing Education in 1990.

Journal Article
The Crisis in Contemporary Education.
In this article, Mortimer J. Adler clearly expressed a cogent argument as to why there must be a balance between the Progressivism and the Traditionalist educational practices in schools.

Mortimer Jerome Adler
This URL address direct you to the Wikipedia article hat contains information about Adler’s philosophical practices, writings, and affiliations. It also provides extensive biographical information.

• Books:
  Adler, M.J. (1933). Crime, law, and social science. London: K. Paul, Trench, Tubner & Co. Ltd.
  Adler, M.J. (1938). Saint Thomas and the gentiles. Milwaukee: Marquette University Press.
  Adler, M.J. (1940). How to read a book; The art of getting a liberal education. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  Adler, M.J. (Ed.). (1940). Scholasticism and politics. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1941). A dialectic of Moral; towards the foundations of political philosophy.The Review of politics, University of Notre Dame.
  Adler, M.J. (1944). How to think about war and peace. New York: Simon and Schuster.
  Adler, M.J., editor in chief and Gornan, William, general editor (Ed.) (1952). The Great ideas; a synoptic of Great books of the Western World (Vol. 52. Angel of love. Man to world). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
  Adler, M.J. (1958). A dialectic of morals: Towards the foundations of political philosophy. New York: F. Ungar Publication Company.
  Adler, M.J. and Kelso, L.O. (1958). The capialist manifesto. New York: Random House.
  Adler, M.J. (1958 – 1961, 1973). The idea of freedom, by Mortimer J. Adler, for the Institute for philosophical research. Conn.: Greenwood Press.
  Adler, M.J. and Mayer, M. (1958). The revolution in education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  Adler, M.J. and Hutchins, R.M. (Eds.) (1961). The great ideas today. (17 Vols.)Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp.
  Adler, M.J. and Kelso, L.O. (1961). The new capitalists: A proposal to free economic growth from the slavery of savings. Conn.: Greenwood Press.
  Adler, M.J. (1965). The conditions of philosophy; it checkered past, its present disorder, and its future promise. New York: Atheneum.
  Adler, M.J. (1967). The difference of man and the difference it makes. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
  Adler, M.J and Van Doren, C. (Eds), Ducas, G. (Executive ed.). (1969). The negro in American history. (Vol.1. Black Americans, 1928 -1968; Vol. 2. A taste of freedom, 1854 – 1927; Vol. 3. Slaves and masters, 1854 – 1927). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp.
  Adler, M.J. (1971). The common sense of politics. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
  Adler, M.J. and Van Doren, C. (1972). How to read a book. New York: Simon and Schuster.
  Adler, M.J. (1973, c. 1958 – 1961), The idea of freedom: A dialectical examination of the concepts of freedom. Conn.:Greenwood Press.
  Adler, M.J. (Ed.). (1974). Propaideia: Outline of knowledge and guide to the new Encyclopedia Britannica 15th edition. (30 Vols.). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp.
  Adler, M.J. and Gorman, W. (1975). The American testament: For the institute for philosophical research and the aspen institute for humanistic studies. New York: Praeger.
  Adler, M.J. and Kelso, L.O. (1975; 1961).The new capitalists: A proposal to free economic growth from the slavery of savings. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
  Adler, M.J. (Ed.) and Moquin, W. (Assoc. ed.) (1976). The revoluntionary years: Britannica’s book of the American revolution. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
  Adler, M.J. and Van Doren, C. (Ed.). (1977). Great treasury of western thought: A compendium of important statements on man and his institutions by the great thinkers in western history. New York: Bowker.
  Adler, M.J. (1977). Philospher at large: An intellectual autobiography. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1977). Reforming education: The schooling of a people and their education beyond schooling.(Edited by Van Doren, G.). New York:Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1978). Aristole for everybody: Difficult thought made easy. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (Ed.) (1978). The great ideas today (1978 – 1998). (20 Vols.). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corp.
  Adler, M.J. (1980). How to read a book: The art of getting a liberal education. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1980). How to think about God: A guide for the 20th-century pagan. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1981). Six great ideas: Truth, goodness, beauty, justice, equality, liberty: Ideas we judge by, Ideas we act on. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1982). Angels with us. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1982). The paideia proposal: An educational manifesto/ Mortimer J. Adler, on behalf of the members of the paideia group. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1983). Paideia problems and possiblities: A consideration of questions raised by the paideia proposal. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1984). The paideia program: An educational syllabus/ Mortimer J. Adler; Essays by the Paideia Group. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1985). Ten philosophical mistakes. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1986). A guidebook to learning: For a lifelong pursuit of wisdom.
  Adler, M.J. (1987). We hold these truths: Understanding the ideas and ideals of the constitution. New York: Macmillian.
  Adler, M.J. (1989). Reforming education: The opening of the American mind. (Edited by Van Doren, G.). New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1990). Intellect: Mind over matter. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1990). Truth in religion: The plurality of religions and the unity of truth. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1991). Desires, right, & wrong: The ethics of enough/Mortimer J. Adler. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1991). Haves and have-nots: Essays for the 21st century on democracy and socialism. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1992).A second look in the rearview mirror: Further autobiographical reflections of a phlosopher at large. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1993). The four dimensions of philosophy: Metaphysical-moral-objective-categorical. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1994). Art, the arts, and the great ideas. New York: Macmillan.
  Adler, M.J. (1995). Adler’s philosophical dictionar: A 125 key terms for the philosopher’s lexicon. New York: Scribner.
  Adler, M.J. (1996). The common sense of politics. New York: Fordham University Press.
  Adler, M.J. (2000). How to think about the great ideas: From the great books of western civilization.(Edited by Weisman, M.). Chicago: Open Court

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