Mortimer J. Adler


Center for the Study of The Great Ideas

mjadler@xsite.net

A Biographical Sketch

Dr. Adler is Founder and Director of the Institute for Philosophical Research, Chairman of the Board of Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., Editor in Chief of the Great Books of the Western World and A Syntopicon: An Index to the Great Ideas, Editor of The Great Ideas Today (all published by Encyclopaedia Britannica), Honorary Trustee of the Aspen Institute, past Instructor at Columbia University, Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, Honorary Chairman and Co-Founder (with Max Weismann) of the Center for the Study of The Great Ideas and Editor in Chief of Philosophy is Everybody's Business.

Ongoing programs started or developed by Dr. Adler include: The Great Books Foundation (with Robert Hutchins), the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults at the University of Chicago (with Robert Hutchins), the Executive Seminars of the Aspen Institute, the Paideia Project (a plan for major reform of public school education), and The Great Ideas seminars and lectures at the Center for the Study of The Great Ideas-all promoting liberal education through an understanding of great works of philosophy, literature, history, science, and religion.

For detailed information about Dr. Adler, two autobiographies covering his intellectual life, are both currently available: Philosopher at Large: An Intellectual Autobiography (1902-1976) (New York: Collier Books, Macmillan, 1992, originally published in 1977), and A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror: Further Autobiographical Reflections of a Philosopher at Large (New York: Macmillan, 1992).


A Partial Bibliography

Books

(1927) Dialectic
(1931) The Nature of Judicial Proof: An Inquiry into the Logical, Legal, and Empirical Aspects of the Law of Evidence (with J. Michael)
(1933) Crime, Law and Social Science (with Jerome Michael)
(1937) Art and Prudence: A Study in Practical Philosophy
(1937) What Man Has Made of Man: A Study of the Consequences of Platonism and Positivism in Psychology
(1940) The Philosophy and Science of Man: A Collection of Texts as a Foundation for Ethics and Politics
(1940) How to Read a Book: The Art of Getting a Liberal Education
(1941) A Dialectic of Morals: Towards the Foundations of Political Philosophy
(1944) How to Think About War and Peace
(1958) The Revolution in Education (with Milton Mayer)
(1958) The Capitalist Manifesto (with Louis O. Kelso)
(1958) The Idea of Freedom: A Dialectical Examination of the Conceptions of Freedom
(1961) The New Capitalists: A Proposal to Free Economic Growth from the Slavery of Savings (with Louis Kelso)
(1961) The Idea of Freedom: A Dialectical Examination of the Controversies about Freedom
(1961) Great Ideas from the Great Books
(1965) The Conditions of Philosophy: Its Checkered Past, Its Present Disorder, and Its Future Promise
(1966) How to Read a Book: A Guide to Reading the Great Books
(1967) The Difference of Man and the Difference It Makes
(1970) The Time of Our Lives: The Ethics of Common Sense
(1971) The Common Sense of Politics
(1972) How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading (with Charles Van Doren)
(1975) The American Testament (with William Gorman)
(1976) Some Questions About Language: A Theory of Human Discourse and Its Objects
(1977) Philosopher at Large: An Intellectual Autobiography
(1977) Reforming Education: The Schooling of a People and Their Education Beyond Schooling (edited by Geraldine Van Doren)
(1978) Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy
(1980) How to Think About God: A Guide for the 20th-Century Pagan
(1981) Six Great Ideas: Truth-Goodness-Beauty-Liberty-Equality-Justice
(1982) The Angels and Us
(1982) The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto
(1983) How to Speak / How to Listen
(1983) Paideia Problems and Possibilities: A Consideration of Questions Raised by The Paideia Proposal
(1984) A Vision of the Future: Twelve Ideas for a Better Life and a Better Society
(1984) The Paideia Program: An Educational Syllabus (with Members of the Paideia Group)
(1985) Ten Philosophical Mistakes
(1986) A Guidebook to Learning: For a Lifelong Pursuit of Wisdom
(1987) We Hold These Truths: Understanding the Ideas and Ideals of the Constitution
(1988) Reforming Education: The Opening of the American Mind (edited by Geraldine Van Doren)
(1990) Intellect: Mind Over Matter
(1990) Truth in Religion: The Plurality of Religions and the Unity of Truth
(1991) Haves Without Have-Nots: Essays for the 21st Century on Democracy and Socialism
(1991) Desires, Right & Wrong: The Ethics of Enough
(1992) A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror: Further Autobiographical Reflections of a Philosopher At Large
(1992) The Great Ideas: A Lexicon of Western Thought
(1993) The Four Dimensions of Philosophy: Metaphysical-Moral-Objective-Categorical
(1994) Art, the Arts, and the Great Ideas
(1995) Adler's Philosophical Dictionary: 125 Key Terms for the Philosopher's Lexicon
(1996) The New Technology: Servant or Master (with Phillip W. Goetz)

Edited Works

(1940) Scholasticism and Politics
(1952) Great Books of the Western World (52 vols.)
(1952) A Syntopicon: An Index to The Great Ideas (2 vols.)
(1961) The Great Ideas Today (1961-77, 17 vols.) (with Robert Hutchins)
(1963) Gateway to the Great Books (10 vols.) (with Robert Hutchins)
(1968) The Annals of America (21 vols.)
(1974) Propaedia: Outline of Knowledge and Guide to The New Encyclopaedia Britannica 15th Edition (30 vols.)
(1977) Great Treasury of Western Thought (with Charles Van Doren)
(1978) The Great Ideas Today (1978-1995 - 18 vols.)
(1990) Great Books of the Western World 2nd Edition (60 vols.)
(1990) A Syntopicon: An Index to The Great Ideas 2nd Edition (2 vols.)


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