Mortimer Adler

Mortimer J. Adler – Life, Thought, and Enduring Voice

Learn the life, philosophy, educational legacy, and memorable quotes of Mortimer J. Adler—American philosopher, teacher, and champion of the Great Books tradition.

Introduction

Mortimer Jerome Adler (December 28, 1902 – June 28, 2001) was a highly influential American philosopher, educator, editor, and popular writer. Known for his commitment to Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy, Adler sought to bring serious ideas to a broad audience. He championed a liberal education grounded in the “Great Books” of Western civilization and was instrumental in reshaping how philosophy and general education can be made accessible.

In what follows, we trace Adler’s life and work, explore his philosophical positions and legacy, and present some of his most resonant quotations and lessons.

Early Life and Education

Mortimer Adler was born on December 28, 1902 in New York City to immigrant parents: his father, Ignatz Adler, sold jewelry, and his mother, Clarissa Manheim Adler, was a former schoolteacher.

As a teenager, Adler left formal schooling at age 14 to work as a copyboy for The New York Sun, hoping to become a journalist. Eventually, he took evening writing classes and later matriculated at Columbia University, where he became drawn into philosophy through self-study and contacts with literary and intellectual circles.

Adler earned his doctorate in philosophy (some sources mention psychology as part of his training) around 1928 at Columbia.

A quirky anecdote: Adler reportedly refused to take the swimming test required for a bachelor’s degree at Columbia, which prevented him from being granted that degree — though the university later awarded him an honorary degree to remedy this.

Academic & Intellectual Career

University of Chicago & Great Books Movement

In 1930, Adler joined the University of Chicago’s law faculty, teaching in the philosophy of law, with the support of Robert M. Hutchins (then the university president).

Adler and Hutchins shared a vision for liberal education rooted in dialogue over classic works. Together they promoted the Great Books curriculum and helped to found the Great Books of the Western World series.

He played key roles in Encyclopædia Britannica, including editing its Syntopicon (a thematic index to the Great Ideas), and later served as chairman of its board of editors.

In 1952, Adler founded the Institute for Philosophical Research, aiming to support serious inquiry in philosophy beyond strict academic boundaries.

Later, with Max Weismann, he founded the Center for the Study of the Great Ideas (in 1990) to promote philosophical reflection among a general public.

He also proposed the Paideia Program, an educational model emphasizing reading, discussion, and active learning.

Philosophical Orientation & Major Works

Adler worked primarily within Aristotelianism and Thomism (the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas). He was critical of many trends in 20th-century philosophy (e.g. radical skepticism, existentialism, extreme idealism), which he saw as arising from misunderstandings or rejections of classical metaphysics.

One of his best-known books is How to Read a Book (1940), co-revised later with Charles Van Doren, aimed at teaching the art of reading complex works. Other important publications include Aristotle for Everybody, Ten Philosophical Mistakes, How to Think About God, Six Great Ideas, A Guidebook to Learning, The Time of Our Lives, among many others.

In his moral philosophy, Adler favored what he called the “ethics of common sense,” seeing Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics as a practical, undogmatic foundation. He also identified what he considered ten philosophical mistakes that had distorted modern thought, aiming to correct them via reference to classical philosophy.

In religious thought, Adler long resisted identifying with a specific Christian church but was deeply influenced by Christian thinkers. Later in life (1984), he was baptized into the Episcopal Church, and shortly before his death formally received into the Catholic Church.

Legacy and Influence

Adler’s legacy extends across education, public philosophy, and popular appreciation of ideas:

• He is often credited with helping to revive interest in liberal education, placing the Great Books model back into public discourse.

• His accessible philosophical writing (e.g. How to Read a Book, Aristotle for Everybody) reached audiences far beyond academia, helping non-philosophers engage with serious ideas.

• The Center for the Study of the Great Ideas continues to promote philosophy for the lay reader.

• His work in Encyclopædia Britannica (Syntopicon, editorial restructuring) had broad influence over how knowledge is organized and accessed.

• He remains an exemplar of a philosopher who refused to be cloistered in the academy, seeking instead to influence culture, reading habits, and education.

However, some critics argue that his treatment of non-Western traditions was limited or that his defense of the Great Books can be elite. Nonetheless, his influence in 20th-century philosophy, especially in the U.S., is significant.

Famous Quotes

Here are several notable quotations by Mortimer Adler:

• “In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

• “True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.”

• “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.”

• “You can’t be a philosopher and an activist. If you do, you get all mixed up.”

• “Not to engage in the pursuit of ideas is to live like ants instead of like men.”

• “The truly great books are the few books that are over everybody’s head all of the time.”

• “To agree without understanding is inane. To disagree without understanding is impudent.”

These lines reflect Adler’s conviction that reading, intellectual discipline, and the life of ideas are central to a humane life.

Lessons from Mortimer J. Adler

1. Intellectual ambition need not be elitist
   Adler believed serious thinking and great ideas should be accessible to non-academics, not locked behind specialized jargon.

2. Reading is an active process
   He taught that reading difficult books is not passive; one must wrestle with them, question, critique, annotate, and internalize.

3. Growth is lifelong
   The mind, unlike the body, can continue to expand with age—learning does not end.

4. Education should emphasize quality over quantity
   Rather than trying to read many books superficially, the goal should be to let great works shape one’s inner convictions.

5. Balance thinker and doer
   Adler’s warning about mixing activism and philosophy suggests that serious reflection should ground action, rather than ideology preceding thought.

6. Tradition can dialogue with modernity
   Adler did not reject classical thought; instead he sought to correct modern errors by reengaging with Aristotle and Aquinas in a contemporary context.

Conclusion

Mortimer J. Adler was not merely a scholar to be reserved for specialists. He was a public intellectual who insisted that deep philosophical inquiry matters for everyone. His insistence on disciplined reading, lifelong growth, and a thoughtful public life continues to challenge readers and educators alike.