Currently the chairman of the Board of Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Mortimer J. Adler is a modern day philosopher, and believes that philosophy is for everyman. Author of more than 50 books, Adler believes that “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, p. viii-ix, requoted online) Consequently he has made several proposals to return philosophical dialogue into current thinking and the modern curriculum:

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.
   
   

Philosophy, to Adler, is about ideas, correction, great ideas. Like Plato, who held that “ideas are objects that the human minds can think about”, Adler argues that a philosopher should begin with the six great ideas because they are the foundation of what it means to be a good citizen and a thoughtful human being. He notes that five of these six ideas are the foundation of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address.

Adler also outlines ten mistakes (Ten Philosophical Mistakes, 1985) that plague modern philosophy, and believes that the “mistakes are small and the ideas that will fix them are simple.” (online)

Adler, along with Max Weismann founded the Center for the Study of Great Ideas. The mission of the center is to help awaken citizens from their moral and intellectual slumbers and to understand why philosophy is everybody’s business and second, to promulgate the insights and ideals embedded in Dr. Adler’s intellectual work in philosophy, liberal education, ethics and politics.

Adler proposed a curriculum, the Paideia Curricular Framework, which is his idea of how contemporary schools should look: didactic coaching, student-directed instruction. Academics combined with art and physical education, and integrated with computers and multimedia education. The Paideia Curriculum has been the foundation of a number of private and charter schools throughout the country.

Timeline

1930-1952 Professor U. of Chicago

1940 How to Read a Book

1952 Great Books Series

1977 Autobiography

1985 "Ten Philosophical Mistakes"

1981 Six Great Ideas

1986 Guidebook to Learning

1992 "Desires Right and Wrong"

Books Written

The Great Books Series (1952); Gateway to the Great Books and Annals of America