Mortimer Adler

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the life Mortimer Adler, a well-respected philosopher and educator, who has influenced the religious sector as well as the educational reform movement. In particular, it examines how Adler's most significant contribution was in education as a result of the summation of his valuable life experiences, intellectual genius, and integration of philosophy and classical literature.

From the Paper:

"A core emphasis in curricula reformation, promoted by Adler, was the complete restructuring of how knowledge was dispersed and theories taught. His view that philosophy and the literary classics are embedded in all subjects underlied his theory that educational pursuits should follow a great dialogue on all subjects in one forum. Rather than studying distinct subjects, as in Dewey's compartmentalized fashion, Adler believed that the core curriculum should be more generalized to integrate all subjects into one course of studies. From there, the student could augment his studies with an emphasis in his choice of subjects that follow a chosen career path. He proposed that this integrated form of education should begin at the elementary education level and continued on through undergraduate studies, with a B.A. degree awarded at the time of successful completion of such studies, around the age of sixteen."

More papers on Mortimer Adler:

• Analytical Essay # 29575 : "We Hold These Truths"
• Essay # 18679 : "Citizenship Education"
• Term Paper # 97388 : "The Paideia Proposal"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: