A Second Look in the Rear-View Mirror: Further Autobiographical Reflections of a Philosopher at Large [Paperback]

Mortimer Jerome Adler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994

In the sequel to his intellectual autobiography, Philosopher at Large, the author describes his conversion, at eighty-four, to Christianity and his editorial oversight of the controversial second edition of Great Books of the Western World.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Satisfaction with his continued intellectual progress prompted this sequel to A Philosopher at Large , the autobiography Adler published in 1977, when he was 75 years old. A force in educational reforms, Adler appeals to the culturally fluent, frequently referring to classical and contemporary thinkers. The book's delights lie chiefly in his recollections of friends, among them Clifton Fadiman, Jacques Barzun and the late Robert Hutchins of the University of Chicago, with whom Adler compiled the Great Books of the Western World series from 1943 to 1952 (Adler unveiled a new edition in 1990, prompting canon-related controversy). Surprises include news of Adler's conversion to Christianity after decades of writing "as a pagan for pagans." Now past 90, Adler chairs the board of editors of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica and directs the Institute for Philosophical Research, among other commitments. Furthermore, he plans to add to the 50 books he has written, and expects to publish these by 1995.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The three sections of this sequel to Adler's Philosophy at Large ( LJ 8/77) cover the years before 1975 and after 1977 and offer reflections about his life as a whole. He continues to regard himself as a philosopher while acknowledging that most professors of philosophy think otherwise (see, for example, How To Think About God , LJ 6/1/80, and Right & Wrong, LJ 10/15/91). A successful popularizer of philosophy who has written about 50 books and numerous articles, Adler here discusses his experiences as editor-in-chief of Great Books of the Western World , chief founder of the education reform program Paideia , and member of the Aspen Institute . Intellectual readers interested in such matters will find things to think about here. Professional philosphers will not change their estimate of Adler.
- Robert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company.; 1st Collier Books Trade Ed edition (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0020160305
• ISBN-13: 978-0020160304
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,971,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mortimer Jerome Adler (December 28, 1902 - June 28, 2001) was an American philosopher, educator, and popular author. As a philosopher he worked within the Aristotelian and Thomistic traditions. He lived for the longest stretches in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Mateo. He worked for Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica, and Adler's own Institute for Philosophical Research. Adler was married twice and had four children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Great Philosopher's Best, January 11, 2009

By 

Larry Mullins "Larry Mullins" (St. Augustine, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror: Further Autobiographical Reflections of a Philosopher at Large (Hardcover)

Surprising that among all the wonderful reviews about Mortimer Adler's work on Amazon that this particular book would be neglected. "A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror" was written, Adler explains, because his first autobiography, "Philosopher at Large," was written prematurely at the age of seventy-five! Approaching ninety when he wrote this one, he updates his autobiographical reflections. What's new? For the first time Adler tells us how he managed to write a book a year for a long stretch. Very helpful information. He also discloses other sides of his personality. For the first time, gives a full explanation of his personal religious beliefs. He discloses 10 unexpected rules on how he lived so long and vibrantly, (examples: "Never exercise" -- "Never take money for work you would not do if you did not need the money" -- "Never say `when I die' say `if I die'.) A very important addition is more of the text of his famous 1940 address: "God and the Professors," which he includes because it explains his "deep antipathy for the professorial mentality." Adler lamented the fact that science, philosophy and religion were contained academically in logic-tight compartments ... that scientists, philosophers and teachers of religion have long failed to communicate with one another. Today we know the Aristotelian division of knowledge into separate categories, while making it easier to understand many things, also restricted learning to certain paths. Overspecialization has resulted in a petering out of frontiers and a need to discard reductionism in favor of more synthetic approaches to problems. See one of his contemporaries, psychologist Abraham Maslow's later work, critiquing science, religion and values. There is much more here, written in a refreshing and uncharacteristically light and often amusing style.