Only hidden and undetected oratory is really insidious. What reaches the heart without going through the mind is likely to bounce back and put the mind out of business. Mortimer Adler More Quotes by Mortimer Adler More Quotes From Mortimer Adler The philosopher ought never to try to avoid the duty of making up his mind. Mortimer Adler philosopher mind trying Ask others about themselves, at the same time, be on guard not to talk too much about yourself. Mortimer Adler about-yourself too-much time In English we must use adjectives to distinguish the different kinds of love for which the ancients had distinct names. Mortimer Adler adjectives different names Ultimately there can be no disagreement between history, science, philosophy, and theology. Where there is disagreement, there is either ignorance or error. Mortimer Adler ignorance philosophy science Books are absent teachers. Mortimer Adler absent teacher book Friendship is a very taxing and arduous form of leisure activity. Mortimer Adler lost-friend leisure-activities friendship A good book deserves an active reading. The activity of reading does not stop with the work of understanding what a book says. It must be completed by the work of criticism, the work of judging. The undemanding reader fails to satisfy this requirement, probably even more than he fails to analyze and interpret. He not only makes no effort to understand; he also dismisses a book simply by putting it aside and forgetting it. Worse than faintly praising it, he damns it by giving it no critical consideration whatever. Mortimer Adler reading giving book Work that is pure toil, done solely for the sake of the money it earns, is also sheer drudgery because it is stultifying rather than self improving. Mortimer Adler toil self work If we consider men and women generally, and apart from their professions or occupations, there is only one situation I can think of in which they almost pull themselves up by their bootstraps, making an effort to read better than they usually do. When they are in love and are reading a love letter, they read for all they are worth. Mortimer Adler reading love men One of the embarrassing problems for the early nineteenth-century champions of the Christian faith was that not one of the first six Presidents of the United States was an orthodox Christian. Mortimer Adler champion president christian Reading a book should be a conversation between you and the author. Presumably he knows more about the subject than you do; if not, you probably should not be bothering with his book. But understanding is a two-way operation; the learner has to question himself and question the teacher, once he understands what the teacher is saying. Marking a book is literally an expression of your differences or your agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay him. Mortimer Adler reading teacher book The dictionary also invites a playful reading. It challenges anyone to sit down with it in an idle moment. There are worse ways to kill time. Mortimer Adler reading challenges way The only standard we have for judging all of our social, economic, and political institutions and arrangements as just or unjust, as good or bad, as better or worse, derives from our conception of the good life for man on earth, and from our conviction that, given certain external conditions, it is possible for men to make good lives for themselves by their own efforts. Mortimer Adler judging men life Men value things in three ways: as useful, as pleasant or sources of pleasure, and as excellent, or as intrinsically admirable or honorable. Mortimer Adler three men way One of the aims of sexual union is procreation - the creation by reproduction of an image of itself, of the union. Mortimer Adler aim unions creation Theories of love are found in the works of scientists, philosophers, and theologians. Mortimer Adler philosopher scientist found All books will become light in proportion as you find light in them. Mortimer Adler proportion light book The materialist assumption that spiritual substances do not exist is as much an act of faith as the religious belief in the reality of angels. Mortimer Adler angel religious spiritual We love even when our love is not requited. Mortimer Adler our-love love-is Imaginative literature primarily pleases rather than teaches. It is much easier to be pleased than taught, but much harder to know why one is pleased. Beauty is harder to analyze than truth. Mortimer Adler easier taught literature
