Aristotle for Everybody
Encyclopedia
Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy (ISBN 0-684-83823-0) is a book written by Mortimer J. Adler as an informal introduction to the ideas of the ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle
. It was originally published in 1978 and remains in print today.
Dr. Adler's overall thesis is that in contrast to Aristotle's teacher Plato
, whose ideas may be considered more abstract and esoteric, Aristotle
was a "common sense" philosopher whose depth and uniqueness of thought made his common sense "uncommon." While Dr. Adler criticizes Aristotle for believing in the inferiority of women and supporting slavery
, he nonetheless asserts that Aristotle is the best introduction to philosophical thinking and a philosopher with insights that are still relevant and useful today. Dr. Adler acknowledges that Aristotle's own writings are difficult for a layperson, and so the author decided to create a more accessible introduction to Aristotle's thought.
After a brief introduction the book is separated into five parts, each part having several chapters on a particular aspect of Aristotle's philosophy
. The first part is "Man the Philosophical Animal," in which Dr. Adler explains that according to Aristotle human beings are distinguished from all other animals by having the ability to ask philosophical questions. Dr. Adler also explains how Aristotle excelled at classification, and that identifying distinctive features of phenomena (what makes something uniquely itself and not something else) was a key characteristic of Aristotle's thought.
Dr. Adler then divides the middle three parts of the book according to Aristotle's classification of three activities of a human being: making, doing, and knowing. Dr. Adler titles these sections "Man the Maker," "Man the Doer," and "Man the Knower," respectively. "Man the Maker" focuses on Aristotle's views on excellence in craftsmanship (the ancient Greek concept of techne
), "Man the Doer" on Aristotle's ethics
and his concept of moral
virtue
(both personal and political), and "Man the Knower" on knowledge (epistemology) and logic
.
The final part of the book is called "Difficult Philosophical Questions," and in it Dr. Adler tries to apply Aristotle's views to infinity
, eternity
, the immateriality of the mind
, and the Gods (the Greeks believed in many gods). The book concludes with an epilogue
listing the specific writings of Aristotle
that Dr. Adler drew upon for his book so that interested readers can consult those works directly.
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
philosopher Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. It was originally published in 1978 and remains in print today.
Dr. Adler's overall thesis is that in contrast to Aristotle's teacher Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
, whose ideas may be considered more abstract and esoteric, Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
was a "common sense" philosopher whose depth and uniqueness of thought made his common sense "uncommon." While Dr. Adler criticizes Aristotle for believing in the inferiority of women and supporting slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, he nonetheless asserts that Aristotle is the best introduction to philosophical thinking and a philosopher with insights that are still relevant and useful today. Dr. Adler acknowledges that Aristotle's own writings are difficult for a layperson, and so the author decided to create a more accessible introduction to Aristotle's thought.
After a brief introduction the book is separated into five parts, each part having several chapters on a particular aspect of Aristotle's philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. The first part is "Man the Philosophical Animal," in which Dr. Adler explains that according to Aristotle human beings are distinguished from all other animals by having the ability to ask philosophical questions. Dr. Adler also explains how Aristotle excelled at classification, and that identifying distinctive features of phenomena (what makes something uniquely itself and not something else) was a key characteristic of Aristotle's thought.
Dr. Adler then divides the middle three parts of the book according to Aristotle's classification of three activities of a human being: making, doing, and knowing. Dr. Adler titles these sections "Man the Maker," "Man the Doer," and "Man the Knower," respectively. "Man the Maker" focuses on Aristotle's views on excellence in craftsmanship (the ancient Greek concept of techne
Techne
Techne, or techné, as distinguished from episteme, is etymologically derived from the Greek word τέχνη which is often translated as craftsmanship, craft, or art. It is the rational method involved in producing an object or accomplishing a goal or objective...
), "Man the Doer" on Aristotle's ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and his concept of moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
(both personal and political), and "Man the Knower" on knowledge (epistemology) and logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
.
The final part of the book is called "Difficult Philosophical Questions," and in it Dr. Adler tries to apply Aristotle's views to infinity
Infinity
Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
, eternity
Eternity
While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existence for a limitless amount of time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside time. By contrast, infinite temporal existence is then called sempiternity. Something eternal exists outside time; by contrast,...
, the immateriality of the mind
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
, and the Gods (the Greeks believed in many gods). The book concludes with an epilogue
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
listing the specific writings of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
that Dr. Adler drew upon for his book so that interested readers can consult those works directly.