Mortimer Adler Quotes

There is no philosophy that is not to some extent also theology.

When you say there's too much evil in this world you assume there's good. When you assume there's good, you assume there's such a thing as a moral law on the basis of which to differentiate between good and evil. But if you assume a moral law, you must posit a moral Law Giver, but that's Who you're trying to disprove and not prove. Because if there's no moral Law Giver, there's no moral law. If there's no moral law, there's no good. If there's no good, there's no evil. What is your question?

But the nature of the universe is such that ends can never justify means. On the contrary, the means always determine the end.

Once man's connection to the divine is denied, you can reason yourself from here to anywhere.

God is either of no importance, or of supreme importance.

At the core of every moral code there is a picture of human nature, a map of the universe, and a version of history. To human nature (of the sort conceived), in a universe (of the kind imagined), after a history (so understood), the rules of the code apply.

In order to live, man must act; in order to act, he must make choices; in order to make choices, he must define a code of values; in order to define a code of values, he must know what he is and where he is – i.e. he must know his own nature (including his means of knowledge) and the nature of the universe in which he acts – i.e. he needs metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, which means: philosophy. He cannot escape from this need; his only alternative is whether the philosophy guiding him is to be chosen by his mind or by chance.

Good and evil exist only in terms of the happiness or suffering they create in ourselves and others

In Philosophy, the contemplations of man do either penetrate unto God, or are circumferred to Nature, or are reflected and reverted upon himself. Out of which several inquiries there do arise three knowledges, Divine Philosophy, Natural Philosophy, and Human Philosophy or Humanity. For all things are marked and stamped with this triple character of the power of God, the difference of Nature and the use of Man.

Ethics is inescapable.

The final arbitrator in philosophy is not how we think but what we do.

Those sciences which govern the morals of mankind, such as Theology and Philosophy, make everything their concern: no activity is so private or so secret as to escape their attention or their jurisdiction.

... it is as true in morals as in physics that all force is imperishable; therefore the consequences of a human action never cease.

Out of right thinking comes right practice. It is not true that it does not matter what a man believes. It is not true to say, as many say, that a man's beliefs do not matter, it is only his conduct which is of importance; no lasting right conduct grows out of wrong belief. If you think falsely, you will act mistakenly; if you think basely, your conduct will suit your thinking.

Religion is a fascinating black hole to me.

When you choose sin the baggage that comes with it is error.

If God did not exist, he would have to be invented.

You can't have intentions without consequences. The question is, who pays for the consequences? Saving fish from drowning. Same thing. Who’s saved? Who’s not?

Philosophy is an act of living.

We need an approach to ethics which makes no recourse to religion and can be equally acceptable to those with faith and those without.

What is the highest good in all matters of action? To the name, there is almost complete agreement; for uneducated and educated alike call it happiness, and make happiness identical with the good life and successful living. They disagree, however, about the meaning of happiness.

Religious questions have often led to wicked and impious actions.

Being an atheist is a matter not of moral choice, but of human obligation.

There is no monster more destructive than the inventive mind that has outstripped philosophy.

You cannot talk about evil without assuming a moral framework.