Mortimer Adler Quotes

Philosophy is fundamentally about how you come to terms with living your life and trying to do it in a wise manner, and, for me, that means decently and compassionately and courageously and so forth.

Some of my understanding of what philosophy and ethics is has changed very slowly. One thing that has changed is this for quite a long time I bought-into the idea that philosophy is basically about arguments. I'm increasingly of the view that it isn't. The most interesting things in philosophy aren't arguments. The thing that I think is underestimated is what I call a form of attending. I think that philosophy is at least as much about carefully attending to things as it is about the structure of arguments.

Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable.

What's a philosopher?' said Brutha. Someone who's bright enough to find a job with no heavy lifting,' said a voice in his head.

What I understand by "philosopher": a terrible explosive in the presence of which everything is in danger.

We must re-center philosophy within our frame of reference which I think is the way to deal with it.

Philosophy is the opposite of fairy tales

I chose philosophy because it sounded like something I ought to be interested in. I didn't know anything about it, I didn't even know what it was talking about. What I really spent my time doing in those years was writing short stories. There were all sorts of interesting courses, but what I really wanted to do was make stories one way or another.

Philosophy begins where religion ends, just as by analogy chemistry begins where alchemy runs out, and astronomy takes the place of astrology.

Ethical and questions of philosophy interest me a great deal.

I'd love to go back to school for philosophy. I love philosophy, so I'm always reading philosophy books, annoying my girlfriend with that type of stuff.

Of what use is a philosopher who doesn't hurt anybody's feelings?

I grew up in a small industrial suburb of Haifa in Israel. As far back as I remember, I was interested in big questions. Who are we? What are we doing here? But the chances to discuss philosophy were quite thin on the ground.

In ethics, we don't make progress by discovering pre-existent truths; we do so by solving problems.

The act of philosophizing involves the character of the philosopher.

Philosophy is the product of wonder. The effort after the general characterization of the world around us is the romance of human thought.

Make philosophy thy journey, theology thy journey's end: philosophy is a pleasant way, but dangerous to him that either tires or retires; in this journey it is safe neither to loiter nor to rest, till thou hast attained thy journey's end; he that sits down a philosopher rises up an atheist.

Philosophy, as the modern world knows it, is only intellectual club-swinging.

Philosophy is not in a state of external reflection on other domains, but in a state of active and internal alliance with them, and it is neither more abstract nor more difficult.

I'm interested in philosophy, I studied it, and I also admit I try to read things that are way above me. I have a limit: I take what I need from it, and I do find that some of my favourite philosophical writings tend to be poppier. I admire smart people who are able to describe things simply or in a human, readable way.

Philosophy is at once the most sublime and the most trivial of human pursuits.

What is it to be a philosopher? Is it not to be prepared against events?

This is a question too difficult for a mathematician. It should be asked of a philosopher"(when asked about completing his income tax form)

Philosophy cannot be taught; it is the application of the sciences to truth.

Philosophy is in fact a quest for wisdom based in sophia; that quest for wisdom has everything to do with a love of wisdom.