A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror: Further Autobiographical Reflections of a Philosopher at Large

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.

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.

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.