Congratulations on a year of publishing The Great Ideas Online. In the first issue you said we would "find The Great Ideas Online to be timeless and immediate, energetic and thoughtful, serious and, at times, even humorous." And so we have.

Terrence Berres
Franklin, Wisconsin

December 2, 1999

Dear Dr. Adler,

The recent report of your death in The Wall Street Journal, though later clarified as "greatly exaggerated," prompted me to hurry up and write this note to you -- one, in which, I had been thinking of doing for some time.

I want to thank you for you and your life's work. I count your How to Read a Book as one of the 10 most important books in my life and have so counted it for many years now. You have been instrumental in rescuing the great books from being the object of study by only university professors, the limited attention of their students, and a scattering of scholars bringing these important works to the attention of many adults who see learning as a lifetime experience. You were, and are, a central figure in vitalizing what otherwise would have been dead books relegated to the scrap heap of history.

My Dad tells me that he and his father used to listen to you and Robert Hutchins on the radio on Sundays back in the '30s. It is through my Dad that I first learned of you and your work for which I am most grateful.

Continue on, Mortimer, in the best of health in the important work that you do.

Patrick Brennan

P.S. Michael Levy's letter correcting his understanding of the state of your physical presence was published today in The Wall Street Journal under the headline "The Old Philosopher."

Max,

FYI. I can't rise above the need to make the same point over and over.

Tom

December 2, 1999

The University of Chicago The Law School
1111 East 60th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637

Subject: Solicitation Letter of November 12

Attn: Thomas Cole, Patrick Ellingsworth, Nancy Lieberman, Ed Warren

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am writing to explain why I am not making a contribution. As a graduate of both the College and the Law School and as a former enthusiast of both, I am taking this opportunity to supplement my earlier letters to President Sonnenschein and to the Trustees as my views have become increasingly lugubrious.

In my various letters to President Sonnenschein I attempted to elicit a claim that the U. of C. was not mindlessly following the direction of Ivy League universities towards their politicized, morally relativistic conception of education. I understand that this current conception of education denies (through deconstruction and post-modernism) not simply the traditional notion of the difficulty of ascertaining truth, but rather it denies the very possibility of the existence of truth. Discovering truth, in my dated opinion, was at the heart of the job of a university and thus essential to justifying its existence.

President Sonnenschein, I suppose to his credit, never rose to the bait. He never made the claim that I obviously wanted to hear -- that the U of C. is a special place. That it was resisting the forces of anti-intellectualism released in the 60's and offers a true hope to return the Nation to educational sanity.

Now, I look into the mirror and ask myself how I could have been so naive, at 73 years of age no less. In Plato's Cave Professor Alvin Kernan spells out in excruciating detail the path that higher education has followed in recent years. Universities generally have become sanctuaries for a few highly paid, super-star, tenured professors -- the elite -- who have their own political agendas which, not surprisingly, result in benefits primarily for themselves. They have an army of low paid, uninspired non-tenure-track drones whose job it is to person the trenches and interface with students, freeing the elite to enjoy as little time as possible in the grubby job of teaching. The students, whose reading levels in most cases do not rise to the high school graduation level, have become solely seekers of present pleasure and future security. Grades have been so inflated that there is no incentive to study and learn. All of this while tuition costs that have increased many times over the inflation rate.

It now becomes clear to me that President Sonnenschein's agenda for changes at the U. of C. was driven by market economics (he is an economist I understand) applicable to all universities. The pleasure palace for the elite described above must be financed. Considerable public effort is required to "sell" the unattractive package that is the modern university to would-be students, their parents, the alumni and the general public. Accordingly, to compete with other universities, it is necessary for each to pander to potential students -- offer assured high grades, country-club surroundings, athletic competitions rivaling the Roman circus and automatic credentialling for vocations. Obtaining a maximum of undergraduate students from whom high tuition is extracted is critical to the success of the endeavor. I now understand that the appointment of a Vice President for Marketing for the University was not an insignificant gewgaw.

The one part of the equation that I have not seen clarified publicly is why anyone who does not benefit from such an enterprise should help finance it. Again, my mirror tells me that I have been a fool. Why shouldn't an economically savvy university seek funds from all possible sources. The contribution of any dunce willing to contribute to an enterprise benefiting only a few (not including himself) should be gratefully accepted and even acknowledged with pictures in the Alumni Magazine and other modest rewards.

Look, I'm a sentimental old sucker -- always have been. Show me I'm wrong. Show me that there is something left of the Hutchins legend. Show me that the U. of C. is still committed to passing on to coming generations the best in Western Civilization (including, for example, an understanding of the rule of law and of human rights). Show me that the U. of C. has not bought into Thracymacus' position that might makes right. Show me that for the U. of C. education is more than a call to bloodless cultural revolution.

I will be studying carefully every statement of the new President. You show me that I am wrong and I will show you an old man who can rise above cynicism. A worth-while effort on both our parts.

Sincerely,

M. Thomas Murray

THE GIFT OF LEARNING

Also the ideal donation to your favorite institution, school, or library.

----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Members,

We are pleased to announce that the Center can now offer a number of
Mortimer Adler's most renowned and edifying books on audiocassettes.
Now you can profit from and enjoy these insightful books while driving,
jogging, exercising, or just relaxing.

By purchasing these books from us, you are helping to support our efforts.

========================
ARISTOTLE FOR EVERYBODY

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Frederick Davidson

Says Mortimer J. Adler, "Almost all of the philosophical truths that I have
come to know and understand I have learned from Aristotle." In "Aristotle
For Everybody", Dr. Adler sets forth the truths he has learned from
Aristotle, stating and explaining them in a manner that is intended to make
them easily understandable by everyone.

Because Aristotle's wisdom and philosophical insights are grounded in the
common experience we all possess, and because they illuminate and enrich
the common sense we all rely on, this easy-to-follow exposition of his
thought about the world of nature, about the actions and productions of
man, and about the conduct of life, confirms convictions that most of us
hold, though we may not always be fully aware of them. Philosophy, Adler
maintains, is everybody's business. It deepens our understanding of the
knowledge we already have about ourselves, our society, and the world in
which we live. Adler thinks that all of us have an obligation as human
beings to engage in this effort of understanding and that, with the proper
guidance, we will derive great satisfaction from our success in doing it.
No better guide than Aristotle can be found.

Four, 90-minute cassettes $34.00*

=================================
ART, THE ARTS, AND THE GREAT IDEAS

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Nadia May

Does a piece of visual or musical art have any content? Do the fine arts
have anything at all to say about ideas? How is a sonata different from a
poem? In "Art, The Arts, and The Great Ideas", Mortimer Adler challenges us
to use precision in our language, tracing the historical permutations of
pivotal words like "art," "idea," and "significance." He ambitiously
defines these three words in terms of their everyday meanings, and then
their (often very different) philosophical meanings. Fundamental to his
argument is the question of whether art (such as paintings and sculptures)
and the performing arts (such as music and dancing) can elicit the
discussion of ideas and basic concepts as do books.

Two, 90-minute cassettes $24.00*

===========================
HOW TO SPEAK, HOW TO LISTEN

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Harold N. Cropp

Drawing on decades of experience as an educator and philosopher, Dr. Adler
gives the listener a short course in effective communication filled with
the Adler wisdom and wit. Both instructive and practical, "How to Speak,
How to Listen" will be invaluable to everyone: salespeople and executives
involved in conferences and negotiations, politicians, lecturers, and
teachers, as well as families seeking to improve communication among
themselves.

"Dr. Adler offers us both a fascinating theoretical analysis of oral
communication and practical tips derived from his long years of experience.
This book will be appreciated by anyone who ever has to get up before an
audience and speak."    --Chicago Tribune

Six, 90-minute cassettes $44.00*

===================
HOW TO READ A BOOK

by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren read by Patrick Cullen

"How to Read a Book", first published in 1940, is now a rare phenomenon, a
living classic. It is the best, most successful guide to reading
comprehension for the general reader, now completely rewritten and updated.

You are told about the various levels of reading and how to achieve them --
from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional
reading, to speed reading. You learn how to pigeonhole a book, X-ray it,
extract the author's message, criticize. You are taught the different
reading techniques for reading practical books, imaginative literature,
plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social
science.

The authors also offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests
for measuring your own progress in reading skills, comprehension and speed.

Eleven, 90-minute cassettes $75.00*

===============
SIX GREAT IDEAS

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Robin Lawson

Each summer, Mortimer J. Adler conducts a seminar at the Aspen Institute in
Colorado. At the 1981 seminar, leaders from the worlds of business,
literature, education, and the arts joined him in an in-depth consideration
of the six great ideas that are the subject of this book: Truth, Goodness,
and Beauty -- the ideas we judge by; and Liberty, Equality, and Justice --
the ideas we act on. The group discussions and conversations between Dr.
Adler and journalist Bill Moyers were filmed for broadcast on public
television, and thousands of people followed their exploration of these
important ideas. Discarding the outworn and off-putting jargon of academia,
Dr. Adler dispels the myth that philosophy is the exclusive province of the
specialist. He argues that "philosophy is everybody's business," and that a
better understanding of these fundamental concepts is essential if we are
to cope with the political, moral, and social issues that confront us
daily.

Six, 90-minute cassettes $44.00*

===========================
TEN PHILOSOPHICAL MISTAKES

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Simon Vance

The ten philosophical mistakes Dr. Adler discusses include: (1) The mistake
of identifying happiness with a good time (i.e., hedonism) rather than with
possessing that which is good for us and fulfills our natural needs; (2)
The error of failing to differentiate between two realms of thought, the
perceptual and the conceptual, which leads to the even more egregious
mistake of denying that there is any distinction between the human mind,
with its conceptual powers, and the minds of brute animals with nothing but
perceptual powers; (3) The failure to understand the affirmation of free
will or free choice, and the denial of it by determinists, who make the
error of identifying free choice with something that happens entirely by
chance. This leads to the rejection of moral responsibility.

Adler feels it is not too late to reverse the tide of centuries upon
centuries of escalating misconceptions and to learn to live richer and
happier lives. It is unfortunate that in modern times, says Dr. Adler,
"much has been lost that might have been avoided if ancient truths had been
preserved."

Four, 90-minute cassettes $35.00*

=====================
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS

by Mortimer J. Adler read by Jeff Riggenbach

Mortimer Adler has devoted a lifetime to studying the great ideas and
explaining even the most difficult concepts to the average citizen, earning
Time magazine's praise as "a philosopher for everyman." In "We Hold These
Truths", Dr. Adler caps his life's work by illuminating the ideas and
ideals that have made the United States of America a truly unique nation in
the annals of history.

The ideas Adler examines include those at the core of the Declaration of
Independence -- human equality, inalienable human rights, civil rights, the
pursuit of happiness, and both the consent and dissent of the governed.
These are the ideas that form the basis for the ideals found in the
Preamble to the Constitution that bind us together as a nation -- justice,
domestic tranquillity, the common defense, the general welfare, and the
blessings of liberty.

Seven, 90-minute cassettes $49.00*

=========================
For your convenience, you may e-mail, fax, phone, or mail your credit card
number and expiration date.

* Prices include shipping charges in the United States and Canada.

Please send me ____ copies of the following audiobooks:

____ ARISTOTLE FOR EVERYBODY

____ ART, THE ARTS, AND THE GREAT IDEAS

____ HOW TO SPEAK, HOW TO LISTEN

____ HOW TO READ A BOOK

____ SIX GREAT IDEAS

____ TEN PHILOSOPHICAL MISTAKES

____ WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
-----------------------------------------------

Name:

Charge my  ____ VISA  ____ MASTERCARD  ____ DISCOVER

Credit Card  #

Expiration Date:

Total Amount  $_______________

Or send check payable to:

THE GREAT IDEAS
Suite 950W
845 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL  60611

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for relevancy and concision and to publish them at our discretion.

The Great Ideas Online is published free of charge to its members by the Center.