Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy (ISBN 0684838230) 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. Mortimer Jerome Adler (December 28, 1902 – June 28, 2001) was an American philosopher and author. ... Aristotle (Ancient Greek: AristotelÄ“s 384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

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. Plato Plato (Greek: Πλάτων, Plátōn) (c. ... Etymology Esoteric is an adjective originating during Hellenic Greece under the domain of the Roman Empire; it comes from the Greek esôterikos, from esôtero, the comparative form of esô: within. It is a word meaning anything that is inner and occult, a latinate word meaning hidden (from which... Aristotle (Ancient Greek: Aristotelēs 384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...

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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

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. As distinguished from episteme, the Greek word techne (literally: craftsmanship) is often translated as craft or art. ... Ethics (from Greek ethikos) is the branch of axiology – one of the four major branches of philosophy, alongside metaphysics, epistemology, and logic – which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to define that which is right from that which is wrong. ... A moral is a one sentence remark made at the end of many childrens stories that expresses the intended meaning, or the moral message, of the tale. ... (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) Virtue is moral excellence of a man or a woman. ... Epistemology, from the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (word/speech) is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, origin and scope of knowledge. ... Logic, from Classical Greek λόγος (logos), originally meaning the word, or what is spoken, (but coming to mean thought or reason) is most often said to be the study of criteria for the evaluation of arguments, although the exact definition of logic is a matter of controversy among philosophers. ...

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 God. 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. Infinity refers to several distinct concepts which arise in theology, philosophy, mathematics and everyday life. ... While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existing for an infinite, i. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and appeal to a wider international audience, this article may require cleanup. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel) This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and derived henotheistic forms. ... An epilogue, or rarely epilog, is a piece of writing at the end of a work of drama, usually used to bring closure to the work. ... Aristotle (Ancient Greek: Aristotelēs 384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ...

References

Adler, Mortimer J. "Aristotle for Everybody: Difficult Thought Made Easy." New York: Touchstone Books, 1997.