Mortimer J Adler in 1990 part 1/3

Promoting Truth in Religion

Dualism Defended:
First, if theism is true, then physicalism as a worldview is false. God is not a physical being. Second, a number of people have argued that numbers exist and that they are abstract, nonphysical entities (e.g., sets, substances, or properties). Firstly, mathematics claims to give us knowledge. But if this is so, there must be something that mathematics is about. Just as the biologist discovers biological truths about biological objects (organisms), so the mathematician often discovers mathematical truths (he does not invent them all the time) and these truths are about mathematical objects. If one denies the existence of numbers, then it is hard to rescue mathematics as a field which conveys knowledge about something. Without numbers, mathematics becomes merely an internally consistent game which is invented. Without numbers mathematical and scientific knowledge is hard to maintain. But if numbers exist, physicalism as a worldview is false because numbers are not physical entities.

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[verzweiflung]

Please, what is Adler answer when he's asked "Why Aristotle?" at 2:22? I didn't understand it. Can anyone transcribe? Thanks!

[dingorex]

@verzweiflung His answer, " Wiser than any other philosopher there is."

[bzagar1]

Did Adler say, "Plato is Socrates"? I have heard that Plato came up with Socrates.

[dingorex]

@bzagar1

He said Socrates is in Plato (not a sexual pun). Plato's writings are the dialogues of Socrates transcribed --- Plato was Socrates' student, Aristotle was Plato's student and of course Alexander the Great was Aristotle's student.

Mr Adler tends to mumble in his haste to unload his knowledge.

[bzagar1]

@dingorex Plato made up Socrates. Socrates never existed.

[dingorex]

@bzagar1

Well, Aristophanes wrote The Clouds which refers to Plato's teacher and that was contemporaneous with Socrates. It's a great play, you should check it out.

[olafcrackerman]

This is absolutely fantastic! Adler's advocacy, through his writings, of the Great Ideas, for the common man's consumption was one of the most amazing things to come out of the 20th century.

[monk54321]

Damn, when I'm 89 I hope I'm as 1/2 as lucid as he is.

[kant1066]

@bzagar1 Dumbest. Question. Ever.

[kant1066]

@bzagar1 This is nonsense.

[pear928]

Adler is one of the more fluid and lucid writers.

[paulagloria]

@dingorex do have any of his work with Louis Kelso?