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Name:
Felix Adler
Dates:
Born: August 13, 1851 in Alzey, Germany
Died: April 24, 1933 in New York City
Brought to the United States: 1857
Major Works:
Creed and Deed (1877)
The Moral Instruction of Children (1892)
The World Crisis and its Meaning (1915)
An Ethical Philosophy of Life (1919)
The Reconstruction of the Moral Ideal (1924)
Specializations:
Kantian Ethics
Ethics & Applied Ethics
Moral Education
Ethical Culture
Biography:
Felix Adler was one of the foremost philosophers involved with applied ethics and the effort
of people to live moral lives. When it comes to listing ethical leaders, Felix Adler's name is
frequently listed alongside those of Ghandi, Confucious, and Socrates. Adler began from the
very basic Kantian premise that each and every person has moral worth and is deserving of
both dignity and respect.
Adler argued for the idea that each person should act in a manner that is in accordance with and ideal of "self-actualization" and is compatible with the social nature of human beings. In this way he was, like Immanuel Kant, a moral perfectionist: each action is measured against a standard of perfection which he summed up as "Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself."
Adler frequently emphasized the need to develop a virtuous self, not in pursuit of some other goal but rather as a goal in itself: "A virtuous act is one in which the ends of self and of the other are respected and promoted jointly." No utilitarian, Adler rejected the principle of acting to bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. He didn't seem to believe that doing good was something quantitative that could be tallied up in way that would allow for reaching such a "greatest good."
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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