The collection is organized chronologically and thematically, covering a wide range of topics, from ancient Greek philosophy to modern scientific treatises. Adler's criteria for inclusion in the canon were based on the enduring relevance and impact of the works, their ability to contribute to intellectual discourse, and their representation of significant ideas and themes in Western civilization. Mortimer Adler (September 1997). "Selecting works for the 1990 edition of Great Books of the Western World". Great Books Index. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27 . Retrieved 2007-05-29. We did not base our selections on an author's nationality, religion, politics, or field of study; nor on an author's race or gender. Great books were not chosen to make up quotas of any kind; there was no "affirmative action" in the process.

Great Books of the Western World" stands as a remarkable achievement in its ambition to encapsulate the breadth and depth of Western intellectual tradition. Adler's canon has had a profound influence on education, shaping curricula and discussions on the foundations of knowledge. The project's emphasis on the humanities, philosophy, and literature reflects a commitment to cultivating critical thinking, cultural literacy, and a well-rounded understanding of the human experience. Wikipedia has the full list, with links to articles about many of The Great Books and their authors. And a complete comparison of the two sets can be found here. Until recently the great books were central in liberal education, which was limited to an elite (p. 7). However, the masses are now enjoying both leisure and political power (p. 8) without the education to support it. It is ironic that John Dewey’s educational reforms were misunderstood by his most ardent followers (p. 9). While Dewey wanted to achieve a humanization of work (p. 15), using the results of experimental methods and a proper psychology of learning, his followers tended to turn it into vocational training for a trade. Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation The Constitution Hamilton, Madison, Jay. The Federalist Mill. On Liberty Mill. Representative Government Mill. UtilitarianismUnlike many of my contemporaries, I never write books for my fellow professors to read. I have no interest in the academic audience at all. I'm interested in Joe Doakes. A general audience can read any book I write—and they do. Niels Bohr: Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature (selections) and Discussion with Einstein on Epistemology Listed first are are the materials added from before the 20th century, with their 1990 volume numbers (according to the Wikipedia article):

Originally published in 54 volumes, The Great Books of the Western World covers categories including fiction, history, poetry, natural science, mathematics, philosophy, drama, politics, religion, economics, and ethics. Hutchins wrote the first volume, titled The Great Conversation, as an introduction and discourse on liberal education. Adler sponsored the next two volumes, "The Great Ideas: A Syntopicon", as a way of emphasizing the unity of the set and, by extension, of Western thought in general. A team of indexers spent months compiling references to such topics as "Man's freedom in relation to the will of God" and "The denial of void or vacuum in favor of a plenum". They grouped the topics into 102 chapters, for which Adler wrote the 102 introductions. Four colors identify each volume by subject area—Imaginative Literature, Mathematics and the Natural Sciences, History and Social Science, and Philosophy and Theology. The volumes contained the following works: Macdonald, Dwight. "The Book-of-the-Millennium Club". 29 November 1952 with later appendix. The New Yorker . Retrieved 2007-05-29. I also wonder how many of the over 100,000 customers who have by now caved in under the pressure of Mr. Harden and his banner-bearing colleagues are doing much browsing in these upland pastures? Vol. 33, pp. 181-184, 186-189, 191-192, 195-200, 203, 205-210, 212-218, 222-225, 227, 229-232, 237-251, 255, 259, 264-275, 277-287, 290-291, 296-302, 318, 321-322, , 326-327) In addition, most volumes--though identical to those of the older version--were renumbered. And some contents were moved from one volume to another.Berlau, John (August 2001). "What Happened to the Great Ideas? – Mortimer J. Adler's Great Books programs". Insight Magazine Insight on the News. 17 (32): 16. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014 . Retrieved 2 December 2020. Harvard University's Henry Louis Gates blasted the Great Books for showing 'profound disrespect for the intellectual capacities of people of color—red, brown or yellow.'

PTOLEMY: The Almagest [Book I, Ch. 1-8]; COPERNICUS: Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres [Introduction—Book I, Ch. 11]; KEPLER: Epitome of Copernican Astronomy [Book IV, Part II, Ch. 1-2] (Vol. 16, pp. 5-14, 505-532, 887-895)

One of the things I’ve found is these guys have been grappling with these questions, like what is justice, what is courage. They’re still not getting it right. For me, it’s like, “Boy, these guys have had a hard time. They’re really smart. Maybe I should have fewer opinions, not be so certain.” It doesn’t mean you don’t have any certainties, but as you said, once you realize how hard it is to pin this stuff down, there’s a humility that comes with that. The book must be a part of ‘thegreat conversationabout the great ideas,’ relevant to at least 25 of the 102 ‘Great Ideas’ as identified by the editor of the series’ comprehensive index, what they dubbed the ‘Syntopicon,’ to which they belonged. And here are the six additional volumes containing 20th-century materials. I have taken the liberty of adding a likely topic to the heading for each volume.

According to Hutchins, “The tradition of the West is embodied in the Great Conversation that began in the dawn of history and that continues to the present day”.Moliere. The School for Wives Moliere. The Critique of the School for Wives Moliere. Tartuffe Moliere. Don Juan Moliere. The Miser Moliere. The Would-Be Gentleman Moliere. The Would-Be Invalid Racine. Berenice I'm only guessing, as I don't own the set, but from pictures it appears that the 1990 set also follows this scheme. I would guess that they go like this: Mortimer J. Adler (1990). "Section 1: The Great Books and the Great Ideas". The Great Conversation (2nded.). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. p. 27. ISBN 0-85229-531-6. The initial sales of the book sets were poor, with only 1,863 sets sold in 1952, and less than one-tenth of that number of book sets were sold in 1953. A financial debacle loomed until Encyclopædia Britannica altered the sales strategy, and sold the book set through experienced door-to-door encyclopædia-salesmen, as Hutchins had feared; but, through that method, 50,000 sets were sold in 1961. In 1963 the editors published Gateway to the Great Books, a ten-volume set of readings meant to introduce the authors and the subjects of the Great Books. Each year, from 1961 to 1998, the editors published The Great Ideas Today, an annual updating about the applicability of the Great Books to contemporary life. [7] [8] According to Alex Beam, Great Books of the Western World eventually sold a million sets. [9] The Internet and the E-book reader have made available some of the Great Books of the Western World in an on-line format. [10] Volumes [ edit ]