Mortimer Adler is the author of the educational manifesto The Paideia Proposal, written on behalf of the Paideia Group, a committee of scholars, administrators, publishers, professionals, and educators. He is joined by Edward Fort and Gilbert Sewall to discuss the book and the broad knowledge of culture, which Adler argues is necessary in the education of youngsters as they prepare for citizenship, the responsibilities of work, a positive quality of life, and the challenges of self-development.
In the second segment [14:35], Adler and Sewall are joined by Harold Doster, Thomas Houlihan, and Joan Hinde Stewart. They discuss the pros and cons of the Paideia educational philosophy and existing educational systems here and abroad; vocational training; and challenges to providing foreign language education in schools.
At the time of this interview, Adler was director of the Institute for Philosophical Research and chairman of the editorial board of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Doster was president of Atlantic Christian College. Fort was chancellor of North Carolina A & T State University. Houlihan was principal of the Clayton (NC) High School. Sewall, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1981-82), was former education editor for Newsweek. Stewart, a Fellow at the Center (1982-83), was professor of French at North Carolina State University.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
