Felix Adler (professor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Felix Adler
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Felix Adler, c. 1913
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| Born | August 13, 1851 Alzey, Grand Duchy of Hesse, Germany
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| Died | April 24, 1933 (aged 81) New York City, US
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| Resting place | Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Columbia University (AB), Humboldt University of Berlin, Heidelberg University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Professor of political and social ethics |
| Known for | Ethical Culture movement, lecturing on euthanasia |
| Spouse(s) |
Helen Goldmark
(m. 1880) |
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Felix Adler (born August 13, 1851 – died April 24, 1933) was a German American professor. He taught about how people should behave in society (political and social ethics). He was also a rationalist, which means he believed in using reason and logic.
Adler was an important speaker on topics like euthanasia. He was a religious leader and a social reformer. He is best known for starting the Ethical Culture movement. This movement focuses on good actions and moral living, rather than specific religious beliefs.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Felix Adler was born in Alzey, Germany. His father, Samuel Adler, was a well-known rabbi in Reform Judaism. His mother was Henrietta Frankfurter. When Felix was six years old, his family moved to the United States. His father became the head rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in New York City.
Adler went to Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School. He then graduated from Columbia University in 1870 with high honors. He continued his studies at Heidelberg University in Germany. He was training to become a rabbi, like his father. In 1873, he earned his PhD from Heidelberg.
While in Germany, Adler was greatly influenced by a philosophy called neo-Kantianism. This idea suggested that you cannot prove or disprove if God exists or if people live forever. It also taught that morality (knowing right from wrong) can be figured out without needing theology (the study of religious beliefs).
Academic Career and New Ideas
When Adler returned to New York at age 23, he was asked to give a sermon at Temple Emanu-El. People expected him to follow in his father's footsteps as a rabbi. However, his sermon, called "The Judaism of the Future," surprised everyone. He talked about Judaism as a universal religion focused on morality for all people. He did not mention God even once. This was his first and last sermon at Temple Emanu-El.
In 1874, it became clear that Adler would not become a rabbi. Some members of his father's congregation helped him get a teaching job. He became a professor at Cornell University. He taught about Hebrew and Eastern literature. His students liked him because he discussed his new religious ideas. He also talked about current issues like workers' rights and power in politics.
Some people called him an atheist because of his views. In 1876, Cornell University stopped paying his salary. Later, in 1902, Adler became a professor at Columbia University. He held the position of chair of political and social ethics. He taught there until he passed away in 1933.
Starting the Ethical Culture Movement
In 1876, when he was 26, Adler was asked to give another lecture. He expanded on the ideas from his sermon at Temple Emanu-El. On May 15, 1876, he again stressed the need for a religion. This religion would not have many rituals or specific beliefs. Instead, it would unite all people through moral actions in society.
His idea was revolutionary for the time. He wanted to remove the need for specific religious beliefs. He aimed to bring together theists (people who believe in God), atheists (people who do not believe in God), agnostics (people who are unsure about God), and deists (people who believe God created the world but does not interfere). All these different groups would work together for a common moral cause.
A few weeks after this lecture, Adler started giving weekly Sunday talks. In February 1877, with help from Joseph Seligman, he officially started the Society of Ethical Culture.
Good Deeds, Not Just Beliefs
Adler believed in "deed, not creed." This meant that good actions were the most important part of ethical culture. In 1877, the Society created the District Nursing Department. This group organized nurses who visited sick people in poor areas who could not leave their homes.
A year later, in 1878, the Society opened a Free Kindergarten. This school was for the children of working parents. Since it served poor families, the kindergarten also provided basic needs like clothing and hot meals. Over time, this kindergarten grew into the famous Ethical Culture Fieldston School.
Adler was a well-known speaker and writer. He served as the head of the Ethical Culture School until his death in 1933. He always focused on how to improve society. He wanted to change institutions like schools and government. His goal was to make human relationships fairer and more just. He believed that working together was more important than competing.
Helping Children and Civil Rights
In 1904, Adler became the first chairman of the National Child Labor Committee. This group worked to stop children from working in dangerous jobs. Lewis Hine, a famous photographer, was hired by the committee in 1908 to take pictures of child laborers.
In 1917, Adler joined the Civil Liberties Bureau. This group later became the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU works to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans. In 1928, Adler became the president of the Eastern division of the American Philosophical Association. He also served on the first board of the National Urban League, which helps African Americans achieve equality.
Improving Housing Conditions
Adler was a member of the New York State Tenement House Commission. He was worried about crowded living conditions. He also saw how overcrowding led to more contagious diseases. While he did not support free public housing, he spoke out about improving tenement buildings. He thought the rents were too high. Jacob Riis, a famous social reformer, said that Adler asked "clear, sharp questions" that got to the heart of problems.
In 1885, Adler and others started the Tenement House Building Company. Their goal was to build "model" affordable apartments. These apartments rented for $8–$14 a month. By 1887, the company had built six model buildings in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. These buildings cost $155,000 to build. While some people preferred laws to improve tenements, these model buildings were a positive step forward.
Views on American Foreign Policy
By the late 1890s, the world saw more international conflicts. Adler shifted his focus from problems at home to American foreign policy. Some people saw the 1898 Spanish–American War as a way to free Cubans from Spain. Others saw U.S. victories in the Caribbean and the Philippines as the start of an empire.
Adler first supported the war. But later, he worried about American control over the Philippines and Puerto Rico. He believed that U.S. foreign policy was becoming imperialistic (trying to build an empire) instead of democratic. Ethical Culture teaches that every person has great worth. Adler applied this idea to international relations. He believed no single group could claim their way of life was better than others.
During World War I, Adler had different views from many of his peers. He did not believe that defeating the German Empire would make the world safe for democracy. He thought peace depended on democratic governments not trying to build empires. He also believed they needed to stop the arms race (countries building more and more weapons).
He opposed the Versailles Treaty and the League of Nations. As an alternative, Adler suggested a "Parliament of Parliaments." This group would be elected by the lawmakers of different nations. It would represent different types of people, not just special interests. This way, common goals, not national differences, would be most important.
Adler's Philosophy
Felix Adler created his own unique philosophy. It was based on the ideas of Immanuel Kant and G.W.F. Hegel, but he changed them. He believed philosophy was not just a guide for life. He thought it was key to making society and human lives better. This was important for respecting human dignity.
Adler focused on the great worth and dignity of each person. He combined a main moral rule, similar to Kant's, with his own ideas about self-improvement. He stressed that individuals should develop freely. But this development should also consider what is good for society and for friendship. He believed that virtue (being good) must be its own reward. If you are good only for a reward, it is not true virtue.
Adler's social philosophy was against commercialism (focusing too much on making money). He said, "The main problem in the world today is that the commercial point of view is too powerful." He valued public works and using reason to find the best ethical standards.
Adler wrote many books, including Creed and Deed (1878) and An Ethical Philosophy of Life (1918). He used ideas from Judaism, and the philosophies of Kant and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He also mixed in some socialist ideas of his time. He believed that the idea of a personal God was not needed. He thought the human personality was the main force of religion. He respected that different people had different religious interpretations. The Ethical Culture movement welcomed people with many different beliefs. Ethical Culture societies were formed in many U.S. cities in the late 1800s, like Philadelphia and St. Louis.
See also
In Spanish: Felix Adler para niños
