According to Mortimer Adler, the founder of the Great Books movement,
there are three steps to posing a respectful disagreement in a Great
Books conversation. The first step is for one to acknowledge their
emotions, reflecting on how the passage or work makes them feel. If
this step is neglected, an individuals momentary or habitual
emotional state may have a great effect on the way that they
interpret the work. Some readers may take this step to the extreme,
thinking that great works should be read without emotion. However, if
emotion is removed from the act of reading, any possibility of
learning or enjoyment is also removed. Readers simply need to
acknowledge the emotions that inevitably arise while reading and
discussing these works and realize how their feelings, if unchecked,
could lead them astray from the truth. Second the reader must address
their assumptions about the work or passage. Where might they be
making unfounded conclusions? While the reader would be wise to look
at the material in many different ways, this could also result in the
reader interpreting meaning where the author did not intend. A reader
should clearly state such assumptions, to make explicit to their
fellow students, the particular way in which they are receiving the
author’s message. Lastly, a reader should attempt to look at the
work or passage with impartiality. The reader should strive to have
as clear a lens as possible with which to view the material. The way
to achieve this clear lens is to momentarily forget any
preconceptions or views the reader may maintain that helped to form
their disagreement. After these steps are completed, the reader
should have full confidence that their disagreement is well founded
and ready for group analysis.
