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A hundred and fifty bite-sized insights into philosophy's greatest minds. Mini Philosophy is a fascinating journey into what some of the greatest minds of the last 2,500 years have to say about the big questions in life and why they are relevant to us today. Covering everything from Sun Tzu's strategy for winning at board games to Freud's insights into our 'death drive'; why De Beauvoir believed the mothering instinct is a myth to why Schopenhauer probably wasn't much fun at parties, these mini meditations will expand your mind (and bend it too).

'Irresistibly fascinating' MARIE CLAIRE GREECE 'Essential' VICTORIA HISLOP 'Brilliantly conceived' PAUL CARTLEDGE An enormous bestseller in Greece, this is a bold, witty retelling of the story of Ancient Greece by a rising star in archaeology Two strangers meet in a trapped elevator. One is an...

You can argue about God forever, and not change your mind. Believers and non-believers often talk at cross purposes, both failing to grasp what is really going on when we argue about God. So where do we go when the facts run out? Philosophy. Braiding the thought of the Stoics, Spinoza, Kant and other leading philosophers together with meditations on religious experience, Christopher Insole takes us beyond the limits of reason to a place where we might find empathy and reverence for all of our fellow persons, each in the struggle to live a meaningful life.

Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. While the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, Marcus Aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection that has been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and readers throughout the centuries.

Here, in this second collection of Socratic Dialogues from Plato's Early Period, read by David Rintoul as Socrates with a full cast, are contrasting six works. Often, as with Gorgias, which opens the recording, Socrates combats the popular subjects of sophistry and rhetoric, in direct conversation with Gorgias (a leading sophist teacher), and with one of his pupils, Callicles.

What is at stake is far from insignificant: it is how one should live one's life. Plato's The Republic is widely acknowledged as the cornerstone of Western philosophy. Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, it is an inquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. During the conversation, other questions are raised: What is goodness? What is reality? What is knowledge?

Stoicism for Dummies will teach you the basic principles of stoic philosophy and show you how it can help you navigate the ups and downs of life. We all face challenges and setbacks, and, if we have the right mindset, we can sail through them with ease. This book offers a comprehensive look at Stoic philosophy, uncovering its strengths and attractions and shedding light on its limitations, both in the ancient world where it was developed, and in our world today. Learn how you can apply stoic principles for personal growth and better living.

Anne Carson's remarkable first book about the paradoxical nature of romantic love Since it was first published, Eros the Bittersweet, Anne Carson's lyrical meditation on love in ancient Greek literature and philosophy, has established itself as a favorite among an unusually broad audience...

Originally published in 1966, Susan Sontag's first collection of essays is a modern classic and includes the famous essays "Notes on Camp" and "Against Interpretation", as well as, her impassioned discussions of Sartre, Camus, Simone Weil, Godard, Beckett, Levi-Strauss, science-fiction movies, psychoanalysis, and contemporary religious thought.

"The Art of Worldly Wisdom" is a timeless guidebook to navigating life's challenges with wisdom and prudence. Composed of 300 concise aphorisms, this work by Spanish Jesuit philosopher Baltasar Gracián offers practical advice on topics ranging from social interaction to personal development.

A wide-ranging philosophical and practical guide to incorporating the wisdom of ancient philosophers into daily modern life. How can I live a good life? Who do I want to become? And how do I get there? These are some of life's biggest questions. But they can be hard to think through. Fortunately...

Have you ever wondered why true happiness seems so difficult to achieve in a world driven by fleeting pleasures? For centuries, humanity has searched for the secret to a fulfilling life. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle offers a powerful answer: happiness is not merely something we feel—it is something we do.

Have you ever wondered why the private thoughts of a Roman Emperor still resonate so deeply today? Meditations reveals the soul of a man striving for self-mastery amidst immense pressure. Written nearly two thousand years ago by Marcus Aurelius, these private writings remain the ultimate manual for cultivating mental toughness and emotional resilience.

To overcome a crisis of melancholy after the death of his father, Montaigne withdrew to his country estates and began to write, and in the highly original essays that resulted he discussed themes such as fathers and children, conscience and cowardice, coaches and cannibals, and, above all, himself.

A Short History of Ethics is a significant contribution written by one of the most important living philosophers. It remains an important work, ideal for all students interested in ethics and morality.

These five very different Socratic Dialogues date from Plato's later period, when he was revisiting his early thoughts and conclusions and showing a willingness for revision. In Timaeus (mainly a monologue read by David Timson in the title role), Plato considers cosmology in terms of the nature and structure of the universe, the ever-changing physical world and the unchanging eternal world. And he proposes a demiurge as a benevolent creator God.

In this excellent English translation of The Analects, or Sayings, of Confucius, listeners will find a rich distillation of the timeless precepts of one of history's most influential teachers and social theorists. A Chinese philosopher who lived c. 551 to c. 479 B.C., Confucius originated and taught an ethical, socially oriented philosophy that stressed proper behavior and a sympathetic, mutually supportive attitude among individuals, their families and society.

Superbly narrated by Mike Fraser, F. J. Sheed’s remarkable translation of this classic spiritual autobiography is finally in audio format, with an introduction by noted historian of late antiquity Peter Brown. Incorporated in this edition are a wealth of notes on literary, philosophical, biblical, historical, and liturgical topics by Michael P. Foley, an Editor’s Preface, and a timeline.

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR What is the nature of things? Must I think my own way through the world? What is justice? How can I be me? How should we treat each other? Before the Greeks, the idea of the world was dominated by god-kings and their priests, in a life ruled by imagined metaphysical...

Here are three important but very different Dialogues from the Middle Period. Symposium, the most well-known in this collection, is concerned with the theme of love. In the house of Agathon, a group of friends - each very different in personality and background - meet to consider and discuss various kinds of love. Each one, Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes (the playwright) and Agathon (a prize-winning tragic poet), presents his particular view in a short discourse.