• Analects, The

    Confucius, The Analects: In China today, one may find statues of Confucius or Kongzi (551-479 B.C.E) depicting him as the ‘model teacher for 10,000 … Analects, The Read More »

  • Apology of Socrates

    Plato, Apology of Socrates: Socrates subjected his fellow Athenians to prolonged interrogation, bringing home to them how little they knew about what really matters, … Apology of Socrates Read More »

  • Ash Wednesday Supper, The

    Giordano Bruno, The Ash Wednesday Supper: Bruno’s dialogue defends the new Copernican astronomy, but also presents our world as a mere speck in an … Ash Wednesday Supper, The Read More »

  • Bhagavad Gita

    Bhagavad Gita: The Bhagavad Gita begins with a moral dilemma: should Arjuna the great warrior, fight a fratricidal war and kill members of his extended … Bhagavad Gita Read More »

  • Blue Book, The

    Ludwig Wittgenstein, The Blue Book: This small volume conveys a vibrant sense of the life of philosophy. With intellectual honesty reminiscent of Augustine’s Confessions, we … Blue Book, The Read More »

  • Consolation of Philosophy, The

    Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy: In 523 CE Boethius lived his final year in detention under suspicion of plotting against Ostrogothic King Theodoric, conqueror … Consolation of Philosophy, The Read More »

  • Death and the Afterlife

    Samuel Scheffler, Death and the Afterlife: If you discovered the human race were going to be annihilated soon after you died, how would you … Death and the Afterlife Read More »

  • Émile

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Émile: Despite misanthropic tendencies and profound failure as a father, Rousseau deigns to offer advice on educating a child disconnected from peers … Émile Read More »

  • Enemies of Hope

    Raymond Tallis, Enemies of Hope: A Critique of Contemporary Pessimism: A long book you won’t want to end, which is sometimes funny, often passionate, … Enemies of Hope Read More »

  • Epistemic Injustice

    Miranda Fricker, Epistemic Injustice: One thing we’ve learned from this pandemic: those in power often ignore those in the know. Historically marginalized people will … Epistemic Injustice Read More »

  • Ethics of Ambiguity, The

    Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity: De Beauvoir explores the implications of a central political tension: as existential agents, we each freely set … Ethics of Ambiguity, The Read More »

  • From Darwin to Derrida

    David Haig, From Darwin to Derrida: From Darwin to Derrida (2020) is a roller-coaster ride for intrepid thinkers. Dawkins (1976) introduced the endlessly productive … From Darwin to Derrida Read More »

  • Gender Trouble

    Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: In this landmark of third-wave feminism, Judith Butler advances a novel conception of gender identity. Against the prevailing tradition that … Gender Trouble Read More »

  • Human Condition, The

    Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition: The human condition, for Arendt, is defined not by the universality of death but the uniqueness of each birth, … Human Condition, The Read More »

  • Idea of Africa, The

    V. Y. Mudimbe, The Idea of Africa: The Idea of Africa traces notions of Africanity within a variety of historical archives and using a … Idea of Africa, The Read More »

  • Inward Morning, The

    Henry Bugbee, The Inward Morning: A philosophical journal that presents the task of thinking above all as giving expression to what presents itself to … Inward Morning, The Read More »

  • Letters and Maxims of Epicurus

    Epicurus, Letters and Maxims: The ancient world’s self-proclaimed autodidact, Epicurus was revered by his followers and reviled by his critics. He founded a community … Letters and Maxims of Epicurus Read More »

  • Manual, The (Enchiridion)

    Epictetus, The Manual (Enchiridion): ‘What is the path to happiness?’ This is surely the most important philosophical question, and no one has answered it … Manual, The (Enchiridion) Read More »

  • Mencius, The

    Mencius, The Mencius: Dr. Anthony Fauci’s face palm behind a president railing against the ‘Deep State Department’ illustrates an age-old problem: what to do … Mencius, The Read More »

  • Objectivity and Diversity

    Sandra Harding, Objectivity and Diversity: Can anything intelligible come from the whirlwind of pandemic evidence and punditry currently bombarding us? Yes, answers Harding, who … Objectivity and Diversity Read More »

  • On the Nature of Things

    Lucretius, On the Nature of Things: This great Latin poem, a guided tour of the infinite, reveals a universe of atoms and void, gloriously … On the Nature of Things Read More »

  • Origin of Species, The

    Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859), in which he argues for the evolution of organisms by virtue of … Origin of Species, The Read More »

  • Outlines of Pyrrhonism

    Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism: Plato defined philosophy as the love of wisdom. Philosophers ever since have quested for the Truth. Sextus Empiricus suggests … Outlines of Pyrrhonism Read More »

  • Paradox of Cruelty, The

    Philip P. Hallie, The Paradox of Cruelty: Understood as ‘the infliction of ruin, whatever the motives,’ cruelty upon humans subdivides into fatal cruelties, which … Paradox of Cruelty, The Read More »

  • Pensées

    Blaise Pascal, Pensés: The Pensés are an enduring testament to the powers and limitations of human expression. Pascal wrote about our self-love, the grandeur … Pensées Read More »

  • Permanent Crisis

    Reitter, Paul & Chad Wellmon, Permanent Crisis: This work argues that the narrative that the humanities are in crisis is not new. This complaint … Permanent Crisis Read More »

  • Phaedo

    Plato, The Phaedo: Plato’s Phaedo is about the meaning of life and death. Socrates is about to be executed and his friends challenge his … Phaedo Read More »

  • Sickness Unto Death

    Søren Kierkegaard, Sickness Unto Death: ‘Sickness unto Death’ isn’t an encouraging title in pandemic times, but Kierkegaard claims that the only thing we need … Sickness Unto Death Read More »

  • Symposium

    Plato, Symposium: This is one of Plato’s literary masterpieces, along with the Republic. It contains several speeches on the nature of love given by … Symposium Read More »

  • Thinking to Some Purpose

    L. S. Stebbing, Thinking to Some Purpose: Susan Stebbing (1885-1943) is a significant but often overlooked figure in twentieth-century philosophy. In 1939, just under … Thinking to Some Purpose Read More »

  • Tragic Sense of Life

    Miguel de Unamuno, Tragic Sense of Life: We humans are creatures of thought, but also of ‘flesh and bone.’ That reason and feeling are … Tragic Sense of Life Read More »

  • Upanishads

    Upanishads: A repository of some of humanity’s earliest philosophical explorations – including an appearance by the first documented female philosopher, Gargi. Through dialogues, stories, … Upanishads Read More »

  • Visible Identities

    Linda Martín Alcoff, Visible Identities: Race, Gender and the Self: The book takes heed of Western philosophy’s ocularcentrism and argues that race and gender … Visible Identities Read More »

  • Word Child, A

    Iris Murdoch, A Word Child: A Word Child is first and foremost a work of fiction, and a very finely crafted one at that. … Word Child, A Read More »

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