Early Philosophy

In his introduction to Early Greek Philosophy, John Burnet points out the particular focus of the pre-Socratics on the ‘cosmological’ character of their enquiries. They determined, he explains, to look into the natural world around them. The period can be said to mark the rise of scientific...

This volume begins with a new translation of the Brahma Sutra and then translates or summarizes the philosophical portions of Shankara's commentary on it. Shankara's Brahma-sutra-bhashya is the most important work in Advaita and represents his mature thought on Brahman and Atman. Three essays (along with one on the non-Advaita Brahma Sutra) explain Shankar's philosophy and reasoning.

The Gaudapada-karikas is the earliest extant Advaita Vedanta text. It is only explicitly Advaita text deemed worth saving from before Shankara’s time. Its philosophical doctrines makes it worthy of study in its own right and sets the stage for Shankara’s slightly different Advaita. The text is presented here in a plain English translation with notes, along with a translation of the Mandukya Upanishad, and an extensive summary of Shankara’s own commentary upon it. Also included are an essay on early Vedanta, who the author(s) of this text may be, and the influence of Buddhism on the ...

The most important philosophical works of all time, collected for the first time in a single audiobook. This collection spans the full arc of philosophy from all the greatest thinkers, covering ethics, reason, meaning, faith, and the question of how to live well. Older works have been carefully updated for modern listeners, while preserving their original clarity.

Throughout history, great thinkers have explored life, leadership, and self-mastery. This collection presents their most influential works, updated for today’s listeners. Whether seeking guidance on resilience, strategy, or ethics, these timeless classics remain relevant.

“A witty, learned, authoritative survey of philosophical thought.” —The New York Times Book Review The first authoritative and accessible single-volume history of philosophy to cover both Western and Eastern traditions, from one of the world’s most eminent thinkers The story of...

Porphyry’s Against the Christians was the most hard-hitting, incisive, and lengthy critique of Christianity that the ancient world ever knew. It was so dangerous that three Christian emperors wrote decrees ordering it to be burned. The Christians succeeded in destroying it, but they did not destroy—or seek to destroy—the fragments and traces of the work in Christian authors themselves. Thus testimonies and fragments of Porphyry’s great work survive. This is the material translated and commented upon in this book. Its purpose is to correct the errors and massive gaps of R. J. ...

India has “philosophy” in the Western sense of the term, and it began early. This book deals with the roots of that philosophical thought. Included here are plain English translations (with notes) of selections of the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, and especially the classic Upanishads. Also included are five essays to help understand this philosophical reflections. These essays are on the sources of Indian philosophy, knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics, with a specialized essay on “unknowing” in the Isha Upanishad.

The essays contained in this volume treat of various subjects. With the exception of perhaps one we must consider all these papers as fragments. Written during the early Seventies, and intended mostly as prefaces, they are extremely interesting, since traces of Nietzsche's later tenets - like Slave and Master morality, the Superman - can be found everywhere. But they are also very valuable on account of the young philosopher's daring and able handling of difficult and abstruse subjects.

The Thinkers Before Socrates: How the Pre-Socratics Searched for the First Principles of Reality is a clear and engaging guide to the earliest philosophers who transformed myth into rational inquiry and laid the foundations of Western thought. From Thales and Anaximander to Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Democritus, this book traces the bold ideas that shaped early metaphysics, cosmology, and the search for the ultimate nature of existence. Each chapter offers a detailed and accessible exploration of how these early thinkers questioned the structure of the cosmos, the nature of matter, the ...

Dive into the captivating world of ancient philosophy with "Democritus for Beginners: The Philosopher Who Laughed at the Universe." This book offers a fascinating look at the life and ideas of Democritus, the visionary thinker who first proposed the atomic theory and whose laughter still echoes through the corridors of history. Engage with Democritus' Life Discover the intriguing story of Democritus, a philosopher who dared to challenge the norms of his time. Learn about his adventurous travels, his insatiable quest for knowledge, and the bold theories that set him apart from his ...

Here are the Socratic Dialogues presented as Plato designed them to be - living discussions between friends and protagonists, with the personality of Socrates himself coming alive as he deals with a host of subjects, from justice and inspiration to courage, poetry and the gods. Plato's Socratic...

This volume continues to trace the development of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy in India after its initiator, Nagarjuna. It consists of translations of Sanskrit texts into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Notes and separate Essays dealing with the philosophical content are also included. Presented in this volume are the central philosophical writings of the last two prominent Indian Madhyamikas and two Madhyamaka critiques of the idea of a creator God. Parts of two texts by Chandrakirti are presented: Chapter 6 of Entering the ...

Though Karl Marx is best known for Capital and The Communist Manifesto, his revolutionary thoughts and ideas had developed over decades spent in study, discussion and association with a variety of organisations throughout Europe and the US, intent on challenging the establishment order. These...

A deeply original exploration of the power of spontaneity—an ancient Chinese ideal that cognitive scientists are only now beginning to understand—and why it is so essential to our well-being Why is it always hard to fall asleep the night before an important meeting? Or be charming and...

A Foundational Voice of Early Christian Apologetics—Newly Translated for Modern Readers This volume presents a clear, modern English translation of the principal surviving works attributed to Justin Martyr, one of the most important Christian thinkers of the second century. Modern English translation from the Greek text of Patrologia Graeca vol. 6 Includes both First and Second Apology addressed to Roman authorities Features the full Dialogue with Trypho, a landmark Christian–Jewish debate Includes lesser-known apologetic treatises to Greek audiences Translated for accuracy, clarity, ...

Unlock the timeless wisdom of America’s most versatile Founding Father. Benjamin Franklin was more than a statesman. He was a printer, inventor, philosopher, humorist, scientist, and diplomat — a self-made man whose life became a blueprint for personal and civic success. In a world of constant change, Franklin’s wit, discipline, and bold curiosity remain astonishingly relevant. Lessons from Benjamin Franklin: Wit, Work, and the Art of Self-Made Success distills the practical wisdom of this extraordinary figure into lessons you can apply today. Each chapter blends vivid stories from ...

In 1903, a deaf provincial schoolteacher worked out the equation that would take us to the Moon. In 1920, he wrote a novel about it. Six scientists — a Russian, an Englishman, a Frenchman, a German, an American, and an Italian — have withdrawn from the world to a castle in the Himalayas. There they build a rocket. What follows is the first flight beyond the atmosphere, the first walk in open space, the first garden grown in orbit, and the first footprints on the Moon. Tsiolkovsky set his story in the year 2017. Writing decades before any of it happened, he described the airlock, the ...

"The Buddha did not ask for your belief. He asked for your attention. Everything else follows from what you are willing to see." For over 2,500 years, Buddhism has been wrapped in layers of ritual, culture, philosophy, and religious tradition. But beneath them lies something far simpler—and far more radical. A practical investigation into one question: Why do human beings suffer, even when life seems to be going well? Returning to the Source strips away centuries of interpretation and returns to the earliest teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pāli Canon. Rather than asking you ...

The remarkable range of Plato's Dialogues is vividly demonstrated by these three works. It opens with Phaedrus, a highly personal discussion between Socrates (David Rintoul) and the young, love-struck Phaedrus (Gunnar Cauthery). They go for a walk outside the walls of Athens and, under a plane...