Modern Philosophy

25 Essential Philosophical Concepts Every Thinker Should Know is a clear and engaging guide to the foundational ideas that have shaped human understanding for centuries. From ancient paradoxes to modern thought experiments, this book explores the key concepts that philosophers use to investigate truth, morality, knowledge, and the nature of reality. Each chapter focuses on one essential idea, explaining what it means, why it matters, and how it continues to apply in the world today. Whether you’re puzzling over Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am”, debating Kant’s Categorical ...

An engaging guide to how Stoicism—the ancient philosophy of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius—can help us flourish today. “One of the best explorations of Stoic philosophy that I’ve read.” —Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek Whenever we worry about what to eat, how to love...

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Bob Dylan’s first book of new writing since 2004’s Chronicles: Volume One—and since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. Dylan, who began working on the book in 2010, offers his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music. He writes...

Philosophy is not a dusty archive of forgotten theories—it’s the living pulse behind every question we ask about truth, meaning, and existence. Philosophy: The Key Moments That Shaped Thought invites readers on a journey through the pivotal ideas that have transformed how we see ourselves and the world. From the ancient wonder of Socratic dialogue to the radical shifts of modern existentialism, this beginner’s guide unpacks the breakthroughs, debates, and thinkers who dared to challenge convention and redefine reality. Whether you're new to philosophy or simply seeking clarity in a ...

Looking for a clear, structured, and intellectually rigorous introduction to philosophy? The Complete Guide to Philosophy offers a comprehensive exploration of Western philosophical thought — from the Pre-Socratic thinkers to contemporary movements. This guide presents the major philosophers, essential concepts, and transformative debates that shaped our understanding of reality, knowledge, ethics, politics, and the human condition. Whether you are searching for a philosophy textbook, a beginner-friendly introduction, or a structured overview of Western philosophy, this book provides ...

Understanding and Applying the Major Ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche: A Practical Guide to Nietzschean Philosophy for Modern Life Unlock the transformative power of one of philosophy’s most provocative thinkers with this comprehensive yet accessible guide to Friedrich Nietzsche’s major ideas. Whether you’re new to Nietzsche or seeking a deeper understanding, this book explores his groundbreaking concepts such as the Will to Power, the Übermensch, Eternal Recurrence, and the death of God — all explained in clear, practical terms. Discover how Nietzsche’s philosophy challenges ...

Once solely the province of ivory-tower professors and college classrooms, contemporary philosophy was finally emancipated from its academic closet in 2010, when "The Stone" was launched in The New York Times. First appearing as an online series, the column quickly attracted millions of readers through its accessible examination of universal topics like the nature of science, consciousness, and morality while also probing more contemporary issues such as the morality of drones, gun control, and the gender divide.

Discover for yourself the pleasures of philosophy! Written both for the seasoned student of philosophy as well as the general reader, the renowned writer Roger Scruton provides a survey of modern philosophy. Always engaging, Scruton takes us on a fascinating tour of the subject, from founding...

Camus and Existentialism: What He Agreed With, What He Rejected, and Why It Matters is a clear, engaging, and deeply readable guide to one of the most important philosophical relationships of the twentieth century. Albert Camus is often linked to Jean Paul Sartre and the existentialist movement, yet Camus spent his entire career insisting that he was not an existentialist. This book explains why. Through ten detailed chapters, readers explore Camus’ early life in Algeria, his philosophical formation, the rise of existentialism in Europe, and the dramatic public split between Camus and ...

Embark on a transformative journey through the profound teachings of Stoic philosophy with "The Stoic Path: Finding Meaning, Virtue, and Serenity in Everyday Life." Discover the extraordinary potential within this practical guide. This book offers more than words on a page; it's a gateway to a resilient, wise, and deeply fulfilling life. With actionable strategies, exercises, and real-life examples, it brings a fresh perspective to ancient philosophy, making it relevant and applicable to modern-day challenges. Inside "The Stoic Path," you will: ◆ Unearth Timeless Wisdom: Immerse yourself ...

Earning the eleventh spot on National Review's list of the Best Nonfiction Books of the Century, this fast-paced, all-encompassing narrative history covers the great events, ideas, and personalities of the six decades following the end of World War I, and offers a full-scale—if...

Considered by many to be Hannah Arendt's greatest work, published as she neared the end of her life, The Life of the Mind investigates thought itself, as it exists in contemplative life. In a shift from her previous writings, most of which focus on the world outside the mind, this work was planned as three volumes that would explore the activities of the mind considered by Arendt to be fundamental. What emerged is a rich, challenging analysis of human mental activity, considered in terms of thinking, willing, and judging.    

David Hume (1711-1776) was the most important philosopher ever to write in English as well as a master stylist. This volume contains his major philosophical works. A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–1740), published while Hume was still in his twenties, consists of three books on the understanding, the passions, and morals.

The Shorter Summa (Compendium of Theology) — Thomas Aquinas A New Modern English Translation with Explainers to Clarify Difficult Concepts Thomas Aquinas’s concise handbook of Christian theology—known both as the Compendium of Theology and the Shorter Summa—now rendered in clear, current English. This reader-friendly edition keeps Aquinas’s structure and arguments intact while removing archaic phrasing and adding brief, targeted explainers where readers typically get stuck. Why this edition New modern English translation: faithful to Aquinas, stripped of needless archaic language....

This brilliantly conceived book is based on a lecture course given by Dr. Leonard Peikoff in 1976 entitled, "The Philosophy of Objectivism". The lectures were attended by Ayn Rand, who helped prepare them and who also joined Peikoff in answering questions.

In The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, Jeffrey C. Stewart offers the definitive biography of the father of the Harlem Renaissance, based on the extant primary sources of his life and on interviews with those who knew him personally. He narrates the education of Locke, including his becoming the first African American Rhodes Scholar, earning a PhD in philosophy at Harvard University, and his long career as a professor at Howard University. And yet he became most closely associated with the flowering of Black culture in Jazz Age America.

In The Circle of the Gaze, psychoanalyst and philosopher Deivede Eder Ferreira invites the reader into a profound exploration of how we are shaped, wounded, and mirrored by the eyes of others. Moving between Freudian and Lacanian theory, philosophy, and literary aesthetics, the book examines the gaze not merely as sight, but as a psychic structure—the invisible thread that binds desire, shame, and recognition. Through poetic precision and theoretical depth, Deivede reveals how every look becomes a form of power: to see is to define, to be seen is to exist. From childhood mirrors to social...

The final and most personal work from Pulitzer Prize - winning author and historian Will Durant - discovered 32 years after his death - is a message of insight for everyone who has sought meaning in life or the council of a wise friend in navigating life's journey. From 1968 to 1978, Will Durant made four public allusions to the existence of Fallen Leaves. One, in 1975, hinted at its contents: "a not very serious book that answers the questions of what I think about government, life, death, and God."

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is Friedrich Nietzsche's magnum opus and one of the most enigmatic and powerful texts in Western philosophy. Subtitled A Book for All and None, this philosophical novel chronicles the journey of Zarathustra, a prophet-like figure who descends from his mountain solitude to deliver his transformative teachings to humanity. Blending prose and poetry, myth and aphorism, Nietzsche crafts a compelling narrative that explores profound themes such as the "death of God," the "eternal recurrence," and the emergence of the Übermensch, or "Overman." Far from a traditional ...

In this classic work, Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery. While the individual chapters are wide-ranging, once pieced together, they comprise a penetrating and focused argument about the price of modernity.