BookOdyssey

The literary career of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) spanned less than twenty years, but no area of intellectual inquiry was left untouched by his iconoclastic genius. The philosopher who announced the death of God in The Gay Science (1882) and went on to challenge the Christian code of morality in Beyond Good and Evil (1886), grappled with the fundamental issues of the human condition in his own intense autobiography, Ecce Homo (1888). Most notorious of all, perhaps, his idea of the triumphantly transgressive übermann (\'superman\') is developed in the extreme, yet poetic words of Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-92). Whether addressing conventional Western philosophy or breaking new ground, Nietzsche vastly extended the boundaries of nineteenth-century thought. Σελίδες: 288, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Kierkegaard\'s infamous and hugely influential philosophical work on faith, choice and sacrificeIn Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard, writing under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, expounds his personal view of religion through the scene in Genesis in which Abraham prepares to kill his son at God\'s command. Kierkegaard believed Abraham\'s unreserved obedience to be the essential leap of faith needed to make a full commitment to his religion. The conviction shown in this polemic - that an individual can have an exceptional mission in life - informed all his later writings, and was also hugely influential for both Protestant theology and the existentialist movement.Translated with an Introduction by Alastair Hannay Σελίδες: 176, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL?That is the question at the heart of existentialism and it informs this book\'s exploration of the existentialist tradition in 19th and 20th century philosophy.Existentialism: All That Matters considers each of the key figures - Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus and de Beauvoir - who all offer related, though distinct, conceptions of the task of becoming an individual.David Cerbone\'s book gives a fascinating introduction to existentialism and what matters most about it. ABOUT THE SERIESAll That Matters books are written by the world\'s leading experts to introduce the most exciting and relevant topics in an accessible, readable way. From Bioethics to Future Cities and Philosophy to Terrorism, the All That Matters series covers controversial and engaging subjects from science, philosophy, history, religion and politics. The authors are world-class academics or leading public intellectuals, on a mission to bring the most interesting and challenging areas of their subject to new readers. Σελίδες: 160, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0825, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Discover this profound account of Huxley\'s famous experimentation with mescalin that has influenced writers and artists for decades. ‘Concise, evocative, wise and, above all, humane, The Doors of Perception is a masterpiece’ Sunday TimesIn 1953, in the presence of an investigator, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gram of mescalin, sat down and waited to see what would happen. When he opened his eyes everything, from the flowers in a vase to the creases in his trousers, was transformed. Huxley described his experience with breathtaking immediacy in The Doors of Perception. In its sequel Heaven and Hell, he goes on to explore the history and nature of mysticism. Still bristling with a sense of excitement and discovery, these illuminating and influential writings remain the most fascinating account of the visionary experience ever written. WITH A FOREWORD J.G. BALLARD Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Chantal Mouffe is one of the most influential political theorists at work today. Her work has influenced political parties across Europe and continues to inform the direction of left politics. In this work, Mouffe argues that liberal democracy misunderstands the problems of ethnic, religious and nationalist conflicts because of its inadequate conception of politics. Σελίδες: 176, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0602, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Our current culture is dominated by the ideology of creativity. One is supposed to create the new and not to care about the things as they are. This ideology legitimises the domination of the \"creative class\" over the rest of the population that is predominantly occupied by forms of care - medical care, child care, agriculture, industrial maintenance and so on. We have a responsibility to care for our own bodies, but here again our culture tends to thematize the bodies of desire and to ignore the bodies of care - ill bodies in need of self-care and social care. But the discussion of care has a long philosophical tradition. The book retraces some episodes of this tradition - beginning with Plato and ending with Alexander Bogdanov through Hegel, Heidegger, Bataille and many others. The central question discussed is: who should be the subject of care? Should I care for myself or trust the others, the system, the institutions? Here, the concept of the self-care becomes a revolutionary principle that confronts the individual with the dominating mechanisms of control. Σελίδες: 112, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0503, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

In this revealing and entertaining guide to how the Romans confronted their own mortality, Peter Jones shows us that all the problems associated with old age and death that so transfix us today were already dealt with by our ancient ancestors two thousand years ago.Romans inhabited a world where man, knowing nothing about hygiene let alone disease, had no defences against nature. Death was everywhere. Half of all Roman children were dead by the age of five. Only eight per cent of the population made it over sixty. One bizarre result was that half the population consisted of teenagers. From the elites\' philosophical take on the brevity of life to the epitaphs left by butchers, bakers and buffoons, Memento Mori (\'Remember you die\') shows how the Romans faced up to this world and attempted to take the sting out of death. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller It’s time we get back to common sense. It’s time to cancel the cancel culture. It’s time to Wake Up. If, like me, you’re sick and tired of being told how to think, speak, eat and behave, then this book is for you. If, like me, you think the world’s going absolutely nuts, then this book is for you. If, like me, you think NHS heroes and Captain Tom are the real stars of our society, not self-obsessed tone-deaf celebrities (and royal renegades!), then this book is for you. If, like me, you’re sickened by the cancel culture bullies destroying people’s careers and lives, then this book is for you. From feminism to masculinity, racism to gender, body image to veganism, mental health to competitiveness at school, the right to free speech and expressing an honestly held opinion is being crushed at the altar of ‘woke’ political correctness. In 2020, the world faced its biggest crisis in a generation: a global pandemic. In the UK, it exposed deep divisions within society and laid bare a toxic culture war that had been raging beneath the surface. From the outset, Piers Morgan urged the nation to come to its senses, once and for all, and held the Government to often ferocious account over its handling of the crisis. COVID-19 shed shocking light on the problems that plague our country. Stockpilers and lockdown-cheats revealed our grotesque levels of self-interest and the virtue-signalling woke brigade continued their furious assault on free speech, shutting down debate on important issues like gender, racism and feminism. Yet just as coronavirus exposed our flaws, it also showcased our strengths. We saw selfless bravery in the heroic efforts of our healthcare staff. A greater appreciation of migrant workers. A return of local community spirit. And inspiring, noble acts from members of the public such as Captain Sir Tom Moore. Wake Up is Piers’ rallying cry for a united future in which we reconsider what really matters in life. It is a plea for the return of true liberalism, where freedom of speech is king. Most of all, it is a powerful account of how the world finally started to wake up, and why it mustn’t go back to sleep again. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Why Can’t We All Just Get Along is part-memoir, part-polemic about the state of public discourse in Britain and the world today. In an increasingly divided society, Iain examines why we’ve all become so disrespectful and intolerant. Using experiences from his career in politics and the media, he says it doesn’t have to be this way, and suggests how we can all emerge from tribalism and division and become more respectful to each other and those who govern us. It is a book that is optimistic about the fundamental decencies embedded in human nature and uses deeply personal anecdotes to explain why we can look forward in a positive way to a better life both in personal and material terms. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

An essential read for anyone who has encountered a crisis of confidence. Where does self-confidence come from? How does it work? Why are some people more confident than others? On the surface, these seem like simple questions – but answers can feel hard to come by when we need them most. In this bestselling book, Charles Pépin brings to light the strange alchemy that is self-confidence. Pépin examines the role confidence plays in the lives of our most respected public figures including the likes of Madonna, Mozart, Frieda Kahlo, Martin Luther King and Serena Williams, and argues that above all, to live a life of confidence is to live a life of action. Drawing on the collective wisdom of philosophers, psychologists and the lives of people we encounter on a daily basis, Pépin invites us to probe the mystery and mastery of self-confidence. Σελίδες: 144, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The exhilarating, life-affirming call to spiritual arms from world-renowned spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff\'Gurdjieff\'s voice is heard as a call.He calls because he suffers from the inner chaos in which we live.He calls to us to open our eyes.He asks us why we are here, what we wish for, what forces we obey. He asks us, above all, if we understand what we are . . .\'Part adventure narrative, part travelogue, part spiritual guide, Meetings with Remarkable Men is suffused with Gurdjieff\'s unique perspective on life. With vivacity and charm, he organizes his account around portraits of the remarkable men and women who accompanied him through remote parts of the Near East and Central Asia, and who aided his search for hidden knowledge. Among them are Gurdjieff\'s own father (a traditional bard), a Russian prince dedicated to the search for Truth, a Christian missionary who entered a World Brotherhood deep in Asia, and a woman who escaped slavery to become a trusted member of Gurdjieff\'s group of fellow seekers.Meetings with Remarkable Men conveys a haunting sense of what it means to live fully - with conscience, with purpose and with heart. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'It is philosophy that has the duty of protecting us ... without it no one can lead a life free of fear or worry\'For several years of his turbulent life, in which he was dogged by ill health, exile and danger, Seneca was the guiding hand of the Roman Empire. This selection of Seneca\'s letters shows him upholding the ideals of Stoicism - the wisdom of the self-possessed person immune to life\'s setbacks - while valuing friendship and courage, and criticizing the harsh treatment of slaves and the cruelties in the gladiatorial arena. The humanity and wit revealed in Seneca\'s interpretation of Stoicism is a moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.Selected and translated with an Introduction by Robin Campbell Σελίδες: 256, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

A unique collection of advice for life, Baltasar Gracián\'s The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence is a philosophical gem, and perhaps the first \'self-help\' book ever written. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from the Spanish with an introduction by Jeremy Robbins.Written over 350 years ago, The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence is a subtle collection of 300 witty and thought-provoking aphorisms. From the art of being lucky to the healthy use of caution, these elegant maxims were created as a guide to life, with further suggestions given on cultivating good taste, knowing how to refuse, the foolishness of complaining and the wisdom of controlling one\'s passions. Baltasar Gracian intended these ingenious, pragmatic aphorisms to challenge the mind, and recognised that few would be capable of applying them. In Jeremy Robbins\'s introduction to his penetrating new translation, he examines Gracian\'s place in Spanish literature and his previous works. Robbins also looks at the themes, contexts and contradictions of The Pocket Oracle, as well as the brevity and subtlety of Gracian\'s cool-headed aphorisms. This edition also contains a chronology, suggested further reading and notes.Baltasar Gracián (1601-1658) was born in Belmonte, Aragon and entered the Society of Jesus in 1619. Teaching in Jesuit colleges across the Kingdom of Aragon, he was also at one time confessor to the viceroy of Aragon and chaplain to the Spanish army. But it is as one of the great Spanish stylists and moralists that he is best known. He wrote a series of short moral tracts marked by their elliptical, epigrammatic style, as well as a three volume allegorical novel, The Critic (1651-57). Published in 1647, The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence influenced the vogue for the form in France, and was quickly translated into the major European languages. If you enjoyed The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence, you might like La Rochefoucauld\'s Maxims, also available in Penguin Classics. Σελίδες: 176, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Written after Nietzsche had ended his friendship with Richard Wagner and had been forced to leave academic life through ill health, Human, All Too Human (1878) can be read as a monument to his personal crisis. It also marks the point when he matured as a philosopher, rejecting the German romanticism espoused by Wagner and Schopenhauer and instead returning to sources in the French Enlightenment. Here he sets out his unsettling views in a series of 638 stunning aphorisms - assessing subjects ranging from art to arrogance, boredom to passion, science to vanity and women to youth. This work also contains the seeds of concepts crucial to Nietzsche\'s later philosophy, such as the will to power and the need to transcend conventional Christian morality. The result is one of the cornerstones of his life\'s work. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

\'The most esteemed philosopher to have produced a general introduction to his discipline since Bertrand Russell\' Independent In these essays, one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century writes about communism and socialism, the problem of evil, Erasmus and the reform of the Church, reason and truth, and whether God is happy. Accessible and absorbing, the essays in Is God Happy? deal with some of the eternal problems of philosophy and the most vital questions of our age. Leszek Kolakowski has also written on religion, Spinoza, Bergson, Pascal and seventeenth-century thought. He left communist Poland after his expulsion from Warsaw University for anti-communist activities. From 1970 he was a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford.\'His distinctive mix of irony and moral seriousness, religious sensibility and epistemological scepticism, social engagement and political doubt was truly rare ... a true Central European intellectual-perhaps the last\' Tony Judt, The New York Times Review of Books Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

Euthyphro/Apology/Crito/Phaedo\'Nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death\'The trial and condemnation of Socrates on charges of heresy and corrupting young minds is a defining moment in the history of classical Athens. In tracing these events through four dialogues, Plato also developed his own philosophy of a life guided by self-responsibility. Euthyphro finds Socrates outside the court-house, debating the nature of piety, while the Apology is his robust rebuttal of the charges against him. In the Crito, awaiting execution in prison, Socrates counters the arguments of friends urging him to escape. Finally, in the Phaedo, he is shown calmly confident in the face of death.Translated by HUGH TREDENNICK and HAROLD TARRANT with an Introduction and notes by HAROLD TARRANT Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

One of the most remarkable philosophical works of the nineteenth century, The Sickness Unto Death is also famed for the depth and acuity of its modern psychological insights. Writing under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard explores the concept of \'despair\', alerting readers to the diversity of ways in which they may be described as living in this state of bleak abandonment - including some that may seem just the opposite - and offering a much-discussed formula for the eradication of despair. With its penetrating account of the self, this late work by Kierkegaard was hugely influential upon twentieth-century philosophers including Karl Jaspers, Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. The Sickness unto Death can be regarded as one of the key works of theistic existentialist thought - a brilliant and revelatory answer to one man\'s struggle to fill the spiritual void. Σελίδες: 208, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

To wonder too openly or intensely about the meaning of life can seem a peculiar, ill-fated and faintly ridiculous pastime. It can seem like a topic on which ordinary mortals cannot make much progress. In truth, it is for all of us to wonder about, define and work towards a more meaningful existence. This book considers a range of options for where the meaning of life can be found, including love, family, friendship, work, self-knowledge and nature. We learn why certain things feel meaningful while others do not, and consider how we might introduce more meaning into our activities. What follows is a hugely thought-provoking and practical guide to one of the greatest questions we will ever face. Σελίδες: 128, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0826, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Kant is arguably the most influential modern philosopher, but also one of the most difficult. Roger Scruton tackles his exceptionally complex subject with a strong hand, exploring the background to Kant\'s work and showing why the Critique of Pure Reason has proved so enduring. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Έτος Έκδοσης: 2001, Διαστάσεις: 17.3x17.3cm

A definitive treasury of philosophers from around the world, from ancient times to the modern day. A must-read for anyone wanting answers to the most important questions, from those that have dared to ask them. This essential introduction to world philosophy contains the most noted quotations from 100 of the greatest philosophers in our history. Along with their most famous thoughts, the accompanying text puts each philosopher into the context of their place and time and provides the reader with fascinating but highly accessible insight into the meaning and interpretations of each one. From Lao Tzu in sixth-century BCE China to Plato in Classical Greece, and from Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the eighteenth century to Noam Chomsky in the twenty-first, the breadth of philosophical thought gives the reader unique insights into different attitudes and cultures around the world – along with the issues that unite and divide us. This timely book is an introduction to world thought and intellectual debate through the eyes and minds of those who, by their very nature, ask the most important questions and can fuel change and progress. Σελίδες: 192, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

The perfect gift for the smart thinker in your life.For several years Ian Olasov has set up \'Ask-a-Philosopher\' booths around New York City, answering questions from passersby. Now in this book he offers answers to the real-life questions on people\'s minds.From the philosophical to the frivolous, questions include:- Are people innately good or bad?- Is it okay to have a pet fish?- Is it okay to have kids?- Is colour subjective?- If humans colonise Mars, who will own the land?- Is ketchup a smoothie?- Is there life after death?- Should I give money to homeless people?Every question is approached from a philosophical standpoint, but the answer is made fun and accessible for everyone. One of the many joys of this book is that you see how philosophy can be both perfectly continuous with everyday life and also utterly transporting. Σελίδες: 208, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0112, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

A bold exploration of the life and work of one of the world’s most influential – and controversial – thinkers, which brings Arendt’s ideas into urgent dialogue with our troubled present. ‘A rare gem’ SHAMI CHAKRABARTI\'An absorbing new biography... Admirable\' ECONOMIST\'Invigorating and insightful\' FINANCIAL TIMES‘Exhilarating, brilliant and utterly original’ PHILIPPE SANDSHannah Arendt wrote about power and terror, exile and love, and above all about freedom. In place of the forces of darkness and tyranny, she pitched a politics of plurality, spontaneity and defiance. Loving the world, Arendt taught, meant finding the courage to protect it.Written with passion and authority, We Are Free to Change the World calls on each of us to think our way, as Arendt did – unflinchingly, lovingly, and defiantly – through our own unpredictable times. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

The must-read new book on the art and science of leadership, from former Prime Minister and Labour leader, Tony Blair\'Engaging, insightful, provocative\' Observer\'A fascinating treatise on leadership . . . I am glad Blair has written it. It will fascinate anyone interested in the art of governing, even in the abstract\' Nicola Sturgeon, Guardian\'Filled with ideas and insight for every reader\' i__________________________________Tony Blair learnt the precepts of governing the hard way: by leading a country for over ten years. In that time he came to understand that there are certain key characteristics of successful government that he wished he had known about when he started.Now he has written the manual on political leadership that he would have wanted when he first took office in 1997, sharing the insights he has gained from his personal experience and from observing other world leaders at first hand, both while he was prime minister and since, through his Institute’s work with political leaders and governments globally.Written in short, pithy chapters, packed with examples drawn from all forms of political systems from around the world, the book answers the key questions: How should a leader organise the centre of government and their office? How should they prioritise and develop the right plan and hire the right personnel, cope with unforeseen events and crises, and balance short-term wins with longterm structural change? What’s the best way to deal with an obstructive or inert bureaucracy, to attract investment, to reform healthcare or education, and to ensure security for the citizen? And how should governments harness the massive opportunities of the 21st-century technological revolution?This is a masterclass on leadership in general, and political leadership in particular, from a master statesman.A brilliant, unusual book . . . What this book captures about Blair is not just his mastery of the political arts, but his infectious optimism about politics itself. The book is informed, intelligent and interesting — but it is more than that. It is the most practically useful guide to politics I have ever read . . . It’s the lifetime learnings of a once leader for current and future leaders. - George Osborne, Financial Times‘[Blair’s] institute has given him a perspective no other leading British politician can rival . . . The result is a profoundly non-insular analysis . . . full of practical advice . . . Useful and timely . . . [Blair] is a deeply thoughtful, highly experienced and self-critical man who deserves to be taken seriously by anyone interested in how democratic power is effectively wielded.’ - Andrew Marr, The New Statesman Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

‘Glorious’ Guardian \'Vigorous, rigorous and eminently readable’ SPECTATOR In his soaring new book, Niall Kishtainy draws us into the imaginative worlds of Thomas More, the Diggers, William Morris and Extinction Rebellion protestors. He introduces us to thinkers like Thomas Spence who threw coins stamped with the words ‘YOU FOOLS’ into the alleys of Holborn. To Ada Salter who was the first woman borough councillor in London and ignited the Bermondsey Revolution. To ninety-two-year-old Dolly Watson who became the queen of Claremont Road in Leytonstone during the Reclaim the Streets protests in the 1990s. These are inspiring tales of people who drew might from the city around them and fought for their ideologies in an increasingly transforming world. Beginning in the sixteenth century and stretching from the contemporary transformation of the East End docklands to the COVID lockdowns, The Infinite City shows how London’s spirit has been one of visionary imagination amid relentless change and innovation. Σελίδες: 368, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'. . . the more honourable animals have been allotted a more honourable soul. . . \' What is the nature of the soul? It is this question that Aristotle sought to answer in De Anima (On the Soul). In doing so he offers a psychological theory that encompasses not only human beings but all living beings. Its basic thesis, that the soul is the form of an organic body, sets it in sharp contrast with both Pre-Socratic physicalism and Platonic dualism. On the Soul contains Aristotle\'s definition of the soul, and his explanations of nutrition, perception, cognition, and animal self-motion. The general theory in De Anima is augmented in the shorter works of Parva Naturalia, which deal with perception, memory and recollection, sleep and dreams, longevity, life-cycles, and psycho-physiology. This new translation brings together all of Aristotle\'s extant and complementary psychological works, and adds as a supplement ancient testimony concerning his lost writings dealing with the soul. The introduction by Fred D. Miller, Jr. explains the central place of the soul in Aristotle\'s natural science, the unifying themes of his psychological theory, and his continuing relevance for modern philosophy and psychology. Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'Baggini offers us a tempting smorgasbord of some of the most baffling, weird and occasionally downright creepy scenarios ever envisaged... enjoy these mind-boggling tales from the outer limit of thought\' Guardian Is it right to eat a pig that wants to be eaten? Are you really reading this book cover, or are you in a simulation? If God is all-powerful, could he create a square circle? Here are 100 of the most intriguing thought experiments from the history of philosophy and ideas - questions to leave you inspired, informed and scratching your head, dumbfounded. A collection of short, accessible philosophical quandaries to stimulate, challenge and entertain. \'This book is like the Sudoku of moral philosophy: apply your mind to any of its \"thought experiments\" while stuck on the Tube, and quickly be transported out of rush-hour hell\' New Statesman Σελίδες: 352, Διαστάσεις: 12.8x12.8cm

AN ORIGIN STORY BOOK\'Provides clarity, scholarship, wit and essential insight into why our world is the way it is\' Adam Rutherford\'I wish I could make Ian and Dorian\'s work mandatory\' Sathnam SangheraA coherent political philosophy or a vacuous cop-out? A pragmatic middle way between the extremes of left and right or a cynical strategy to secure power and neuter debate?Politicians have long invoked centrism as both a term of abuse (Margaret Thatcher) and a badge of pride (Tony Blair). Figures as important as John Maynard Keynes, Roy Jenkins, Bill Clinton and Emmanuel Macron have all had different ideas about how to make sure the centre holds. But for a term that purports to describe consensus, it\'s ironic just how little agreement there is over what \'centrism\' actually means.In Centrism: The Story of an Idea, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey trace the evolution of centrism from ancient Greece to the French Revolution, the Second World War to the 2024 elections. They find a story that is much bigger than the sum of its parts - and that raises some uncomfortable questions about tribalism and compromise. Σελίδες: 192, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0121, Διαστάσεις: 12.6x12.6cm

‘Britain’s best philosopher – he knocks it out of the park with a book that details the unravelling of the Western order’ Telegraph, Books of the YearEver since its publication in 1651, Thomas Hobbes\' Leviathan has unsettled and challenged how we understand the world. Condemned and vilified by each new generation, Hobbes\' cold political vision continues to see through any number of political and ethical vanities.In his wonderfully stimulating book The New Leviathans, John Gray allows us to understand the world of the 2020s with all its contradictions, moral horrors and disappointments through a new reading of Hobbes\' classic work. The collapse of the USSR ushered in an era of near-apoplectic triumphalism in the West: a genuine belief that a rational, liberal, well-managed future now awaited humankind and that tyranny, nationalism and unreason lay in the past. Since then, so many terrible events have occurred and so many poisonous ideas flourished, and yet still our liberal certainties treat them as aberrations which will somehow dissolve away. Hobbes would not be so confident.Filled with fascinating and challenging perceptions, The New Leviathans is a powerful meditation on historical and current folly. As a species we always seem to be struggling to face the reality of base and delusive human instincts. Might a more self-aware, realistic and disabused ethics help us all? Σελίδες: 192, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Provocative and enlightening, Richard Sennett\'s The Craftsman is an exploration of craftsmanship - the desire to do a job well for its own sake - as a template for living. Most of us have to work. But is work just a means to an end? In trying to make a living, have we lost touch with the idea of making things well? Pure competition, Sennett shows, will never produce good work. Instead, the values of the craftsman, whether in a Stradivari violin workshop or a modern laboratory, can enrich our lives and change the way we anchor ourselves in the world around us. The past lives of crafts and craftsmen show us ways of working - using tools, acquiring skills, thinking about materials - which provide rewarding alternative ways for people to utilise their talents. We need to recognize this if motivations are to be understood and lives made as fulfilling as possible. \'Lively, engaging and pertinent ... a lifetime\'s learning has gone into the writing of this book\'   Roger Scruton, Sunday Times \'An enchanting writer with important things to say\'   Fiona MacCarthy, Guardian \'Enthralling ... Sennett is keen to reconnect thinking with making, to revive the simple pleasure in the everyday object and the useful task. There is something here for all of us\'   Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times \'A masterpiece\'   Boyd Tonkin, Independent Richard Sennett\'s previous books include The Fall of Public Man, The Corrosion of Character, Flesh and Stone and Respect. He was founder director of the New York Institute for the Humanities, and is now University Professor at New York University and Academic Governor and Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics. Σελίδες: 336, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

This important book is about truth, and the enemies of truth, and the wars that are fought between them. As Simon Blackburn says in his introduction, \"the ground is complicated, strewn with abandoned fortresses and trenches, fought over by shifting alliances\". Truth is an essential sure-footed guide through the territory, from classical to modern times. It looks at relativism and absolutism, toleration and belief, objectivity and knowledge, science and pseudo-science, and the moral and political implications, as well as the nuances, of all these. Σελίδες: 272, Διαστάσεις: 13x13cm

\'A PROBING EXPLORATION OF THE CREATIVE AND IMAGINATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF INACTIVITY\' FINANCIAL TIMES \'To do nothing at all is the most difficult thing in the world.\' Oscar Wilde More than ever before, we live in a culture that excoriates inactivity and demonizes idleness. Work, connectivity and a constant flow of information are the cultural norms, and a permanent busyness pervades even our quietest moments. Little wonder so many of us are burning out. In a culture that tacitly coerces us into blind activity, the art of doing nothing is disappearing. Inactivity can induce lethargy and indifference, but is also a condition of imaginative freedom and creativity. Psychoanalyst Josh Cohen explores the paradoxical pleasures of inactivity, and considers four faces of inertia - the burnout, the slob, the daydreamer and the slacker. Drawing on his personal experiences and on stories from his consulting room, while punctuating his discussions with portraits of figures associated with the different forms of inactivity - Andy Warhol, Orson Welles, Emily Dickinson and David Foster Wallace - Cohen gets to the heart of the apathy so many of us feel when faced with the demands of contemporary life, and asks how we might live a different and more fulfilled existence. Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Billions of dollars were hastily poured into the global banking system in a frantic attempt at financial stabilisation. So why has it not been possible to bring the same forces to bear in addressing world poverty and environmental crisis? In this take-no-prisoners analysis, Slavoj Zizek frames the moral failures of the modern world in terms of the epoch-making events of the first decade of this century. What he finds is the old one-two punch of history: the jab of tragedy, the right hook of farce. In the attacks of 9/11 and the global credit crunch, liberalism dies twice: as a political doctrine and as an economic theory. The election of Donald Trump only confirms the bankruptcy of a liberal order on its last legs. First as Tragedy, Then as Farce is a call for the left to reinvent itself in the light of our desperate historical situation. The time for liberal, moralistic blackmail is over. Σελίδες: 176, Έτος Έκδοσης: 0901, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

\'many men compete in digging and kicking but no one at all in the pursuit of human excellence.\' Diogenes the Cynic is best remembered today for having lived in a storage-jar, and walking the streets with a lamp in daylight, looking for an honest man. Such stories formed part of a rich tradition of sayings and anecdotes; his biting wit and eccentric behaviour were legendary, and it was by means of these oft-repeated and embellished aphorisms that his moral teachings were transmitted. He scorned the conventions of civilized life, and his ascetic lifestyle and caustic opinions gave expression to the Cynic philosophy that in turn influenced Stoicism. This unique edition also covers Diogenes\' immediate successors, such as Crates, his wife Hipparchia, and the witty moral preacher Bion. The contrasting teachings of the Cyrenaic school, founded by Aristippos, a pleasure-loving friend of Socrates, complete the volume, together with a selection of apocryphal letters. An ideal compendium of Socratic moral philosophy, this entertaining volume opens a window on to some surprisingly modern attitudes. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World\'s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford\'s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Σελίδες: 320, Διαστάσεις: 12.7x12.7cm

\'An erudite and charming book . . . both a primer and a paean to one of the central texts of Buddhism, known as the Heart Sutra. . . Alex Kerr delves into the Japanese soul\' Literary ReviewThe material world is itself emptiness.Emptiness is itself the material world.Powerful, mystical and concise, the Heart Sutra is believed to contain the condensed essence of all Buddhist wisdom. This brief poem on emptiness has exerted immense influence throughout Asia since the seventh century and is woven into the fabric of daily life. Yet even though it rivals the teachings of Laozi and Confucius in importance, this ancient Buddhist scripture remains barely known in the West. During the many years he has spent living in Japan, Alex Kerr has been on a quest after the secrets of the Heart Sutra. Travelling from Japan, Korea, and China, to India, Mongolia, Tibet and Vietnam, this book brings together Buddhist teaching, talks with friends and mentors, and acute cultural insights to probe the universe of thought contained within this short but intense philosophical work.\'Marvellous ... a life\'s work ... a brilliant literary form, weaving reflections of the sutra with those on Alex\'s own magical mystery tour\' Alexandra Munroe, Asian Art scholar and curator Σελίδες: 304, Διαστάσεις: 12.9x12.9cm

Michel Foucault was a twentieth-century philosopher of extraordinary talent, a political activist, social theorist, cultural critic and creative historian. He shaped the ways we think today about such controversial issues as power, sexuality, madness and criminality. Johanna Oksala explores the conceptual tools that Foucault gave us for constructing new forms of thinking as well as for smashing old certainties. She offers a lucid account of him as a thinker whose persistent aim was to challenge the self-evidence and seeming inevitability of our current experiences, practices and institutions by showing their historical development and, therefore, contingency. Extracts are taken from the whole range of Foucault\'s writings - his books, essays, lectures and interviews - including the major works History of Madness,The Order of Things, Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality. Σελίδες: 112, Έτος Έκδοσης: 1001, Διαστάσεις: 13.1x13.1cm

From the introduction of Greek Philosophy into the Muslim world in the eighth century, right through to modern times, Majid Fakhry charts the evolution and interaction of philosophy, theology, and mysticism in the Islamic context. Highlighting key individuals, movements, concepts and writings, Fakhry also explores the conflicts and controversies between anti- and pro-philosophical parties that have characterised the development of Islamic thought. The book also features coverage of: the translation of ancient texts and their transmission to the Muslim world; the development of a systematic philosophy in Islam; theology, mysticism and the development of Sufism; Islam\'s interaction with western philosophy and theology; contemporary trends. Σελίδες: 224, Διαστάσεις: 13.6x13.6cm