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Descartes
- A Very Short Introduction
- Narrated by: Barbara Edelman
- Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins
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Publisher's summary
Descartes is perhaps best known for his statement, "Cogito, ergo sum," the cornerstone of his metaphysics. But he did not intend the metaphysics to stand apart from his scientific work, which included important investigations into physics, mathematics, and optics. In this book, Sorell shows that Descarates was, above all, an advocate and practitioner of the new mathematical approach to physics, and that he developed his philosophies to support his discoveries in the sciences.
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This lively and accessible introduction to Plato focuses on the philosophy and argument of his writings, drawing the listener into Plato's way of doing philosophy, and the general themes of his thinking. It looks at Plato as a thinker grappling with philosophical problems in a variety of ways, rather than a philosopher with a fully worked-out system. It includes a brief account of Plato's life and the various interpretations that have been drawn from the sparse remains of information.
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No Plato, lots of Feminism
- By Anonymous User on 12-29-22
By: Julia Annas
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Wittgenstein
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: A. C. Grayling
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original thinker, whose influence on 20th-century thinking far outside the bounds of philosophy alone. In this engaging Introduction, A. C. Grayling makes Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general listener by explaining the nature and impact of Wittgenstein's views. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought.
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Great content read by a robot
- By Joseph Miller on 09-24-22
By: A. C. Grayling
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Postmodernism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Butler
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 4 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Postmodernism has become the buzzword of contemporary society over the last decade. But how can it be defined? In this highly engaging introduction, the mysteries of this most elusive of concepts are unraveled, casting a critical light upon the way we live now, from the politicizing of museum culture to the cult of the politically correct. The key postmodernist ideas are explored and challenged, as they figure in the theory, philosophy, politics, ethics, and artwork of the period, and it is shown how they have interacted within a postmodernist culture.
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Misleading Title
- By nicholas on 01-06-23
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Aristotle
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Jonathan Barnes
- Narrated by: Phil Holland
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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The influence of Aristotle, the prince of philosophers, on the intellectual history of the West is second to none. In this book, Jonathan Barnes examines Aristotle's scientific researches, his discoveries in logic and his metaphysical theories, his work in psychology and in ethics and politics, and his ideas about art and poetry, placing his teachings in their historical context.
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Great Book Moderate Storyteller
- By Brad on 08-23-24
By: Jonathan Barnes
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Schopenhauer
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Christopher Janaway
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Schopenhauer is considered to be the most accessible of German philosophers. This book gives a succinct explanation of his metaphysical system, concentrating on the original aspects of his thought, which inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. Schopenhauer's central notion is that of the will-a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature.
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am OK review
- By Arnulfo Perez on 01-25-23
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Existentialism
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Thomas Flynn
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the leading philosophical movements of the 20th century, existentialism has had more impact on literature and the arts than any other school of thought. Focusing on the leading figures of existentialism, including Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Camus, Thomas Flynn offers a concise account of existentialism, explaining the key themes of individuality, free will, and personal responsibility, which marked the movement as a way of life, not just a way of thinking.
By: Thomas Flynn
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Hume
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: James A. Harris
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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David Hume, philosopher, historian, economist, librarian, and essayist, was one of the great figures of the European Enlightenment. Unlike some of his famous contemporaries, however, he was not dogmatically committed to idealized conceptions of reason, liberty, and progress.
By: James A. Harris
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Cosmology
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Peter Coles
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Written in simple and accessible language, this nontechnical introduction to cosmology, or the creation and development of the universe, explains the discipline, covers its history, details the latest developments, and explains what is known, what is believed, and what is purely speculative. In addition, the author discusses the development of the Big Bang theory, and more speculative modern issues like quantum cosmology, superstrings, and dark matter.
By: Peter Coles
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Ethics (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Simon Blackburn
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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This second edition of the Very Short Introduction on ethics has revised and updated aspects of the original to reflect changing times and mores. It highlights the importance of an understanding of approaches to ethics and its foundations, confronted as we are with a fluid and uncertain world of eroding trust, swirling conspiracy theories, and a dismaying loss of respect in public discourse.
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Probably too brief to be helpful
- By Adam Shields on 02-16-24
By: Simon Blackburn
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Logic
- A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition
- By: Graham Priest
- Narrated by: Kyle Tait
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy.
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A bit disappointing.
- By MarshallP1991 on 12-16-21
By: Graham Priest
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Dreaming
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: J. Allan Hobson
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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What is dreaming, and what causes it? Why are dreams so strange, and why are they so hard to remember? Replacing dream mystique with modern dream science, J. Allan Hobson provides a new and increasingly complete picture of how dreaming is created by the brain. Focusing on dreaming to explain the mechanisms of sleep, this book explores how the new science of dreaming is affecting theories in psychoanalysis, and how it is helping our understanding of the causes of mental illness.
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Blah blah blah neuroscience blah blah blah
- By KG on 05-16-22
By: J. Allan Hobson
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Hegel
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Peter Singer
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Hegel is regarded as one of the most influential figures on modern political and intellectual development. After painting Hegel's life and times in broad strokes, Peter Singer goes on to tackle some of the more challenging aspects of Hegel's philosophy. Offering a broad discussion of Hegel's ideas and an account of his major works, Singer explains what have often been considered abstruse and obscure ideas in a clear and inviting manner.
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Great introduction
- By I'm all ears on 02-17-22
By: Peter Singer
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Kant
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Roger Scruton
- Narrated by: Kyle Munley
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Comprehensive, Well Read, But Very Abstract
- By Drone Boy on 09-09-21
By: Roger Scruton
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Nietzsche
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Michael Tanner
- Narrated by: Christine Williams
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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With his well known idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style, Friedrich Nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Michael Tanner's introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings and explodes many of the misconceptions that have grown in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote "do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!"
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Presumes way too much
- By Kim M. on 04-30-24
By: Michael Tanner
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Economics
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Partha Dasgupta
- Narrated by: Gayle Hendrix
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Economics has the capacity to offer us deep insights into some of the most formidable problems of life and offer solutions to them, too. Combining a global approach with examples from everyday life, Partha Dasgupta describes the lives of two children who live very different lives in different parts of the world: the Midwest USA and in Ethiopia. He compares the obstacles facing them and the processes that shape their lives, their families, and their futures. He shows how economics uncovers these processes, finds explanations for them, and how it forms policies and solutions.
By: Partha Dasgupta
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Art History (2nd Edition)
- A Very Short Introduction
- By: Dana Arnold
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Art history encompasses the study of the history and development of painting, sculpture, and the other visual arts. In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, Dana Arnold presents an introduction to the issues, debates, and artifacts that make up art history. Beginning with a consideration of what art history is, she explains what makes the subject distinctive from other fields of study and also explores the emergence of social histories of art (such as feminist art history and queer art history).
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Not the “art history” you’re looking for.
- By Conner on 03-15-24
By: Dana Arnold
What listeners say about Descartes
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- A
- 07-21-23
Narrator does "voices" for historical figures
Unlistenable. The narrator does "voices" for the different historical figures in the book. F-. Unbelievable
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