Showing titles in Philosophy

In 1849, 5 years before Henry David Thoreau published Walden, he wrote what has come to be recognized as the philosophic textbook for nonviolent revolution. "I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward," Thoreau wrote. "It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right." Taking as his major premise the idea that "...government is best which governs least," Thoreau asserts that one's first loyalty is to one's own nature.

As President Clinton's senior adviser, George Stephanopoulos saw it all: the endless arguments, the back-hall scheming, the protracted decisions, and the last minute flip-flops that somehow produced real accomplishments but also set in motion an almost tragic series of events that placed the fate of the president in the hands of the Senate. Now, with the natural ease of a born storyteller and the sensitive eye for detail of a novelist, Stephanopoulos tells his extraordinarily gripping story.

Preeminent French cynic and philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) collected ideas and thoughts that were too short for pamphlets but worth saving for later development. These jottings eventually became the Philosophical Dictionary, filled with witty and wise entries on subjects as diverse as Atheism and Kissing - a compendium of the whole spectrum of Voltaire's ideas.

Plato recorded the final days of his mentor, Socrates, who was tried and condemned in Athens in 399 B.C. on trumped-up charges of being a heretic and corrupter of the young. This collection comprises 4 books: Euthyphro, in which Socrates engages Euthyphro in a debate on the steps of the courthouse where he is to stand trial, The Apology, in which Socrates argues on his own behalf, Crito, in which Socrates's friends and supporters visit him in prison and urge him to recant.

Alexis de Tocqueville's renowned analysis of American democracy still has relevance today. In 1831 de Tocqueville was sent to America by the French government to study the U.S. penal system, but his real aim was to observe a democratic republic firsthand to see if such an entity could function with dignity and humanity. His travels, which took him to the cities of the Northeast, to the frontier and the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi and through the South, showed him a great deal about the United States. In 1834, he wrote Democracy in America, in which he examines the advantages and pitfalls of democracy, the conditions and conflicts among the races, and the movements that grip the country.

In this fascinating history of the age-old battle between Science and Religion, evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould argues that part of living the full human experience is achieving a balance between the spiritual and the rational."

This pamphlet, first published in 1776, set in print the word every American was thinking about, but none dared say: independence! It was published anonymously in New York, selling 120,000 copies in the first 3 months and half a million in that same year. Its author, Thomas Paine, wrote in a language that could be understood by any reasonably literate colonist. But more important than it being so well received, is that it captured the American colonists' imaginations and was a primary catalyst to the independence movement in the United States. Noted American historian Bernard Bailyn called it "the most brilliant pamphlet written during the American Revolution, and one of the most brilliant ever written in the English language."

Capture the beauty, power, and wisdom of the Native American oral tradition with this superlative collection of readings taken from the writings and speeches of people from many different tribes. The collection offers insights into Native American ways of living, learning, and dying, and helps us to feel a reconnection with the land and ourselves. The words of Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Ohiyesa, Black Elk, and others create a powerful listening experience.

In this essay collection, Stephen Jay Gould examines the puzzles and paradoxes great and small that build nature's and humanity's diversity and order. He formulates a humanistic natural history, one that considers how humans have learned to study and understand nature, rather than a history of nature itself.

Reduced stress, improved concentration, lower blood pressure, and increased sexual pleasure are among the many benefits of meditating. So what's holding you back? Perhaps you don't see yourself signing up with a guru. Or twisting yourself into a lotus position while repeating a mantra. But what if meditating were as easy and pleasurable as eating a dish of ice cream? In this guide, Lorin Roche proves that mediation is that easy - and even more enjoyable. Roche explains everything you need to get started, including some mini-meditations that can be integrated into spare moment throughout the day and tips for developing a customized practice that will become as natural and vital to you as breathing.

"Behold! Human beings living in an underground den. Like ourselves, they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave." With that statement, Plato - one of the greatest thinkers in the history of mankind - introduces one of his of most important philosophical constructs: the relationship between truth and the image of truth.

The Prince was the first great work of modern political and historical analysis, but it suffered from a tragic flaw: Machiavelli chose as his "hero" Cesare Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI, who, unknown to the author, employed murder as one of his tools of statecraft. The Prince has been studied by Hitler, Stalin, Richelieu, Bismarck, and Frederick the Great, among others.

"In wilderness is the preservation of the world. Life consists with wilderness. The most alive is the wildest. Not yet subdued to man, its presence refreshes him." Philosopher and writer Henry David Thoreau preferred to contemplate the nature of man and his environment while walking.

The activity of eating transcends the physiological need for "fueling" and provides clues for understanding human nature, explains Leon Kass, physician, biologist, and professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago. In this program, Kass discusses his book, The Hungry Soul, in which he explores eating as a guide to morality and communal life. Then, Brother Peter Reinhart talks about the art of breadmaking as a metaphor for spiritual life.

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere," wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in Love and Friendship, a collection of essays on relationships. "Before him, I may think aloud. I do then with my friends as I do with my books. I would have them where I can find them, but I seldom use them."

Your boss calls you Machiavellian. Is this a good thing? You need the facts. Fast. With this audio program, you can become an Instant Genius? on the subject of Philosophy in about an hour. Is there a God? Do you really exist? What can we actually know? You'll learn about Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Kant, Hume, Nietzsche, Sartre, and others who have pondered the answers to the big questions.

This special collector's edition offers over 7 hours of compelling stories, lectures, meditations, and actual practices from one of the 20th century's most beloved spiritual figures. For over 30 years, Ram Dass has touched thousands of seekers with his personal search for greater truth. But, in 1997, a debilitating stroke left him struggling to speak again to the generation he so inspired. Experiments in Truth preserves his teachings for his followers and for a new generation seeking the path to inner consciousness. Each of the 8 lectures in Experiments in Truth is a gem of humor, insight, and intelligence, which will bring inspiration to people of all faiths and walks of life.

Over 2,000 years ago, the great sage Lao-Tzu was disillusioned that others were unwilling to learn his path to natural goodness and harmony with nature. Today, his Tao Te Ching is one of China's most enduring sacred texts. This introduction to the Tao reveals Lao-Tzu's vast spiritual legacy, including Taoism's mystical roots in China's ancient shamanistic tradition...

A collection of Taoist visualizations seldom taught outside China. This ancient system uses traditional Taoist imagery to build self-awareness, unity of mind and body, and - ultimately - enlightenment. While healing with imagery is relatively new to the West, its use in China dates back to Taoist texts from the third century B.C.E. These healing techniques induce an "alpha-theta" state, where the unconscious comes to consciousness, and the mind reaches a blissful clarity.

Everyone is capable of creativity - not just the chosen few. In this inspiring audio program, Julia Cameron offers new insights about her landmark best seller, The Artist's Way, which taught thousands of people to unlock their creative potential.