The History of Philosophy by A. C. Grayling

$30.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy

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 philosophy is an epic tale, spanning civilizations and continents. It explores some of the most creative minds in history. But not since the long-popular classic Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy, published in 1945, has there been a comprehensive and entertaining single-volume history of this great, intellectual, world-shaping journey. With characteristic clarity and elegance, A. C. Grayling takes the reader from the worldviews and moralities before the age of the Buddha, Confucius, and Socrates through Christianity's capture of the European mind, from the Renaissance and Enlightenment on to Mill, Nietzsche, Sartre and, finally, philosophy today. Bringing together these many threads that all too often run parallel, he surveys in tandem the great philosophical traditions of India, China and the Persian-Arabic world. Perfect for students and revelatory to enthusiasts of philosophy, Grayling's narrative dramatizes the interchange between and within eras and epochs, asking what we have learned, but also what progress is still to be made. Destined to be his magnum opus, and astonishing in its range and accessibility, this is a landmark work. ...Show more

The School of Life: An Emotional Education by The School of Life; Alain de Botton (Introduction by)

$30.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy

What does it mean to live wisely and well in the twenty-first century? And how should we go about doing it? These are the most important questions to ask ourselves and the ones we most often avoid dealing with. This insightful, witty and generous book reveals one simple answer to the question of a good life- emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence will not make you into a perfect person. It will not save you from moments of self-doubt, frustration or lost temper. Instead it will allow you to understand that these moments are completely normal, completely human, and that there is no such thing as perfect. There is only good enough - and that really is good enough. ...Show more

Utopia - Hardcover by Thomas More; Dominic Baker-Smith (Translator)

$30.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Penguin Pocket Hardbacks Ser.

Utopia (Libellus vere aureus, nec minus salutaris quam festivus, de optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia) is a work of fiction and socio-political satire by Thomas More (1478-1535) published in 1516 in Latin. The book is a frame narrative primarily depicting a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. Many aspects of More's description of Utopia are reminiscent of life in monasteries. Utopia was begun while More was an envoy in the Low Countries in May 1515. More started by writing the introduction and the description of the society which would become the second half of the work and on his return to England he wrote the "dialogue of counsel", completing the work in 1516. In the same year, it was printed in Leuven under Erasmus's editorship and after revisions by More it was printed in Basel in November 1518. It was not until 1551, sixteen years after More's execution, that it was first published in England as an English translation by Ralph Robinson. Gilbert Burnet's translation of 1684 is probably the most commonly cited version. The work seems to have been popular, if misunderstood: the introduction of More's Epigrams of 1518 mentions a man who did not regard More as a good writer. The eponymous title Utopia has since eclipsed More's original story and the term is now commonly used to describe an idyllic, imaginary society. Although he may not have directly founded the contemporary notion of what has since become known as Utopian and dystopian fiction, More certainly popularised the idea of imagined parallel realities, and some of the early works which owe a debt to Utopia must include The City of the Sun by Tommaso Campanella, Description of the Republic of Christianopolis by Johannes Valentinus Andreae, New Atlantis by Francis Bacon and Candide by Voltaire. The politics of Utopia have been seen as influential to the ideas of Anabaptism and communism. citation needed] While utopian socialism was used to describe th ...Show more

On the Shoulders of Giants by Umberto Eco

$75.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy

The final collection of essays from the internationally acclaimed and bestselling author of The Name of the Rose and The Prague Cemetery, on the subjects of art and culture. In this collection of essays we find Umberto Eco's perennial areas of interest explored in a lively and engaging style, accompani ed by beautiful reproductions of the art he discusses. In these wide-ranging pieces he explores the roots of our civilization, changing ideas of beauty, our obsession with conspiracies and the emblematic heroes of the great narrative, amongst other fascinating topics. Umberto Eco was one of the most influential, and entertaining, intellectuals of the last century, as well as being a critically acclaimed and bestselling writer of both fiction and non-fiction. ...Show more

The Empire and the Five Kings - America's Abdication and the Fate of the World by Bernard-Henri Levy

$27.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

One of the West's leading intellectuals offers a provocative look at America's withdrawal from world leadership and the rising powers who seek to fill the vacuum left behind.The United States was once the hope of the world, a beacon of freedom and the defender of liberal democracy. Nations and peoples o n all continents looked to America to stand up for the values that created the Western worldand to oppose autocracy and repression. Even when America did not live up to its ideals, it still recognized their importance, at home and abroad.But as Bernard-Henri L vy lays bare in this powerful and disturbing analysis of the world today, America is retreating from its traditional leadership role, and in its place have come five ambitious powers, former empires eager to assert their primacy and influence. L vy shows how these five--Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and Sunni radical Islamism--are taking steps to undermine the liberal values that have been a hallmark of Western civilization.The Empire and the Five Kings is a cri de coeur that draws upon lessons from history and the eternal touchstones of human culture to reveal the stakes facing the West as America retreats from its leadership role, a process that did not begin with Donald Trump's presidency and is not likely to end with him. The crisis is one whose roots can be found as far back as antiquity and whose resolution will require the West to find a new way forward if its principles and values are to survive.As seen on Real Time with Bill Maher (2/22/2019) and Fareed Zakaria GPS (2/17/2019). ...Show more

Deep Thought: 42 Fantastic Quotes ... by Gary Cox

$21.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

Gary Cox guides us through 42 of the most misunderstood, misquoted, provocative and significant quotes in the history of philosophy providing a witty and compelling commentary along the way. This entertaining and illuminating collection of quotes doesn't merely list who said what and when, it explores w ho each philosopher is and what he or she really meant when they said what they said. Viewing each quote as a philosophical thesis in itself, Cox probes the writings of everyone from Douglas Adams to A.J. Ayer and Thomas Aquinas to Karl Marx. This is a philosophical journey through history, culture and writing to bring us to a deeper understanding of why we think the way we do. As Douglas Adams points out, if there is no final answer to the question, 'What is the meaning of life?', '42' is as good or bad an answer as any other. Here Cox shows that 42 quotes might be even better! ...Show more

The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy by CRAIG EDWARD

$122.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy

What Do We Really Know? The Big Questions in Philosophy by Simon Blackburn

$27.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

In What Do We Really Know? Simon Blackburn addresses the twenty most-asked philosophical questions, including 'Can machines think?', 'What is the meaning of life?', 'Is death to be feared?', 'Why be good?', 'What am I?' and 'What do we really know?' Each 3000-word essay examines a question that has eter nally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. ...Show more

Plato at the Googleplex - Why Philosophy Won't Go Away by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

$39.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

Imagine that Plato came to life in the twenty-first century and embarked on a multi-city speaking tour. How would he mediate a debate between a Freudian psychoanalyst and a 'tiger mum' on how to raise the perfect child? How would he handle the host of a right-wing news program who denies there can be mo rality without religion? What would Plato make of Google, and of the idea that knowledge can be crowdsourced rather than reasoned out by experts? Plato at the Googleplex is acclaimed thinker Rebecca Newberger Goldstein's dazzling investigation of these conundra. With a philosopher's depth and erudition and a novelist's imagination and wit, Goldstein probes the deepest issues confronting us by allowing us to eavesdrop on Plato as he takes on the modern world; it is a stunningly original plunge into the drama of philosophy, revealing its hidden role in today's debates on religion, morality, politics and science. ...Show more

50 Philosophy Classics: Thinking, Being, Acting, Seeing - Profound Insights and Powerful Thinking from Fifty Key Books by Tom Butler-Bowdon

$24.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

The sixth in the bestselling 50s series, and a lively entry point to the field by exploring the works of 50 of the most significant philosophers; including those that show us how to think (Descartes, Foucault and Wittgenstein); how to be (Aristotle, Spinoza, Satre); how to act (Bentham, Kant, Singer) an d how to see (Baudrillard, Hegel, Taleb). The whole spectrum of thinking, from the classical philosophers who defined the field, through the 20th century greats, all the way to the writings of some of the most exciting contemporary thinkers including Julian Baggini, Harry Frankfurt, Peter Singer and Slavoj Zizek. ...Show more

Brutal Simplicity of Thought: How it Changed the World by Maurice Nathan Saatchi

$29.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy

The principles of creativity revealed in deceptively simple words and pictures by the man behind the world's most successful advertising agency. Simplicity looks easy. It's not. It's easier to complicate than simplify. This book presents stunningly simple examples of concepts that have changed the worl d - from the single piece of paper that became the American Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the most powerful nation in the history of the world, to the symbol and line that enables us to write music. Thought-provoking and incisive, Brutal Simplicity of Thought is the distillation, in words and pictures, of the Saatchi method of creativity. Whether you are a student, a manager, self-employed or a CEO, this book has something to teach us all: simplicity rules. ...Show more

How to Stay Sane by Philippa Perry

$24.99 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: The School of Life | Reading Level: good

There is no simple set of instructions that can guarantee sanity, but if you want to overcome emotional difficulties and become happier, psychotherapist Philippa Perry argues that there are four cornerstones to sanity you can influence to bring about change. By developing your self-observation skills, e xamining how you relate to others, breaking out of your comfort zone and exploring new ways of defining yourself, she suggests ways of getting over your problems and feeling more 'normal'. This book explores techniques to help you find emotional equilibrium, such as practising mindfulness, being emotionally honest in your relationships with others, challenging your brain in new and exciting ways, and finding cause for optimism. Through case studies, practical exercises and stories of individual experience, this insightful and inspirational book reaches out to anyone in need of a little emotional support from time to time. ...Show more