Philosophy

The left views alienation as something to be resisted or overcome, but could it actually form the basis of our emancipation?We often think of our existential and political projects as...

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are treasured today-as they have been over the centuries-as an inexhaustible source of wisdom. And as one of the three most important expressions of Stoicism,...

"Introducing Rousseau" presents a maverick thinker whose ideas revolutionised our understanding of childhood, education, government, language and much else. What is the value of civilisation? Rousseau first posed this question....

Focusing on Immanuel Kant's critiques of pure reason, practical reason and judgement, this text leads the reader through the main formal concepts with which Kant has become associated: the relation...

Ludwig Wittgenstein has somehow captured the popular imagination as the modern Socrates, the master of enigmatic logic, the fascinating and attractive icon of modernism. But what did Wittgenstein really say?...

Examine the inner workings of the mind and learn what consciousness and a sense of self really means - and if it even exists. We're used to thinking about the...

In a virtuoso display of erudition, thoughtfulness and humour, Terry Eagleton teases apart the concept of hope as it has been (often mistakenly) conceptualised over six millennia, from ancient Greece...

This brilliant book breaks down the obstacles to understanding the great ideas of some of history's most influential Eastern thinkers.

Rene Descartes was a central figure in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. In his Discourse on Method he outlined the contrast between mathematics and experimental sciences, and the...

Scholar, philosopher and political sage, Confucius lived at a turbulent time in his country's history, the so-called 'Spring and Autumn Period' of the sixth century BC, during which China was...

These early philosophical writings underpinned the Chinese revolutions, and their clarion calls to insurrection remain some of the most stirring of all time. Drawing on a dizzying array of references...

Essays on Aristotle's Rhetoric offers a fresh and comprehensive assessment of a classic work. Aristotle's influence on the practice and theory of rhetoric, as it affects political and legal argumentation,...

The Dutch bestseller Nominated for Le Prix Nicolas Bouvier'A masterclass in storytelling, exploring who we are and where we came from' Danielle Clode 'Gripping and brilliantly told, We Hominids deftly...

'It's just a brute fact that we don't throw virgins into volcanoes any more. We don't execute people for shoplifting a cabbage. And we used to.' -Steven Pinker'The idea that...

The Atkins diet has transformed the lives of millions of people, revolutionizing grocery store shelves, restaurant menus, and dinner-table conversations. But there are questions beyond its efficacy and longevity. Is...

Sun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly...

The International BestsellerDiscover how to win in any situation using the ancient wisdom of the Shaolin monks.The Shaolin monks in China are legendary for their mastery of kung fu, but...

The timeless wisdom, humanity and bold sweep of Gibran's enriching writing.

'A wonderful book. If you come across it, you must read it.' - John CleeseWhat does it mean for someone to be an a**hole? The answer is not obvious, despite...

Five hundred years since its first publication, Thomas More's Utopia remains astonishingly radical and provocative. More imagines an island nation where thousands live in peace and harmony, men and women...

What happened to the European mind between 1605, when an audience watching Macbeth at the Globe might believe that regicide was such an aberration of the natural order that ghosts...

Even after twenty-three centuries Plato's work remains the starting-point for the study of logic, metaphysics, and moral and political philosophy. But though his dialogues retain their freshness and immediacy, they...

The best known of Plato's dialogues, "The Republic" applies the principles of philosophy to political affairs. Ostensibly a discussion of the nature of justice, it lays before us Plato's vision...

Slavoj Zizek, the maverick philosopher, author of over 30 books, acclaimed as the "Elvis of cultural theory", and today's most controversial public intellectual. His work traverses the fields of philosophy,...

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was one of America's foremost twentieth-century religious thinkers and social critics. As pastor of Bethel Evangelical Church in Detroit, he became deeply interested in social problems. He...

Can climate change by won like the space race? Do owners look like their dogs? Is Lisbon the new Barcelona? Does a woman need a man like a fish needs...

'We must learn to love, learn to be kind, and this from our earliest youth ... Likewise, hatred must be learned and nurtured, if one wishes to become a proficient...

Red Africa makes the case for a revolutionary Black politics inspired by Marxist anticolonial struggles in Africa. Contemporary debates on Black radicalism and decolonisation have lost sight of the concerns...

After thirty years of retreat, the last decade has witnessed a resurgent left in the United States and Western Europe. This upsurge of anti-establishment candidates was not only left-wing but...

'Why do I know a few more things? Why am I so clever altogether?'Self-celebrating and self-mocking autobiographical writings from Ecce Homo, the last work iconoclastic German philosopher Nietzsche wrote before...

One of the unspoken assumptions of the Western world is that we are great defenders of human rights, a free press and the benefits of market economics. Mistakes might be...

"Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character....I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends...

In this lucid and accessible book, Thomas Nagel explores the central questions of philosophy thoughtfully, clearly, and with humour. He demonstrates that philosophy is an indispensable key to understanding our...

* $2-3,000 to save the life of a child in Africa* GBP15,180 to hire a hitman* $368,901 to pay the average ransom demandWe say that life is priceless. Yet the...

An odyssey into life's challenging philosophical questions during an unforgettable summer motorcycle trip, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance transformed a generation and continues to inspire millions.One of the...

The new bestseller from one of Britain's most pre-eminent philosophers and arguably the best known, A.C. GraylingEveryone wishes to live a life that is satisfying and fulfilling, in which there...

As a young woman growing up in a small, religious community, Regan Penaluna daydreamed about the big questions: Who are we and what is this strange world we find ourselves...

Philosopher Travis Rieder outlines a new ethics for the age of humanmade catastrophe. We are all asking, in a hyperglobalised world hurtling towards environmental destruction: how do we determine the...

With an introduction by Charlotte R. Brown and William Edward Morris.David Hume (1711-1776) was the most important philosopher ever to write in English, as well as a master stylist. This...

"The Republic" is considered by many authorities to be Plato's greatest work. This is a readable, provocative and enjoyable dialogue between Plato and various Athenian dignitaries in which they discuss...