Showing titles in Philosophy

Dive into the haunting beauty of The Encantadas or Enchanted Isles, a thought-provoking novella by the renowned American author Herman Melville. First published in Putnams Magazine in 1854, this collection of ten philosophical sketches explores the enigmatic Galápagos Islands. Included in The Piazza Tales in 1856, The Encantadas stands out as the most critically acclaimed piece of the collection. With rich symbolism woven throughout, Melville masterfully reflects on the harsh realities of life in this remote paradise.

Dive into the whimsical world of Crock of Gold, a delightful comic novel by Irish author James Stephens. Renowned for his quick wit and engaging storytelling, Stephens explores themes of pantheism through the lens of adult Irish fairy tales. Following his acclaimed debut, The Charwomans Daughter, which humorously delves into the lives of a struggling Dublin mother and daughter, this second novel takes readers on an enchanting journey filled with irony and clever phrasing. Meet an overly meticulous Philosopher, his vengeful wife, and their innocent children, who find themselves ensnared in the ...

In a time where echo chambers are cultivated, this podcast is designed to curate open dialogue.In these episodes, we are creating space to listen to people’s marker moments– the ones that have shaped who they’ve become, what they have done and guide where they are going. Unhurried conversation in a curious environment opens the door to growth, as we’re inspired by the stories of others.

Dive into the musings and insights of a modest scholar as he navigates the complexities of thought and observation. - Summary by Mark Leder

At just twenty-six, during the tumultuous era of the Great War in Europe, the visionary Kurata Hyakuzō crafted a thought-provoking play titled The Priest & His Disciples (Shukke to sono deshi). This powerful stage drama draws inspiration from the life and teachings of Shinran, a 13th-century Buddhist priest and the founder of the True Pure Land School of Buddhism (Jōdo Shinshū). Within its narrative, Shinran engages with the struggling family of Hino Saemon and his wife Okane, offering profound insights on navigating lifes challenges amidst chaos and adversity. While the dialogue reflects ...

A fun podcast where we explore life’s challenges, meanings, and questions. Take the time to dig deep with Baggett and Bishop Mark into all of the greatest philosophical quandaries that life has to offer 😜

Dive into The Beast in the Jungle, a captivating novella by Henry James, first published in 1903 as part of the collection, The Better Sort. Renowned as one of James most profound short narratives, this story explores universal themes of loneliness, fate, love, and death. The poignant tale of John Marcher and his unusual destiny resonates with readers, prompting deep reflections on the value and meaning of human existence. (Summary by Wikipedia)

Pedro Calderóns Life is a Dream stands out among his works for its profound and universal themes. This timeless tale conveys a powerful lesson echoed by philosophers and spiritual thinkers throughout history the world we perceive is but a fleeting illusion, while true reality lies beyond the visible and tangible. Rooted in an ancient Oriental legend, and reminiscent of the story of Barlaam and Josaphat, this narrative weaves in elements from the Arabian Nights and the comedic framework of Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew. However, Calderón transcends mere comedy, infusing the plot with ...

Dive into the mesmerizing world of Joris-Karl Huysmans’ 1884 masterpiece, known as the Bible of Decadence and famously adored by Oscar Wilde. In Against Nature (or Against The Grain in this translation), we follow the reclusive Duc Jean Floressas Des Esseintes, a life-long aesthete who retreats from society into his own carefully crafted artificial paradises. However, this journey is not a solemn reflection; Des Esseintes grand ambitions lead to ludicrous failures, resulting in both personal dissatisfaction and health troubles, while an unsuspecting tortoise becomes an unwitting victim of ...

In October 1987, Angela Adkins’ life changed forever when a drunk driver shattered everything she knew. But what followed is a true story of faith, healing, and restoration that continues to inspire. Angela Adkins Podcast is a place of hope—where faith meets real-life trials, and conversations about God’s transformative power bring healing. Tune in to be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded that miracles still happen

A revelatory, long-awaited, and definitive intellectual biography of Hannah Arendt, one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century Drawing on newly discovered archival materials and previously overlooked documents—from both Germany, where Hannah Arendt was born to a Jewish family in...

Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features 80 Americans—from the famous to the unknown—completing the thought that begins with the book's title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners to re-think not only what and how they have arrived at their own...

Written almost two millennia ago, Patañjali's work focuses on how to attain the direct experience and realization of the purusa: the innermost individual self, or soul. As the classical treatise on the Hindu understanding of mind and consciousness and on the technique of meditation, it has exerted immense influence over the religious practices of Hinduism in India and, more recently, in the West.

Taoist living rests on four pillars: the public, the domestic, the private, and the spirit lives. Not only do Taoists strive to live these four aspects fully and in a balanced way, they also believe there is an outlook and an art to each of them. Eva Wong uses the teachings of Taoist masters themselves to explain the essential concepts. She then gives voice to these texts - simplifying them, removing barriers to understanding, and making them completely accessible and relevant to the modern reader.

What does it mean to say that we live in a secular age? Almost everyone would agree that we - in the West, at least - largely do. And clearly the place of religion in our societies has changed profoundly in the last few centuries. In what will be a defining book for our time, Charles Taylor takes up the question of what these changes mean - of what, precisely, happens when a society in which it is virtually impossible not to believe in God becomes one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is only one human possibility among others.

In a chance encounter with India's Top Ten Social Influencers, the Dalai Lama is asked to how to use the 'law of attraction' to manifest abundance. He points out that material wellbeing was never the goal of such practices as he begins to explain their true purpose. It is a purpose that His Holiness's Cat goes on to explore with her usual warm-hearted and wonky-legged aplomb. Is the world much more a projection of our mind than we suspect? Can a few precious insights transform our reality?

As it was in Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and Othello, so it is in life. Most forms of private vice and public evil are kindled and sustained by lies. Acts of adultery and other personal betrayals, financial fraud, government corruption - even murder and genocide - generally require an additional moral defect: a willingness to lie. In Lying, bestselling author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie.

The work of queer autistic scholar Nick Walker has played a key role in the evolving discourse on human neurodiversity. Neuroqueer Heresies collects a decade's worth of Dr. Walker's most influential writings, along with new commentary by the author and new material on her radical conceptualization of Neuroqueer Theory. This book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the foundations, terminology, implications, and leading edges of the emerging neurodiversity paradigm.

In Practical Mysticism, Evelyn Underhill distills the essential (and comprehensible) steps that comprise the process of achieving mystical understanding. Though she uses the pantheon of Christian mystics as her guide, her methodology transcends any particular faith and offers a common sense approach to self-improvement and enhanced awareness.

A renowned Buddhist teacher turns to two of the most influential figures in history for guidance on how to face the ethical challenges of our time.