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Number of pages: 578
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Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 10:00

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When it was first published in 1781, The Confessions scandalised Europe with its emotional honesty and frank treatment of the author's sexual and intellectual development. Since then, it has had a more profound impact on European thought. Rousseau left posterity a model of the reflective life - the solitary, uncompromising individual, the enemy of servitude and habit and the selfish egoist who dedicates his life to a particular ideal. The Confessions recreates the world in which he progressed from incompetent engraver to grand success; his enthusiasm for experience, his love of nature, and his uncompromising character make him an ideal guide to eighteenth-century Europe, and he was the author of some of the most profound work ever written on the relation between the individual and the state.

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Number of pages: 48
Size: 87 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 14:14

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Originally published in 1917, this early work by Bertrand Russell still offers much thought-provoking material on the subject of political philosophy. Russell criticizes both capitalism and socialism based on his strong conviction that everything of value comes ultimately from the individual. The only true aim of politics, he says, is to give free play, as far as possible, to every person's natural creativity. This means that political systems should be designed to curb the deadening forces of acquisition, power, and convention, all of which tend to stifle individual creative impulses.Russell names four main goals that an ideal political system should accomplish: the greatest possible production of goods and technical progress; securing distributive justice; ensuring security against destitution; and, most importantly, the liberation of creative impulses and the limiting of possessive impulses.While capitalism efficiently accomplishes the first goal — producing goods and fostering technological innovation — it does little to guarantee the remaining goals. On the other hand, socialism offers little incentive to creativity and is notoriously inefficient in the production of goods and in technological progress, even though it goes a long way toward ensuring equitable distribution of wealth and eliminating the specter of destitution. But individual liberty is subordinated to the demands of the state.Russell suggests that in an ideal system there would be autonomy within each politically important group and the principle of employee-ownership and self-governance within businesses would be the norm. Government would serve only as a neutral authority to decide questions between the various self-governing groups.Vintage Russell, this collection of concise essays should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in political science or the relation of the individual to society.
 

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Number of pages: 551
Size: 606 kB
Book genre: biography
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 17:19

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Plutarch's Lives, written at the beginning of the second century A.D., is a brilliant social history of the ancient world by one of the greatest biographers and moralists of all time. In what is by far his most famous and influential work, Plutarch reveals the character and personality of his subjects and how they led ultimately to tragedy or victory. Richly anecdotal and full of detail, Volume I contains profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Numa and Lycurgus, Fabius and Pericles, and many more powerful figures of ancient Greece and Rome.

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Number of pages: 409
Size: 452 kB
Book genre: biography
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 17:02

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Plutarch's Lives, written at the beginning of the second century A.D., is a brilliant social history of the ancient world by one of the greatest biographers and moralists of all time. In what is by far his most famous and influential work, Plutarch reveals the character and personality of his subjects and how they led ultimately to tragedy or victory. Richly anecdotal and full of detail, Volume I contains profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Numa and Lycurgus, Fabius and Pericles, and many more powerful figures of ancient Greece and Rome.

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Number of pages: 28
Size: 70 kB
Book genre: history
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 14:09

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The Germania, written by the Roman historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus around 98 AD and originally entitled On the Origin and Situation of the Germans (Latin: De origine et situ Germanorum), is a historical and ethnographic work on the Germanic peoples outside the Roman Empire.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 150
Size: 218 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 12.02.2006, 21:32

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De Beneficiis (English: On Benefits) is a first-century work by Seneca the Younger. It forms part of a series of moral essays (or "Dialogues") composed by Seneca.

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Number of pages: 489
Size: 511 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 12.02.2006, 21:23

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The Laws, Plato's longest dialogue, has for centuries been recognized as the most comprehensive exposition of the practical consequences of his philosophy, a necessary corrective to the more visionary and utopian Republic. In this animated encounter between a foreign philosopher and a powerful statesman, not only do we see reflected, in Plato's own thought, eternal questions of the relation between political theory and practice, but we also witness the working out of a detailed plan for a new political order that embodies the results of Plato's mature reflection on the family, the status of women, property rights, criminal law, and the role of religion and the fine arts in a healthy republic.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 318
Size: 362 kB
Book genre: sociology
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 00:55

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Herbert Spencer's wonderful collection of essays on education and similar subjects.

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Number of pages: 500
Size: 529 kB
Book genre: pedagogy
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 01:11

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Emile, or On Education or Émile, or Treatise on Education (French: Émile, ou De l’éducation) is a treatise on the nature of education and on the nature of man written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who considered it to be the "best and most important of all my writings".

The work tackles fundamental political and philosophical questions about the relationship between the individual and society — how, in particular, the individual might retain what Rousseau saw as innate human goodnesswhile remaining part of a corrupting collectivity. Its opening sentence: "Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things; everything degenerates in the hands of man".

Rousseau seeks to describe a system of education that would enable the natural man he identifies in The Social Contract (1762) to survive corrupt society. He employs the novelistic device of Emile and his tutor to illustrate how such an ideal citizen might be educated. Emile is scarcely a detailed parenting guide but it does contain some specific advice on raising children. It is regarded by some as the first philosophy of education inWestern culture to have a serious claim to completeness, as well as being one of the first Bildungsroman novels, having preceded Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship by more than thirty years.

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Format: PDF
Number of pages: 216
Size: 2,38 MB
Book genre: stage plays
Language: English
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Added: 12.02.2006, 21:13

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Don Carlos is a tragedy in five acts by Friedrich Schiller; it was written between 1783 and 1787 and first produced in Hamburg in 1787. The title character is Carlos, Prince of Asturias and the play as a whole is loosely modeled on historical events in the 16th century under the reign of King Philip II of Spain. Don Carlos is a Prince of Spain, given to the Inquisition by his father, who also wants to marry his lover, for his Libertarian creeds. Another great Romantic character is the Marquis of Posa dying for the liberty of Hollandaise Provinces as well as ruling Catholic Spain during Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 17
Size: 63 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 10:11

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The Gourdification of Claudius the God has instant and lasting appeal. It is a uniquely surviving specimen of prose-and-verse satire from the Roman world - and satire, a Roman speciality, is one of the few types of ancient literature to survive, and thrive, in modern society. Its author, Seneca, was not only gifted with intellectual virtuosity, but, at the time of writing, was the precarious power behind the throne of the dangerously developing Nero. Claudius, the target of his malicious wit, remains the most controversial of the first twelve imperial Caesars.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 449
Size: 502 kB
Book genre: politology
Language: English
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Added: 12.02.2006, 21:07

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American Institutions and Their Influence by Alexis de Tocqueville, was originally published in 1835. This edition was translated by Henry Reeve and published in 1851. The work is a socio-political portrait of American and its constitution, perhaps the best known image of the country by a foreigner. It maps with a clear vision, the elementary forces working beneath the surface of history and society, to produce what has been considered by many a stunningly accurate analysis.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 503
Size: 551 kB
Book genre: history
Language: English
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Added: 11.02.2006, 16:05

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Written in 75 AD by the Jewish historian and Roman citizen Titus Flavius Josephus, "The Wars of the Jews" describes Jewish history from the capture of Jerusalem in 164 BC to the destruction of that city in 70 AD. Josephus was additionally an apologist with ancestors of royalty and from the priesthood, and his uniquely blended heritage allows an interesting perspective in 'The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem,' or 'The Jewish War.' Beginning with Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid ruler who captured the city, and going through the revolts against the Roman Empire to the events of the First Jewish-Roman War in which Jerusalem was razed, Josephus opens modern eyes to the conditions of Judaism in the first century.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 172
Size: 961 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 20.09.2024, 10:22

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The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote down his thoughts between 170 and 180. He was a late Stoic Philosopher and this one of the few examples of this type of literature that exists today. The book is written as personal notes to himself and his thesis is that one can obtain inner calm irrespective of outer adversity. The text considers good and evil, solidarity, adversity and inner freedom. It is a book that offers wisdom, comfort and inspiration.

As well as the thought, this edition contains a biographical sketch and summary of the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, a number of illustrations and both an index and index of terms.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 349
Size: 334 kB
Book genre: religion and theology
Language: English
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Added: 25.09.2024, 00:31

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Luther's Small Catechism Explained in Questions and Answers by Harald Ulrik Sverdrup has been regarded as significant work throughout human history, and in order to ensure that this work is never lost, we have taken steps to ensure its preservation by republishing this book in a contemporary format for both current and future generations. This entire book has been retyped, redesigned, and reformatted. Since these books are not made from scanned copies, the text is readable and clear.

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Number of pages: 51
Size: 91 kB
Book genre: biography
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 00:55

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The Life of (Flavius) Josephus also called the "Life of Flavius Josephus", or simply Vita, is an autobiographical text written by Josephus in approximately 94-99 CE – possibly as an appendix to his Antiquities of the Jews (cf. Life 430) – where the author for the most part re-visits the events of the War, apparently in response to allegations made against him by Justus of Tiberias (cf. Life 336).

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Number of pages: 133
Size: 1,13 MB
Book genre: religion and theology
Language: English
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Added: 11.02.2006, 15:57

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The Large Catechism of Martin Luther was written to aid the spiritual leaders of the Lutheran Church. Martin Luther wanted to remind his followers that they should live a godly life instead of a worldly life. Surprisingly, though, nowhere in this book does Luther suggest that anyone should leave their worldly life behind in order to pursue their godly life. Blunt and straightforward, this book is remains an inspiration.

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Number of pages: 89
Size: 140 kB
Book genre: fiction
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 12:05

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Reflections; Or Sentences and Moral Maxims By Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld is a classic philosophy text that provides inspirational maxims for living. Translated from the Editions of 1678 and 1827 with introduction, notes, and some account of the author and his times by J. W. Willis Bund, M.A. LL.B and J. Hain Friswell.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 103
Size: 144 kB
Book genre: politology
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 12:13

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The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon (German: Der 18te Brumaire des Louis Napoleon) is an essay written by Karl Marx between December 1851 and March 1852, and originally published in 1852 in Die Revolution, a German monthly magazine published in New York City by Marxist Joseph Weydemeyer. Later English editions, such as the 1869 Hamburg edition with a preface by Marx, were entitled The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. The essay serves as a major historiographic application of Marx's "materialist conception of history".

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 20
Size: 59 kB
Book genre: politology
Language: English
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Added: 16.09.2024, 00:42

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"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things..." One of the foremost figures of Western intellectual thought in the late 19th century, John Stuart Mill offered up examinations of human rights, morality, personal and societal responsibilities, and the striving for individual happiness that continue to impact our philosophies, both private and political, to this day. In this essay-first published in Fraser's Magazine in February 1862, and later in Mill's 1868 book *Dissertations and Discussions*-the great philosopher considers the American Civil War while it was in progress, and deems it worth fighting for the emancipation of American slaves and to put an ending to the United States as a slave nation. One of the most stirringly moral arguments ever put forth to justify a war, this is also one of the most powerful and compelling arguments ever for human dignity and freedom as something worth fighting for. English philosopher and politician JOHN STUART MILL (1806-1873) served as an administrator in the East Indian Company from 1823 to 1858, and as a member of parliament from 1865 to 1868. Among his essays on a wide range of political and social thought are Principles of Political Economy (1848), Considerations on Representative Government* (1861), Utilitarianism (1863), and The Subjection of Women (1869).

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Number of pages: 75
Size: 434 kB
Book genre: religion and theology
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 11:44

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"The Bible is alive," declared Martin Luther, "it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." The Protestant Reformation's most prominent leader possessed a gift for evocative speech, and he was as articulate and outspoken in private as he was in public. Fortunately for posterity, some of Luther's loyal followers took note of his informal speeches. The Table Talk of Martin Luther consists of excerpts from the great reformer's conversations with his students and colleagues, in which he comments on life, the church, and the Bible.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 138
Size: 173 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 12:23

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Second Treatise on Civil Government is an essay written by English philosopher John Locke and published in 1690. Subtitled An Essay Concerning the True Original Extent and End of Civil Government, the essay was published in support of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The concept of the modern liberal-democratic state is rooted in the work. It serves as a counterargument to Thomas Hobbes’s pro-absolutist government Leviathan (1651) and helped to inspire the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 81
Size: 129 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 11.02.2006, 15:36

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Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical work by the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Through dialogue, three philosophers named Demea, Philo, and Cleanthes debate the nature of God's existence. Whether or not these names reference specific philosophers, ancient or otherwise, remains a topic of scholarly dispute. While all three agree that a god exists, they differ sharply in opinion on God's nature or attributes and how, or if, humankind can come to knowledge of a deity.

In the Dialogues, Hume's characters debate a number of arguments for the existence of God, and arguments whose proponents believe through which we may come to know the nature of God. Such topics debated include the argument from design—for which Hume uses a house—and whether there is more suffering or good in the world (argument from evil).

Hume started writing the Dialogues in 1750 but did not complete them until 1776, shortly before his death. They are based partly on Cicero's De Natura Deorum. The Dialogues were published posthumously in 1779, originally with neither the author's nor the publisher's name.

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Number of pages: 196
Size: 246 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 12:30

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A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation, from St. Thomas More, is a store of comfort to help you take heart amid your worst sorrows. Awaiting execution in 1535 for refusing to betray his faith, Thomas More opens the door on his own interior life by creating a fictional dialogue. It takes place in 16th century Hungary between a young man, Vincent, and his dying but wise old uncle, Anthony. Vincent is paralyzed by fear of an impending Turkish invasion which could force him to betray his faith or die a martyr. As he pours out his fears, Anthony responds as only the calm and clear-headed More could do: on the comfort of God in difficulties, the benefits of suffering, atonement for evil acts, faintheartedness and the temptations to suicide, and scrupulosity. Anthony thus summarized his purpose: "I will supply you ahead of time with a store of comfort, of spiritual strengthening and consolation, that you can have ready at hand, that you can resort to and lay up in your heart as an antidote against the poison of despairing dread..." 

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 197
Size: 247 kB
Book genre: politology
Language: English
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Added: 16.09.2024, 00:44

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In this powerful work, John Stuart Mill sets forth representative government as the most sensible compromise between unreflective rule by the masses and the self-indulgence of the few. The reader may sense that Mill is being pulled in opposing directions: steadfastly committed to majority rule with minority rights while at the same time being just enough of an aristocrat to believe that the masses need examplars to emulate.On Representative Government is one of the most compelling political essays of the 19th century.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 166
Size: 235 kB
Book genre: religion and theology
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 11:40

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The importance of this Commentary on Galatians for the history of Protestantism is very great. It presents like no other of Luther’s writings the central thought of Christianity, the justification of the sinner for the sake of Christ’s merits alone. We have permitted in the final revision of the manuscript many a passage to stand which seemed weak and ineffectual when compared with the trumpet tones of the Latin original. But the essence of Luther’s lectures is there. May the reader accept with indulgence where in this translation we have gone too far in modernizing Luther’s expression—making him “talk American.”

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Number of pages: 116
Size: 163 kB
Book genre: economy
Language: English
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Added: 16.09.2024, 00:46

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Reissued in its revised 1866 second edition, this work by John Stuart Mill discusses the positivist views of the French philosopher and social scientist Auguste Comte. Comte is regarded as the founder of positivism, the doctrine that all knowledge must derive from sensory experience. The two-part text was originally printed as two articles in the Westminster Review in 1865. Part 1 offers an analysis of Comte's earlier works on positivism in the natural and social sciences, while Part 2 considers its application in areas such as religion and ethics. Mill states that Comte is the first philosopher who has attempted to extend positivism 'to all objects of human knowledge'. Despite being critical of a number of Comte's views, such as the exclusion of psychology from positivist science, Mill acknowledges his fellow philosopher's influence in the face of common negative perceptions of the positivist movement.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 17
Size: 56 kB
Book genre: religion and theology
Language: English
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Added: 24.09.2024, 09:58

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An Open Letter on Translating is a September, 1530 letter to Luther's critics concerning his translation of the Bible from Latin into German. This was very controversial at the time and it led to a lot of disagreement (even wars) over who should be allowed to read the Bible and who should interpret its meaning.

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 119
Size: 166 kB
Book genre: philosophy
Language: English
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Added: 11.02.2006, 15:27

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An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals is a book by Scottish enlightenment philosopher David Hume. In it, Hume argues (among other things) that the foundations of morals lie with sentiment, not reason.

An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (EPM) is the enquiry subsequent to the Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (EHU). Thus, it is often referred to as "the second Enquiry". It was originally published in 1751, three years after the first Enquiry. Hume first discusses ethics in A Treatise of Human Nature (in Book 3 - "Of Morals"). He later extracted and expounded upon the ideas he proposed there in his second Enquiry. In his short autobiographical work, My Own Life (1776), Hume states that his second Enquiry is "of all my writings, historical, philosophical, or literary, incomparably the best."

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Format: EPUB
Number of pages: 85
Size: 125 kB
Book genre: history
Language: English
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Added: 21.09.2024, 00:51

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Against Apion is a polemical work written by Flavius Josephus as a defense of Judaism as a classical religion and philosophy against criticism by Apion, stressing its antiquity against what he perceived as more recent traditions of the Greeks. One of his main sources was Menander of Ephesus. Against Apion cites Josephus' earlier work Antiquities of the Jews, so can be dated after C.E. 94. It was possibly written in the early second century.