DescriptionThe Prince has long been both praised and reviled for its message of moral relativism and political expediency. Although a large part is devoted to the mechanics of gaining and staying in power, Machiavelli's end purpose is to maintain a just and stable government. He is not ambiguous in stating his belief that committing a small cruelty to avert a larger one is not only justifiable, but required of a just ruler. Machiavelli gives a vivid portrayal of his world: the chaos and tumult of early 16th-century Florence, Italy and Europe. He uses both his contemporary political situation and that of the classical period to illustrate his precepts of statecraft.
DescriptionAncient Greece was the most fascinating and influential civilization of all time, and this concise history tells you why. From the Myceneans and Minoans to the Spartans and Athenians, the full panoply of Greek civilization is represented in this short wor…
DescriptionPhilosophy professor Christina Sommers has exposed a disturbing development: how a group of zealots, claiming to speak for all women, are promoting a dangerous new agenda that threatens our most cherished ideals and sets women against men in all spheres of life. In case after case, Sommers shows how these extremists have propped up their arguments with highly questionable but well-funded research, presenting inflammatory and often inaccurate information and stifling any semblance of free and open scrutiny. Trumpeted as orthodoxy, the resulting "findings" on everything from rape to domestic abuse to economic bias to the supposed crisis in girls' self-esteem perpetuate a view of women as victims of the "patriarchy". Who Stole Feminism? is a call to arms that will enrage or inspire, but cannot be ignored.
DescriptionThe 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.
DescriptionIn this collection of works by mystical poet Kahlil Gibran, the human soul is presented as essentially noble and good. Published in 1923, The Prophet was a best seller and has been translated into more than 20 languages. A series of 28 related prose poems, the book begins with a discourse on love and then turns to everyday concerns and to such higher matters as good and evil, religion, and death. In The Forerunner, published in 1920, Gibran makes clear that we are masters of our own destiny and not the toys of a blind fate. Finally, The Madman, published in 1918, asserts that we tend to be what society expects from us, even when these expectations might be detrimental to the development of our self-identity.
DescriptionPreeminent 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. This champion of the Enlightenment's merciless satire, unorthodox views, and enmity to organized religion were a source of irritation to the political and religious authorities of his day.
DescriptionThis is an ideal introduction to the ideas of a man whom many regard as the greatest thinker of our time. Here we encounter the stages in the development of his unique philosophy of consciousness, his key intellectual breakthroughs, his theory of history, and his diagnosis of the political ills of the modern age. The book provides a veritable catalog of the thinkers who created the intellectual foundation of the twentieth century. Voegelin's association with and recollection of these men provide fresh insight into their thought as well. Voegelin discusses their contributions to his own development and to the consciousness of the age. In the course of these reminiscences there emerges a portrait of a man of wit, courage, affability, and principle.
DescriptionIn 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.
DescriptionCan ancient Chinese texts prove useful to today's business world? In keeping with the dictum that there is nothing new under the sun, this program presents selections adapted from the major writings of Confucius, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and many others, which offer ancient wisdom for doing business more effectively and humanely in this century and beyond. These selections cover such important issues as leadership, power, strategy, planning, negotiation, selling, personnel, education, quality, and ethics. Together they provide a remarkably consistent and practical vision for the executive who wishes to be on the cutting edge.
DescriptionConfucius and Mencius were 2 of China's most influential thinkers. From their perspectives, Professor Philip J. Ivanhoe examines the classical period of Chinese history (about 500 to 200 BC). This illuminating lecture explicates the central concerns of Chinese philosophy and religious thought, and contrasts them with their counterparts in the Western tradition.
