Examined Lives

Examined Lives PDF

Author: James Miller

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2011-01-04

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1429957166

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A New York Times Notable Book for 2011 We all want to know how to live. But before the good life was reduced to ten easy steps or a prescription from the doctor, philosophers offered arresting answers to the most fundamental questions about who we are and what makes for a life worth living. In Examined Lives, James Miller returns to this vibrant tradition with short, lively biographies of twelve famous philosophers. Socrates spent his life examining himself and the assumptions of others. His most famous student, Plato, risked his reputation to tutor a tyrant. Diogenes carried a bright lamp in broad daylight and announced he was "looking for a man." Aristotle's alliance with Alexander the Great presaged Seneca's complex role in the court of the Roman Emperor Nero. Augustine discovered God within himself. Montaigne and Descartes struggled to explore their deepest convictions in eras of murderous religious warfare. Rousseau aspired to a life of perfect virtue. Kant elaborated a new ideal of autonomy. Emerson successfully preached a gospel of self-reliance for the new American nation. And Nietzsche tried "to compose into one and bring together what is fragment and riddle and dreadful chance in man," before he lapsed into catatonic madness. With a flair for paradox and rich anecdote, Examined Lives is a book that confirms the continuing relevance of philosophy today—and explores the most urgent questions about what it means to live a good life.

Beyond Words

Beyond Words PDF

Author: Russell Richard

Publisher:

Published: 2021-06-30

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780578874531

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Inspired by the unprecedented events of 2020, Beyond Words, An Intersection of Philosophy, Inspiration and Poetry brings to life a mosaic of thoughts and perspectives about subjects and emotions born of human experience and illuminated by a year gripped by wonderment and uncertainty. The year was possibly the most tumultuous year in modern history. It challenged the fortitude of humanity; stretched the fabric of society; and stress-tested governments and institutions worldwide. Through seemingly endless, exhausting news cycles, the world was force-fed a daily diet of crises: a global pandemic, world economic stress, political upheaval across the globe, racial injustice and inequality, public health disparities, wildfires and other global disasters, unemployment, homelessness, food insecurity, devastating hurricanes and flooding, United States Presidential Election and the discovery of a COVID-19 vaccine.This book's perspective about subjects predisposed by the events of 2020 showcase myriad of suggestions relating to life, hope, the future and other subjects. Although these subjects have been contemplated by cultures throughout history, the events of 2020 magnified them through pervasive technology and greater awareness about the subjects and their influence on how humanity thinks and lives. The book uses philosophy, inspiration and poetry to narrate nonfictional themes that inspire thought about personal beliefs and create the opportunity to consider ideas that go beyond conventional and superficial points of view. As you gaze into the window of emotions surrounding these thoughts, you may see reflections of your own emotions. It may prompt an examination of your own beliefs and inspire how you can best navigate an uncertain future.

The Three-Minute Philosopher

The Three-Minute Philosopher PDF

Author: Fabrice Midal

Publisher: Running Press Adult

Published: 2021-05-04

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 0762474262

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French philosophy and meditation expert Fabrice Midal's The Three-Minute Philosopher includes forty brief essays for tapping into a deeper understanding of your existence, with experiences that will transform, enlighten, and invite you to see the world in a new way. Philosophy takes us by surprise. It challenges us, awakens us, and opens our minds. It does not tell us to be "wise" or to be a perfect being, but instead to nurture our own humanity. Philosophical thinking is the antithesis of the rampant dogmatism that dominates so much public discussion, of the vehemently expressed opinions of those who think they know everything and who insist you agree with them. Self-proclaimed experts tell us to listen to and obey their injunctions, but philosophers encourage us to think for ourselves. After all, philosophy addresses what makes us human and helps us navigate everyday life, from dealing with that annoying colleague at work, to the panic of realizing that your fridge is empty when guests arrive out of the blue. Fabrice Midal teaches the power of trusting in our own thoughts and strengthening our connection to humanity, as he guides us through the inspirational ideas of forty writers, artists, thinkers, and seers from Baudelaire to Nietzsche, Emily Dickinson to Toni Morrison, Pablo Picasso to James Baldwin, and of course, Socrates to Aristotle. Simple, smart, and approachable, Midal's three-minute essays ask us to step back, reflect, and meditate, and encourage us to think about the world a little differently.

The Philosophy of Inspiration

The Philosophy of Inspiration PDF

Author: Andrew Jackson Davis

Publisher:

Published: 2005-12-01

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13: 9781425360467

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This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Semblance and Event

Semblance and Event PDF

Author: Brian Massumi

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2011-09-30

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0262297256

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An investigation of the “occurrent arts” through the concepts of the “semblance” and “lived abstraction.” Events are always passing; to experience an event is to experience the passing. But how do we perceive an experience that encompasses the just-was and the is-about-to-be as much as what is actually present? In Semblance and Event, Brian Massumi, drawing on the work of William James, Alfred North Whitehead, Gilles Deleuze, and others, develops the concept of “semblance” as a way to approach this question. It is, he argues, a question of abstraction, not as the opposite of the concrete but as a dimension of it: “lived abstraction.” A semblance is a lived abstraction. Massumi uses the category of the semblance to investigate practices of art that are relational and event-oriented—variously known as interactive art, ephemeral art, performance art, art intervention—which he refers to collectively as the “occurrent arts.” Each art practice invents its own kinds of relational events of lived abstraction, to produce a signature species of semblance. The artwork's relational engagement, Massumi continues, gives it a political valence just as necessary and immediate as the aesthetic dimension.

The World Philosophy Made

The World Philosophy Made PDF

Author: Scott Soames

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2021-11-16

Total Pages: 458

ISBN-13: 069122918X

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How philosophy transformed human knowledge and the world we live in Philosophical investigation is the root of all human knowledge. Developing new concepts, reinterpreting old truths, and reconceptualizing fundamental questions, philosophy has progressed—and driven human progress—for more than two millennia. In short, we live in a world philosophy made. In this concise history of philosophy's world-shaping impact, Scott Soames demonstrates that the modern world—including its science, technology, and politics—simply would not be possible without the accomplishments of philosophy. Firmly rebutting the misconception of philosophy as ivory-tower thinking, Soames traces its essential contributions to fields as diverse as law and logic, psychology and economics, relativity and rational decision theory. Beginning with the giants of ancient Greek philosophy, The World Philosophy Made chronicles the achievements of the great thinkers, from the medieval and early modern eras to the present. It explores how philosophy has shaped our language, science, mathematics, religion, culture, morality, education, and politics, as well as our understanding of ourselves. Philosophy's idea of rational inquiry as the key to theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom has transformed the world in which we live. From the laws that govern society to the digital technology that permeates modern life, philosophy has opened up new possibilities and set us on more productive paths. The World Philosophy Made explains and illuminates as never before the inexhaustible richness of philosophy and its influence on our individual and collective lives.

Everyday Inspiration

Everyday Inspiration PDF

Author: Wayne Visser

Publisher:

Published: 2023-02-21

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781908875549

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"Every new beginning is just a first step away. Do you have hopes, dreams and wishes for the future? Or even just something you have been meaning to do, or longing to achieve? Why not make a start today towards making it happen? Nothing grand, nothing onerous, just take one small action to set you on your way. Cathedrals are built one stone at a time, and although they may take generations to complete, they would not exist at all if someone hadn't been bold enough to lay the first cornerstone." This sample extract on "beginnings" is typical of this collection of philosophical prose on the art of daily living, where each page contains a reflection on a different topic. It is a celebration of the wonder of life - its magical moments and meaningful mysteries, its powerful purpose and perplexing paradoxes. In bite-size portions of inspiration, you can enjoy a feast of ideas on subjects like art and ageing, books and beginnings, dreaming and dignity, flowers and friendship, love and loss, radicals and responsibility, success and silence, travel and touch. Every page is a new window on the worlds without and within.

A Defence of Nihilism

A Defence of Nihilism PDF

Author: James Tartaglia

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-21

Total Pages: 78

ISBN-13: 1000297381

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This book offers a philosophical defence of nihilism. The authors argue that the concept of nihilism has been employed pejoratively by almost all philosophers and religious leaders to indicate a widespread cultural crisis of truth, meaning, or morals. Many religious believers think atheism leads to moral chaos (because it leads to nihilism), and atheists typically insist that we can make life meaningful through our own actions (thereby avoiding nihilism). In this way, both sides conflate the cosmic sense of meaning at stake with a social sense of meaning. This book charts a third course between extremist and alarmist views of nihilism. It casts doubt on the assumption that nihilism is something to fear, or a problem which human culture should overcome by way of seeking, discovering, or making meaning. In this way, the authors believe that a revised understanding of nihilism can help remove a significant barrier of misunderstanding between religious believers and atheists. A Defence of Nihilism will be of interest to scholars and students in philosophy, religion, and other disciplines who are interested in questions surrounding the meaning of life.

Ion

Ion PDF

Author: Plato

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-09-04

Total Pages: 34

ISBN-13:

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DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Ion" by Plato. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.