Wydawnictwo Penguin Books Ltd (UK) - strona 20

One of the most important thinkers ever to write in English, the Empiricist David Hume liberated philosophy from the superstitious constraints of religion; here, he argues that all are free to choose between life and death, considers the nature...

Blending intellectual speculation with anecdote and personal reflection, the Renaissance thinker and writer Montaigne pioneered the modern essay. This selection contains his idiosyncratic and timeless writings on subjects as varied as the virtues...

These are Shakespeares greatest writings on power in all its forms - in love, in war, in politics and in the family. From Macbeths vaulting ambition to Richard IIs fragile grip on authority, from violent rivalries of King Lear to the exquisite poetry...

Charles Darwins seismic theory of evolution turned the Victorian world upside down, utterly rewrote our notions of life on earth, and is still attacked by religious creationists...

In one of the most influential philosophical works ever writer, John Stuart Mill explores the risks and responsibilities of liberty. Examining the tyranny that can come both from government and from the herd-like opinion of the majority, Mill proposes...

Michel de Montaigne was the originator of the modern essay form; in these diverse pieces he expresses his views on relationships, contemplates the idea that man is no different from any animal, argues that all cultures should be respected, and...

Machiavelli is one of the most famous strategists of all time. In this collection he discusses the dangers of conspiracies, and the component parts of an army, vital for gaining and holding power in his day. He also gives advice on tactics...

The founding father of modern political philosophy, Thomas Hobbes, living in an era of horrific violence, saw human life as meaningless and cruel; here, he argues the only way to escape this brutality is for all to accept a social contract...

John Ruskins insights into the need for individual artistic freedom, and his disdain for the mass-production art. of the Victorian era, radically altered societys perception of creative design and remain powerfully relevant to our ideas of beauty...

John Locke was one of the greatest figures of the Enlightenment, whose assertion that reason is the key to knowledge changed the face of philosophy. These writings on thought, ideas, perception, truth and language are some of the most influential in...

Not simply an investigation into melancholy, these unique essays form part of a panoramic celebration of human behaviour from the time of the ancients to the Renaissance. God, devils, old age, diet, drunkenness, love and beauty are each given...

Rousseaus explosive cry for human liberty helped to spark the French Revolution and has haunted our discussion of how we should rule one another ever since - seen as both a blueprint for political terror and as a fundamental statement of...

Describing the silliness and feminine fatuity of many popular books by lady novelists, George Eliot perfectly skewers the formulaic yet bestselling works that dominated her time, with their loveably flawed heroines. She also examines the great...

Woolfs blazing polemic on female creativity, the role of the writer, and the silent fate of Shakespeares imaginary sister remains a powerful reminder of a womans need for financial independence and intellectual...

Written during Karl Marxs brilliant career as a polemical journalist, these blazing pieces tackle subjects ranging from the strikes of angry British workers to insurrection in Europe, from the American Civil War to the misery of colonial rule in...

Today The Pronce is still seen as the Bible of realpolitik, read by strategists, businessmen and political animals everywhere as the ultimate guide to gaining and maintaining power in a dangerous...

Asearing vision of the human condition - Schopenhauers perception of the importance of art, morality and self-awareness in a blind struggle against a Godless, meaningless world radically transformed our understanding of the individual and remains...

The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their eloquence, lucidity and timeless...

Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust: hatred alone is immortal William HazlittWilliam Hazlitts tough, combative writings on subjects ranging from slavery to the imagination, boxing matches to the monarchy, established him...

William Jamess strong beliefs in a pragmatic theory of truth - that truth is only as relevant as its effect on us - lead to these absorbing essays on fact and belief. Within them is a fascinating theory of reality that suggests nothing is truly...