18 books like Candide
History of the rise and influence of the spirit of rationalism in Europe
In "History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe," William Edward Hartpole Lecky embarks on a profound exploration of the intellectual currents that shaped European thought from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. This meticulously researched work is characterized by its rigorous scholarship and clarity of writing, effectively dissecting the philosophical…
Shares: Enlightenment, Philosophy, History
Meditations
Meditations is a collection of personal reflections and notes by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (reigned 161 to 180 AD), offering a profound look into the philosophy of Stoicism. It was never intended for publication, making it a raw and intimate self-help manual for the emperor during his campaigns and rule. The central theme revolves around living a good, rational, and virtuous life in…
Shares: Life, Conduct of life, Classics, Philosophy
Philosopher's Joke
Shares: Humor, Philosophy
A continuation of the exercises, in Scurrility HallIsaac Hunt
A continuation of the exercises, in Scurrility Hall
Shares: Politics and government, Humor
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical work by the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Through dialogue, three fictional characters named Demea, Philo, and Cleanthes debate the nature of God's existence. 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,…
Shares: Enlightenment, Philosophy, History
Feeling is the Secret
Your thoughts shape your life, create your reality, and ultimately limit or expand your true potential. This book describes how our thoughts and feelings affect who we become and what we achieve. When we have the power to change them, we gain the power to change our circumstances, our health, and our life's purpose.
"The world, and all within it, is man's conditioned consciousness objectified.…
Shares: Classics, Philosophy
The Problem of China
This book is A must read for anyone looking to understand a historical perspective and how Mr. Russell's China compares to today's rising Dragon.
Shares: Civilization, Politics and government, Philosophy, History
Les Dieux Ont Soif
Academic historians probably read historical novels in two ways: as general readers and as experts on a period. At a guess, Anatole France’s Les dieux ont soif (1912) is not likely to satisfy under either heading. The academic historian can probably get over the historical goofs: active citizens in 1793, Federalists as decentralizers, the Revolutionary Tribunal of Paris not having a jury, and so…
Shares: Literatura francesa, History
Nathan der Weise
Nathan the Wise (original German title: Nathan der Weise) is the last play published by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. The play was published in 1779; its world premiere took place only in 1783, two years after Lessing's death, at the Döbbelinsches Theater in Berlin. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. Set in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade, just after the 1187 taking of Jerusalem by…
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The reapers are the angels
Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.
For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart.…
Shares: Life, Philosophy
The Natural Mind - Waking Up
In The Natural Mind - Waking Up, the author deconstructs questions such as "do you know why you think the way you do? Do you know why you say the things you do? Do you know why you behave the way you do?", and hundreds like them, through topics that includes litter, war, love, supermarkets, banking, electricity, and desire. In such a diverse range of issues, one cannot help but be drawn in to a…
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Political Thought of Hume and His Contemporaries
"Intended for scholars in the fields of political theory, and the history of political thought, this two-volume examines David Hume's Political Thought (1711-1776) and that of his contemporaries, including Smith, Blackstone, Burke and Robertson. This book is unified by its temporal focus on the middle and later decades of the eighteenth century and hence on what is usually taken to be the core…
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The road to Little Dribbling
Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to discover and celebrate that green and pleasant land. The result was Notes from a Small Island, one of the bestselling travel books ever written. Now he has traveled about Britain again, by bus and train and rental car and on foot, to see what has changed -- and what hasn't. Following a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis…
Shares: Civilization, Humor, History
Précis de décomposition
"Toute idée devrait être neutre ; mais l'homme l'anime, y projette ses flammes et ses démences : le passage de la logique à l'épilepsie est consommée... Ainsi naissent les mythologies, les doctrines, et les farces sanglantes. Point d'intolérance ou de prosélytisme qui ne révèle le fond bestial de l'enthousiasme.
Ce qu'il faut détruire dans l'homme, c'est sa propension à croire, son appétit de…
Shares: Life, Civilization, Philosophy
Pyongyang
A Westerner's visit into North Korea, told in the form of a graphic novel. Famously referred to as one of the "Axis of Evil" countries, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today. In early 2001 cartoonist Guy Delisle became one of the few Westerners to be allowed access to the fortresslike country. While living in the nation's capital for two months on…
Shares: Civilization, Politics and government, Humor
East of Eden
Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, California, this powerful, often brutal novel, follows the interwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations hopelessly re-enact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Here Steinbeck created some of his most memorable characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of…
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Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is the 1954 debut novel of British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of prepubescent British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves that lead to a descent into savagery. The novels themes include morality, leadership, and the tension between civility and chaos.
Shares: Classics
The Count of Monte Cristo
Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to use the treasure to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.
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