On the Way to Language by Martin Heidegger

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: fair

Heidegger's central ideas on the origin, nature, and significance of language.

What Is Called Thinking? by Martin Heidegger; J. Glenn Gray (Translator); Fred D. Wieck (Translator)

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Harper Perennial Modern Thought Ser. | Reading Level: fair

For an acquaintance with the thought of Heidegger, What Is Called Thinking? is as important as Being and Time. It is the only systematic presentation of the thinker's late philosophy and . . . it is perhaps the most exciting of his books.--Hannah Arendt

The Last Days of Socrates by Christopher Rowe (Notes by, Introduction by, Translator); Harold Tarrant (Introduction by); Plató

$10.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Penguin Classics | Reading Level: very good

"Consider just this, and give your minds to this alone: whether or not what I say is just"   Plato's account of Socrates' trial and death (399 BC) is a significant moment in Classical literature and the life of Classical Athens. In these four dialogues, Plato develops the Socratic belief in responsibi lity for one's self and shows Socrates living and dying under his philosophy. In Euthyphro, Socrates debates goodness outside the courthouse; Apology sees him in court, rebutting all charges of impiety; in Crito, he refuses an entreaty to escape from prison; and in Phaedo, Socrates faces his impending death with calmness and skilful discussion of immortality. Christopher Rowe's introduction to his powerful new translation examines the book's themes of identity and confrontation, and explores how its content is less historical fact than a promotion of Plato's Socratic philosophy.   For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. ...Show more

The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Routledge Classics | Reading Level: very good

The Conquest of Happinessis Bertrand Russell’s recipe for good living. First published in 1930, it pre-dates the current obsession with self-help by decades. Leading the reader step by step through the causes of unhappiness and the personal choices, compromises and sacrifices that (may) lead to the fi nal, affirmative conclusion of ‘The Happy Man’, this is popular philosophy, or even self-help, as it should be written. ...Show more

Nation and Narration by Homi K. Bhabha (Editor)

$18.00 NZD

Category: Literature | Reading Level: very good

Bhabha, in his preface, writes 'Nations, like narratives, lose their origins in the myths of time and only fully encounter their horizons in the mind's eye'.From this seemingly impossibly metaphorical beginning, this volume confronts the realities of the concept of nationhood as it is lived and the prof ound ambivalence of language as it is written. From Gillian Beer's reading of Virginia Woolf, Rachel Bowlby's cultural history of Uncle Tom's Cabin and Francis Mulhern's study of Leaviste's 'English ethics'; to Doris Sommer's study of the 'magical realism' of Latin American fiction and Sneja Gunew's analysis of Australian writing, Nation and Narration is a celebration of the fact that English is no longer an English national consciousness, which is not nationalist, but is the only thing that will give us an international dimension. ...Show more

Descartes by A.C. Grayling

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

Scientist, mathematician, traveller, soldier - and spy - Rene Descartes has been called the 'father of modern philosophy'. Born in 1596 into an era still dominated by the medieval mindset, he was one of the chief actors in the riveting drama that ushered in the modern world. His life coincided with an e xtraordinarily significant time in history - the first half of the miraculous seventeenth century, replete with genius in the arts and sciences, and wracked by civil and international conflicts across Europe. Before his death in 1650, Descartes made immense contributions to an exceptionally wide range of fields and disciplines, and his assertion 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am') has become one of the most famous maxims in all philosophy. He was the very archetype of a 'Renaissance man', and yet surprisingly little is known about him. Drawing on new research and his own insights as one of our leading philosophers, A. C. Grayling presents a stunningly accessible and fascinating portrait of the man and the remarkable era in which he lived. ...Show more

Nomadic Subjects - Embodiment and Sexual Difference in Contemporary Feminist Theory by Rosi Braidotti

$18.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Gender and Culture Ser. | Reading Level: very good

Nomadic Subjects argues for a new kind of philosophical thinking, one that would include the insights of feminism and abandon the hegemonic mode that is conventionally adopted in high theory. Braidotti's personal, surprising, and lively prose insists on an integration of feminism in mainstream discourse . The essays explore problems that are central to current feminist debates including Western epistemology's relation to the "woman question," feminism and biomedical ethics, European feminism, and how American feminists might relate to European movements. ...Show more

Culture and Value by Ludwig Wittgenstein; George H. Von Wright (Editor); Peter Winch (Translator)

$14.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

Peter Winch's translation of Wittgenstein's remarks on culture and value presents all entries chronologically, with the German text alongside the English and a subject index for reference. "It was Wittgenstein's habit to record his thoughts in sequences of more or less closely related 'remarks' which h e kept in notebooks throughout his life. The editor of this collection has gone through these notebooks in order to select those 'remarks' which deal with Wittgenstein's views abou the less technical issues in his philosophy. So here we have Wittgenstein's thoughts about religion, music, architecture, the nature of philosophy, the spirit of our times, genius, being Jewish, and so on. The work is a masterpiece by a mastermind."-Leonard Linsky ...Show more

Acastos - Two Platonic Dialogues by Iris Murdoch

$15.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy

"Witty and profound" musings on questions of art and religion from a celebrated novelist known for her philosophical explorations (Library Journal). For centuries, the works of Plato, featuring his mentor and teacher Socrates, have illuminated philosophical discussions. In Acastos: Two Platonic Dialogue s, acclaimed philosopher, poet, and writer Iris Murdoch turns her keen eye to the value of art, knowledge, and faith, with two dramatic conversations featuring Plato and Socrates. "Art and Eros" After witnessing a theatrical performance, Socrates and his pupils--Callistos, Acastos, Mantias, Deximenes, and Plato--undertake a quest to uncover the meaning and worth of artistic endeavors. "Above the Gods" The celebration of a religious festival leads to a lively discussion of the gods and their place in society, as Socrates, along with several of his followers, talk about the morality of religion, wisdom, and righteousness. Told through vivid characterizations and lively discourse, Acastos is at once a "profound and satisfying" exploration of the Socratic method and an enjoyable example of theatrical writing from a Man Booker Prize-winning novelist known for her studies with Ludwig Wittgenstein and her philosophy lectures at Oxford University, as well as for such works of fiction as The Sea, The Sea and The Black Prince (Kirkus Reviews). ...Show more

A Dictionary of Common Philosophical Terms by Gregory Pence

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

$8.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Series: Penguin Civic Classics | Reading Level: near fine

In time for the upcoming election season, Penguin presents a series of six portable, accessible, and--above all--essential reads from American political history, selected by leading scholars. Series editor Richard Beeman, author of "The Penguin Guide to the U.S. Constitution," draws together the great t exts of American civic life, including the founding documents, pivotal historical speeches, and important Supreme Court decisions, to create a timely and informative mini-library of perennially vital issues. "Common Sense" is the book that created the modern United States, as Paine's incendiary call for Americans to revolt against British rule converted millions to the cause of independence and set out a vision of a just society. Published anonymously in 1776, six months before the Declaration of Independence, "Common Sense" was a radical and impassioned call for America to free itself and set up an independent republican government. Savagely attacking hereditary kingship and aristocratic institutions, Paine urged a new beginning for his adopted country in which personal freedom and social equality would be upheld and economic and cultural progress encouraged. His pamphlet was the first to speak directly to a mass audience--it went through fifty-six editions within a year of publication--and its assertive and often caustic style embodied the democratic spirit he advocated. ...Show more

On Equilibrium by John Ralston Saul

$12.00 NZD

Category: Philosophy | Reading Level: very good

In 'On Equlibrium', John Ralston Saul explains how our different qualities give us the intelligence, self-confidence and practical ability to think and act as responsible individuals. In this book he treats a number of fundamental questions about the human condition, such as 'What are ethics?' and 'What is intuition?'. ...Show more