Philosophical books from England
Recommended philosophical books (10)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you are into philosophical here are some philosophical books from England for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge.
1.
Fermat's Last Theorem : The Story of a Riddle that Confounded the World's Greatest Minds for 358 Years by Simon Singh EN
Description:
This is the story of the solving of a puzzle that has confounded mathematicians since the 17th century, but which every child can understand. It includes the fascinating story of Andrew Wiles who finally cracked the code.
2.
Description:
The Leviathan is the vast unity of the State. But how are unity, peace and security to be attained? Hobbes's answer is sovereignty, but the resurgence of interest today in Leviathan is due less to its answers than its methods. Hobbes sees politics as a science capable of the same axiomatic approach as geometry: he argues from first principles to human nature to politics. This book's appeal to the twentieth century lies not just in its elevation of politics to a science, but in its overriding concern for peace.
3.
Manalive by G. K. Chesterton EN
Description:
Light-hearted work introduces Innocent Smith, a bubbly, eccentric gentleman of questionable character, into the lives of a group of young disillusioned people -- and the result is inspired, high-spirited nonsense.
4.
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill EN
Description:
In his much quoted, seminal work, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill attempts to establish standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. He emphasizes the importance of individuality which he conceived as a prerequisite to the higher pleasures-the summum bonum of Utilitarianism. Published in 1859, On Liberty presents one of the most eloquent defenses of individual freedom and is perhaps the most widely-read liberal argument in support of the value of liberty.
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The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene EN
Description:
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY JAMES WOOD Scobie, a police officer serving in a war-time West African state, is distrusted, being scrupulously honest and immune to bribery. But then he falls in love, and in doing so he is forced to betray everything he believes in, with drastic and tragic consequences.
7.
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia by Samuel Johnson EN
Description:
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, leaves the easy life of the Happy Valley, accompanied by his sister Nekayah, her attendant Pekuah, and the much-travelled philosopher Imlac. There journey takes them to Egypt, where they study the various conditions of men's lives, before returning home in a `conclusion in which nothing is concluded'. Johnson's tale is not only a satire on optimism, but also an expression of truth about the human mind and its infinite capacity for hope.
8.
The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton EN
Description:
G. K. Chesterton's surreal masterpiece is a psychological thriller that centers on seven anarchists in turn-of-the-century London who call themselves by the names of the days of the week. Chesterton explores the meanings of their disguised identities in what is a fascinating mystery and, ultimately, a spellbinding allegory. As Jonathan Lethem remarks in his Introduction, The real characters are the ideas. Chesterton's nutty agenda is really quite simple: to expose moral relativism and parlor nihilism for the devils he believes them to be. This wouldn't be interesting at all, though, if he didn... continue
10.
Wintering : The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May EN
Description:
THE RUNAWAY NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Katherine May opens up exactly what I and so many need to hear but haven't known how to name.” —Krista Tippett, On Being “Every bit as beautiful and healing as the season itself. . . . This is truly a beautiful book.” —Elizabeth Gilbert "Proves that there is grace in letting go, stepping back and giving yourself time to repair in the dark...May is a clear-eyed observer and her language is steady, honest and accurate—capturing the sense, the beauty and the latent power of our resting landscapes." —Wall Street Journal From the author of the New York Times b... continue