Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Philosophy

The secret to success has been around since our ancestors crawled out of their cave, and went looking for a Mastodon for lunch. It’s a positive attitude. But even those with that attitude need a boost now and then, and here’s an hour of great ideas to listen to on that commute, so you will hit the ground running. A story masterfully told by that voice from “Down Under”, Denis Daly.

The Divine Companion was the last work completed by James Allen and was published posthumously in 1919. Of the book, Allen himself wrote: "It is the story of my soul, and should be read last of all my books, so that the student may understand and find my message in its pages. Therefore hold it back until you have published everything else." The book is divided into three sections: The Divine Companion, The Divine Dialogue and The Divine Messages. The first section is an exploration of various aspects of truth.

Little is known of the life of Zen master Huang-Po (Obaku in Japanese). He was born in Fuzhou, China, and died about 850 AD. His main teacher was Pai Chang (Hyakujo) (720 - 814). The main source for Huang-Po's teaching is the Treatise of the Essentials of the Transmission of the Mind, compiled by his student, Pei Xiu. Huang-Po's teaching is focused on the concept of Mind, the essence of intrinsic Buddahood. According to the master, the search for enlightenment was a useless distraction, as seeking for something inevitably separates the seeker from what is being sought.

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.” Here are three of Thoreau’s most famous talks brought together in one volume. “Walking,” “Autumnal Tints,” and “Wild Apples” are all autumn essays—contemplative, deliberate, and insightful. They are profound reflections on nature, beauty, and our place in the world. In 1862, during Thoreau’s last weeks, he received a request from The Atlantic Monthly’s new editor, James Fields, to submit some of his work. These three were all published that year, after his death

Mary Wollstonecraft is the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy. She has been called Britain’s first feminist. Her daughter Mary Shelley is the author of the novel Frankenstein (1818). This biography was written by Elizabeth Robin Pennell. It was her first book, written before she was thirty. She was married that year to illustrator and artist Joseph Pennell.

In his book Pragmatism, William James attacked the transcendental, rationalist tradition in philosophy and tried to clear the ground for the doctrine he called radical empiricism. The book caused an uproar; it was greeted with praise, hostility, and ridicule. Determined to clarify the pragmatic conception of truth, James collected nine essays he had written on this subject before he wrote Pragmatism and six written later in response to criticisms of that volume by Bertrand Russell and others. He published the collection under the title "The Meaning of Truth" in 1909, the year before his death.

Thomas Troward (1847-1916) was the founder of a syncretic metaphysical system, which he called Mental Science. He claimed that his philosophy was supported by the Bible, which he quoted copiously in his various books. In this pamphlet, published while the First World War was raging, Troward sought to demonstrate that the prophetic utterances in the Bible indicated that his readers were living in the End Times. However, Troward claimed that this apocalyptic period was not the end of the world, but the end of an age.

Thomas Troward (1847-1916) was a divisional Judge in British-administered India. In his retirement, he became well known as a lecturer on metaphysical subjects and developed a unique New Thought philosophy, which he discussed in a number of books. The Law and the Word was published posthumously in 1917. The book explores the power of the word as the fundamental element in manifestation. Troward held the word to be the expression of the immutable law of creation and supports his claim with extensive citations from the Bible.

Socrates, perhaps the most famous philosopher of the ancient world, left no writings. The method of philosophical investigation for which he is celebrated has come down to us in the form of dialogues, composed by his student, Plato. The four dialogues in this collection are known by the names of the chief characters in each: Lysis, Charmides, Laches, and Euthyphro. As they fall into a more or less natural group due to the fact that each one deals with a single ethical abstract—friendship, temperance, courage, and piety, respectively—they have been renamed based on their subjects.

Lao Zi is believed to have been born in 604, during the Chou Dynasty. Little is known of his life and there is some speculation that he was mythical.

Mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell was prompted to write and publish Why Men Fight (in 1917) as he and the world were experiencing the Great War. Russell shares his thoughts on how to end war - not just between states, but also between classes and individuals.

A priest and a dying atheist engage in a final dialogue. Reason vs. faith, and in the end...

First published in 1872, The Martyrdom of Man has been described as the first synoptic history of mankind. It was one of the first surveys of history based on the then-controversial principle of organic evolution. The book received a very mixed reception: Cecil Rhodes lauded the work, stating that it had "made him the man he was", while William Ewart Gladstone stated that it was so dangerous that it should be banned.

In 1597, a series of witch trials were held in Scotland which resulted in about 200 executions. The Scottish King James VI (who became James I of England in 1603) took a great interest in the trials and was inspired to write Daemonologie, a text in which the detection and classification of acts of sorcery and the resulting judicial processes are discussed in the form of a Socratic dialogue.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher and writer best known for leading the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was also a heavy influence in romanticism or the Romantic era. Through his lectures, essays, and poems, Emerson championed individualism and following one's intuition, believing one will become a more moral and idealistic person in so doing. This collection is eight of Emerson's essays from The First Series published in 1841 and The Second Series published in 1844 including "Self-Reliance", "Circles", and more.

American psychologist William James (1842-1910) was also a philosopher of considerable repute and borrowed the theory of pragmatism first put forward by Charles Peirce to help form his own interpretation of the philosophy. Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking is based on the notion that the meaning of any idea is valid only if it works both experientially and practically. The book consists of a series of eight lectures, delivered at the Lowell Institute in Boston in November and December of 1906, and at Columbia University in January 1907.

In the foreword the author says: "When the light of wisdom is introduced into the darkened understanding, confusion vanishes, difficulties are dissolved, all things are seen in their true place and proportion, and henceforth the man walks open-eyed and unhurt, in the clear light of wise comprehension."

Henry David Thoreau discusses walking, the importance of nature, and the human need for walking in the wilderness.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the adopted son of the Emperor Antoninus Pius and ruled from 161 to 180. His Meditations or "discourses with himself" were written in Greek between 170 CE and 180 CE, mostly while he was on military campaigns. Jeremy Collier's translation, while lacking the accuracy of the more famous translation by George Long, has a particular verve and color, imparting a vigor that is often lacking in the original text.

The 55 minutes you spend listening to this audiobook can be magical. Some of these stories and ponderings will be understood clearly, while others may elude you, but not to worry, you will want to listen several times, and the meaning will come to you. Like all great writing, these stories will remain with you.