Modern Thought

Evil threatens human reason, for it challenges our hope that the world makes sense. For 18th-century Europeans, the Lisbon earthquake was manifest evil. Today we view evil as a matter of human cruelty, and Auschwitz as its extreme incarnation. Examining our understanding of evil from the Inquisition to contemporary terrorism, Susan Neiman explores who we have become in the three centuries that separate us from the early Enlightenment. In the process, she rewrites the history of modern thought and points philosophy back to the questions that originally animated it.

A Thousand Plateaus continues the work Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari began in Anti-Oedipus and has now become established as one of the classic studies of the development of critical theory in the late twentieth century. It occupies an important place at the center of the debate reassessing...

Read by the author, Donald J. Robertson. 'One of the best books ever written on the power and practicality of philosophy for building a good and successful life' Tom Morris, bestselling author of Plato's Lemonade Stand and Stoicism for Dummies How can we apply the teachings of the greatest...

Lost in Thought is a passionate and timely reminder that a rich life is a life rich in thought. Today, when even the humanities are often defended only for their economic or political usefulness, Hitz says our intellectual lives are valuable not despite but because of their practical uselessness. And while anyone can have an intellectual life, she encourages academics in particular to get back in touch with the desire to learn for its own sake and calls on universities to return to the person-to-person transmission of the habits of mind and heart that bring out the best in us.

Explore the fierce intellectual battles of political philosophy that forged our concepts of justice and democracy. Perfect for your morning commute or deep-focus listening, this thought-provoking journey demystifies the profound questions of human governance. From ancient myths to the...

Step into the intellectual history of the Age of Reason, where radical philosophy dismantled monarchs to spark democracy. Perfect for a stimulating morning commute or an afternoon of deep focus, this thought-provoking journey transports you directly into the bustling coffeehouses and salons of...

In this, his most influential work, legal theorist and political philosopher Carl Schmitt argues that liberalism’s basis in individual rights cannot provide a reasonable justification for sacrificing oneself for the state—a critique as cogent today as when it first appeared. George...

'You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames'. Bougainville, 1991. A small village on a...

Master Western philosophy and sharpen your critical thinking on your daily commute with this thought-provoking journey. Explore the fundamental questions of human existence without getting bogged down by dense academic jargon. This accessible narrative transforms history into an engaging...

Discover how the ancient wisdom of Eastern philosophy and Zen practice can bring profound meaning to your modern life. Perfect for a contemplative morning commute or a quiet evening unwinding, this immersive historical journey transforms abstract doctrines into lived experience. Explore how...

Bloomsbury presents 101 Great Philosophers: Makers of Modern Thought by Madsen Pirie read by Tom Lawrence 101 Great Philosophers is a concise and accessible guide to 101 of the greatest minds that contributed to the legacy of western philosophy. From the ancient Greeks to present-day thinkers...

Vividly written, The Infidel and the Professor is a compelling account of a great friendship of two towering Enlightenment thinkers that had great consequences for modern thought. David Hume is widely regarded as the most important philosopher ever to write in English, but during his lifetime, he was attacked as "the Great Infidel" for his skeptical religious views and deemed unfit to teach the young. In contrast, Adam Smith was a revered professor of moral philosophy and is now often hailed as the founding father of capitalism.

Kaleidoscopic culture critic Chuck Klosterman rewrites the history of reality in an “ingenious” (Kirkus Reviews) work of speculative nonfiction based on a question that has never been considered or (in all likelihood) even asked: What if The Beatles had only developed a cult following while...

Written in the intense political and intellectual tumult of the early years of the Weimar Republic, Political Theology develops the distinctive theory of sovereignty that made Carl Schmitt one of the most significant and controversial political theorists of the twentieth century. Focusing on the...

Brought to you by Penguin. A sweeping history of capitalism as seen through the eyes of its fiercest critics At a time when we are faced with fundamental questions about the sustainability and morality of the economic system, Capitalism and Its Critics provides a kaleidoscopic history of global...

Zen Buddhism is a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism that originated in China and is strongly focused on meditation. It is characteristically sceptical towards language and distrustful of conceptual thought, which explains why Zen Buddhist sayings are so enigmatic and succinct. But despite Zen...

Master the epic history of political philosophy and discover how ancient battles for justice shape modern democracy. Perfect for an intellectual morning commute, this thought-provoking journey traces the relentless human quest for order, freedom, and authority across three thousand years...

Master the political philosophy driving human history's greatest struggles for power, justice, and civic order. Perfect for an engaging morning commute or an evening of deep focus, this thought-provoking journey connects ancient debates to modern governance. Witness how abstract theories sparked...

Discover ancient spiritual history and practical mindfulness to conquer stress in today's demanding, fast-paced world. Whether you are navigating personal uncertainty or seeking a calming escape from daily anxiety, this grounded exploration traces Eastern philosophy from its earliest roots...

Discover the intellectual history and radical philosophy that dismantled absolute power and birthed the modern mind. Perfect for an intellectually stimulating commute, this immersive deep dive transports you to a Europe scarred by religious wars and ruled by tyrants. Watch as a rebellious...