Popular philosophy

Har du oplevet at stå over for et menneske i sorg og ikke vide, hvad du skulle sige?Bliver det akavet og pinligt, når I er sammen?Er du bange for at såre og gøre ondt værre?Føler du måske ligefrem, at du svigter en, du holder af, fordi du ikke ved, hvordan du kan hjælpe?"Dus med døden" er en bog om at stå ved siden af en, der har mistet. Det kan være svært, men det kan heldigvis også blive nemmere. Bogen ruster dig til at føle dig bedre tilpas, når du møder en, der er i sorg – og at gøre dem bedre tilpas i dit selskab. Så lad os komme af med tavsheden, akavetheden og flosklerne og gøre det hele lidt mindre farligt at gå til.Marie-Louise Vianello og Mette Bendixen har begge oplevet at miste et menneske, der stod dem meget nært. Sammen har de skrevet bogen "Dus med døden", der giver råd og vejledning til pårørende til dem, der har mistet.

Avspända samtal med vänner i en avskild och trivsam miljö är ibland det bästa sättet att närma sig tillvarons gåtor. En av dem är om Gud finns och verkligen påverkar vår tillvaro? Väldigt många tror det, andra tror att vetenskap är bästa sättet att utforska det vi kallar för verkligheten? Men vad är sanning och vad är kunskap? Enligt Einstein är vårt jättelika universum begripligt, men vad döljer sig bortom människans intellektuella horisont? Kan vi någonsin förstå det ofattbara?Hans Christian Cars är en svensk författare. Han har skrivit flera historiskt förlagda romaner, som ofta utspelar sig under Kalla kriget.

Aristotle's Poetics is best known for its definition and analysis of tragedy and comedy, but it also applies to truth and beauty as they are manifested in the other arts. In our age, when the natural and social sciences have dominated the quest for truth, it is helpful to consider why Aristotle claimed: "poetry is more philosophical and more significant than history." Like so many other works by Aristotle, the Poetics has dominated the way we have thought about all forms of dramatic performance in Europe and America ever since. The essence of poetry lies in its ability to transcend the particulars of everyday experience and articulate universals, not merely what has happened but what might happen and what ought to happen. Perhaps the greatest tribute to Aristotle comes from St. Thomas Aquinas who, in the 13th century, simply referred to him as "the Philosopher" and called him the master of those who know. Born in northeastern Greece, Aristotle went to Athens as a young man to study in Plato’s Academy where he remained for more than 20 years. When Plato died, he left the Academy, and four years later he returned to Macedonia to tutor the king’s son who quickly became Alexander the Great, the ruler of most of the civilized world. Like Plato, Aristotle’s writings extend far beyond what we currently call philosophy, including the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

- Este audiolibro está narrado en Español neutral.Zaratustra se presenta como el profeta supremo fuente de sabiduría, un ermitaño que vive recluido en la montaña, donde a lo largo de su retiro reflexiona sobre la vida y la naturaleza del hombre. Cuando siente que es el momento adecuado, decide regresar al mundo para comunicar el fruto de su conocimiento. Así, esta obra narra los discursos que Zaratustra pronuncia entre los hombres para anunciar su nueva doctrina.Escrita en forma de fábula, y haciendo referencia a la Biblia y a la tradición cristiana, Zaratustra es un mesías que lleva al hombre la noticia de su salvación, proclamando el advenimiento del Übermensch o Superhombre.Toda la obra posee un carácter poético y se encuentra llena de símbolos y metáforas, expresadas en un brillante estilo, mezclando elementos narrativos, conceptuales y líricos. Es una obra peculiar que fusiona filosofía, literatura y poesía, y tuvo una profunda influencia en el ámbito cultural europeo del siglo XX. Así, la visión imaginaria del profeta, inspirado en Zoroastro, sirve como portavoz y como símbolo de las principales ideas de Nietzsche, como la muerte de Dios, la voluntad del poder y el eterno retorno de la vida. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) fue un filósofo, poeta, músico y filólogo alemán. Es considerado uno de los pensadores más relevantes del siglo XIX debido a la profunda influencia que su obra ha ejercido en la historia y la cultura occidental. Escribió sobre diversos temas como el arte, la historia, la religión, la ciencia y la filología, criticando a la cultura, la religión y la filosofía occidental mediante el análisis de conceptos y actitudes morales. Su célebre frase "Dios ha muerto" ha influenciado la agenda de muchos intelectuales, tales como Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze o Martin Heidegger. Al introducir una nueva cosmovisión que ha reorganizado el pensamiento del siglo XX, Nietzsche recibió un amplio reconocimiento como una figura significativa en la filosofía contemporánea. . Su influencia fue particularmente notoria en los filósofos existencialistas, críticos, fenomenológicos, postestructuralistas y posmodernos, y en la sociología contemporánea. Además, es considerado uno de los tres «maestros de la sospecha» (según la expresión de Paul Ricoeur), junto a Karl Marx y Sigmund Freud.

Nel celeberrimo processo a Socrate, il filosofo viene accusato di corruzione dei giovani e di venerazione di una divinità non tradizionale. Nel corso del processo Socrate, ormai spacciato, si difende esponendo un’apologia, riportata da Platone, che è riecheggiata nella storia dei secoli. La "Apologia" è una dei quattro testi che narrano gli ultimi giorni di vita di Socrate.Platone (circa 428-348 d.C.) è stato un filosofo di Atene nel periodo classico dell’Antica Grecia. Il suo pensiero ha avuto un’influenza eccezionale nella storia della filosofia ed egli è spesso considerato il fondatore della filosofia politica occidentale. Alfred North Whitehead ha sostenuto che "tutta la storia della filosofia occidentale non è che una serie di note a margine su Platone".

These works articulate the most fundamental principles of Kant’s ethical and political world-view. "What is Enlightenment?" (1784) and "Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals" (1785) challenge all free people to think about the requirements for self-determination both in our individual lives and in our public and private institutions. Kant’s "Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals" is dedicated to the proposition that all people can know what they need to know to be honest, good, wise, and virtuous. The purpose of Kant’s moral philosophy is to help us become aware of the principles that are already contained within us. Innocence and dependence must be replaced with wisdom and good will if we are to avoid being vulnerable and misguided. According to Kant, freedom of thought leads naturally to freedom of action. When that happens, governments begin to treat human beings, not as machines, but as persons with dignity. Immanuel Kant begins "Toward Lasting Peace" by contrasting the realism of practical politicians with the high-minded theories of philosophers who "dream their sweet dreams." His opening line provides a grim reminder that the only alternative to finding a way to avoid the war of each against all is the lasting peace of the graveyard. The advent of total war and the development of nuclear weapons in the twentieth century give Kant’s reflections an urgency he could not have anticipated. Kant published this work in 1795, during the aftermath of the American Revolution and the French Revolution. The high hopes of the European Enlightenment had been dampened by the Reign of Terror in which tens of thousands of people died, and the perpetual cycle of war and temporary armistice seemed to be inescapable. Kant’s essay is best known as an early articulation of the idea of a league of nations that could bring "an end to all hostilities." Today The United Nations continues to pursue that dream, but lasting peace still seems to be wishful thinking.No modern philosopher is more important than Immanuel Kant. His works extend from epistemology and metaphysics to aesthetics, ethics, and political philosophy. His "Critical Philosophy" is developed in three major works: "The Critique of Pure Reason," "The Critique of Practical Reason," and "The Critique of Judgment." A German speaker, he was born in Prussia, an area that is now part of Poland. He never travelled more than 50 miles from his home in Königsberg, but his influence has since pervaded every aspect of Western culture.

"The Birth of Tragedy" stands alongside Aristotle’s "Poetics" as essential works for all who seek to understand poetry and its relationship to human life. In this, his first book, Nietzsche developed a way of thinking about the arts that unites the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus as the central symbol of human existence. Although tragedy serves as the focus of this work, music, visual art, dance, and the other arts can also be viewed using Nietzsche’s analysis and integration of the Apollonian and the Dionysian.Nietzsche opened the door to philosophy in the 20th century. He anticipated depth psychology, championed myth, attacked literalism in religion and the arts, placed humanity in an evolutionary perspective, and launched a critique of scientism that remains potent in the 21st century. Although he is often linked to the movement known as existentialism, Nietzsche’s overall work defies being placed in any single category.

The basic principles that Bergson articulates, especially his way of thinking about reality as a dynamic process and his view of human beings as creative and evolving, should be helpful to anyone who seeks to go beyond simply dealing with the practical demands of daily life and consider the nature of things. Of special importance is Bergson’s claim that it is both possible and necessary to know from the inside rather than confining our attention to external perspectives and points of view. Intuition is able to get beyond what is relative and place us inside reality. This essay is, as the title says, an introduction. But if we think there is more to a human being — and even to nature itself — than material structures alone, perhaps the time has come to take a fresh look at Bergson’s essay. In "An Introduction to Metaphysics," Bergson traces the demise of metaphysics to the failure of both scientific materialism and dogmatism and to the immense success of a kind of pragmatism that promised liberation from the fruitless battles among various schools of philosophy. He also rejects relativism and criticizes the vacuum that is created when philosophers refuse to inquire about the nature of reality. To avoid metaphysics easily leads to a worldview shaped by unexamined ideas and hidden presuppositions. Henri Bergson was born in the year that Darwin published the Origin of the Species. He could not have imagined the philosophical impact of evolutionary theory, which is now so great that Bergson’s philosophy, which emphasizes "creative evolution," is experiencing a significant revival. The basic principles that Bergson articulates, especially his way of thinking about reality as a dynamic process and his view of human beings as creative and evolving, should be helpful to anyone who seeks to go beyond simply dealing with the practical demands of daily life and consider the nature of things.

Socrates questions Ion, an actor who just won a major prize, about his ability to interpret the epic poetry of Homer. How does an actor, a poet, or any other artist create? Is it by knowing? Is it by inspiration? As the dialogue proceeds, the nature of human creativity emerges as a mysterious process and an unsolved puzzle. Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

René Descartes is often described as the first modern philosopher, but much of the content of his "Meditations on First Philosophy" can be found in the medieval period that had already existed for more than a thousand years. Does God exist? If so, what is his nature? Is the human soul immortal? How does it differ from the body? What role do sense experience and pure reason play in knowing? Descartes stands out from his predecessors because of the method he developed to treat these and other fundamental questions. Drawing on his study of mathematics, he searches for a way to establish absolutely certain conclusions based on indubitable premises. His importance in modern philosophy lies in the challenge he offers to every subsequent thinker in philosophy and science.The French philosopher Descartes is often called the "Father" of modern philosophy in the West. His Discourse on Method presents the reason why: his method of inquiry. He was the quintessential "rationalist," subjecting all sense experience as doubtful and untrustworthy. Rather than relying on external authority (whether from other people or from God), Descartes demands nothing less than absolute certainty that begins with the self and proceeds step by step with the rigor of logical and mathematical precision. Even though he claims that he has proved the existence of God and explained God’s nature, even that core tenet must be established through rigorous logical argument. No subsequent philosopher is able to ignore this bold and challenging foundation for all thinking. Those who become his disciples as well as those who reject his way of thinking are all under his spell. Many think they have broken that spell only to find that he has shaped them in ways that are not easy to escape.

After Socrates is sentenced to death by the Athenian court, his friend Crito comes to the prison to help him escape and go to another country. Socrates responds by saying that he would accept Crito’s offer only if he can be convinced that it is right and just to do so. This dialogue is not only about Socrates’ particular choice but also about the very essence of law and community.Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

Perception, memory, truth, and knowledge all play major roles in this dialogue. What is remarkable about Plato’s treatment of those ideas is how contemporary are both the questions and the answers he puts in the mouths of his characters. Socrates is adamant in asserting that he does not know the answers but that his function is simply to help formulate and critically examine the doctrines presented by others. While he was still alive, the great sophist Protagoras was a friend of Theodorus who has subsequently given up abstract philosophical inquiry and now teaches mathematics, astronomy, and logic to young people such as Theaetetus, the most gifted student he has ever encountered. Socrates examines young Theaetetus to determine whether or not what he has learned from Theodorus provides wisdom and truth. The analogies and metaphors that emerge during their conversation foreshadow the theories of mind favored by contemporary cognitive scientists, but Plato’s dialogue also raises serious doubts about the cogency of those explanations. Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

Whitehead presented these three lectures at Princeton University in 1929. Although 85 years have passed, his central thesis and his analysis remain remarkably current. The scientific materialism that Whitehead opposed with such vigor continues to dominate in academic circles, and even now those who question that worldview are often accused of being anti-scientific. This is especially true in discussions of the nature of the human mind and its relation to the body (particularly the brain). It is hard to find a contemporary thinker with a better perspective on the nature and role of natural science than Whitehead who, with Bertrand Russell, published the "Principia Mathematica" in 1910; who taught logic and mathematics at Trinity College of Cambridge University; who taught philosophy of science at University College London; and who was professor of philosophy at Harvard University beginning in 1924. Whitehead’s cosmology is far from anti-scientific, but he does explain why scientific method and technological practice alone are not able to provide a comprehensive understanding of the full range of human thought and experience. This work explains what we must do to achieve such a comprehensive understanding.Whitehead, with Bertrand Russell, published the "Principia Mathematica" in 1910; he taught logic and mathematics at Trinity College of Cambridge University; he taught philosophy of science at University College London — with special emphasis on the conceptual impact of contemporary physics; and he was professor of philosophy at Harvard University, beginning in 1924, where he taught metaphysics. Whitehead’s cosmology is far from anti-scientific, but he does explain why scientific method and technological practice alone are not able to provide a comprehensive understanding of the full range of human thought and experience.

Art is the creative manifestation of essences. In order to understand the relation between art and reality, we need a philosophical guide. The best way to comprehend how the creative act of imagining enables the mind to seek reality is to employ the kind of dialectical thinking that Plato used in his dialogues. Beginning with the shadows on the wall of the cave in which each person dwells, that process gradually enables us to grasp the essences that are manifested in individual works of art. Without a philosophical guide, we are likely to encounter only a blur of images in the visual arts, a cacophony of sounds in music, a whirl of activity in the theater, and chaos in the building of cities. It is too much to expect a set of final answers to any serious question about what is true, good, or beautiful. If we abandon the quest for reality, we settle for too little. Plato’s dialectical approach offers a path between Scylla and Charybdis.Albert A. Anderson, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Babson College in Massachusetts, where he held an endowed chair as Murata Professor of Ethics from 1995 to 2003. He has also held tenured faculty appointments in philosophy at Clark University and Albion College and full-time positions at Bates College and Rhode Island School of Design. He was a founding member of the International Society for Universal Dialogue serving as its president from 1996-2001. He joined Edward Casey in translating from French "The Phenomenology of Aesthetic Experience" by Mikel Dufrenne (Northwestern University Press). He is president of Agora Publications, Inc., which specializes in translating, adapting, and performing classical philosophical texts.

Hippias of Elis travels throughout the Greek world practicing and teaching the art of making beautiful speeches. On a rare visit to Athens, he meets Socrates who questions him about the nature of his art. Socrates is especially curious about how Hippias would define beauty. They agree that "beauty makes all beautiful things beautiful," but when Socrates presses him to say precisely what he means, Hippias is unable to deliver such a definition. The more Socrates probes, the more absurd the responses from Hippias become. This is one of Plato’s best comedies and one of his finest efforts at posing the philosophical problem of the difference between particular things and universal qualities.Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

The dramatic nature of Plato’s dialogues is delightfully evident in the "Symposium." The marriage between character and thought bursts forth as the guests gather at Agathon’s house to celebrate the success of his first tragedy. With wit and insight, they each present their ideas about love — from Erixymachus’s scientific naturalism to Aristophanes’ comic fantasy. The unexpected arrival of Alcibiades breaks the spell cast by Diotima’s ethereal climb up the staircase of love to beauty itself. Ecstasy and intoxication clash as Plato concludes with one of his most skillful displays of dialectic.Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

Socrates is in prison, sentenced to die when the sun sets. In this final conversation, he asks what will become of him once he drinks the poison prescribed for his execution. Socrates and his friends examine several arguments designed to prove that the soul is immortal. This quest leads him to the broader topic of the nature of mind and its connection not only to human existence but also to the cosmos itself. What could be a better way to pass the time between now and the sunset?Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

A dialogue between Socrates and Meno probes the subject of ethics. Can goodness be taught? If it can, then we should be able to find teachers capable of instructing others about what is good and bad, right and wrong, or just and unjust. Socrates and Meno are unable to identify teachers of ethics, and we are left wondering how such knowledge could be acquired. To answer that puzzle, Socrates questions one of Meno’s servants in an attempt to show that we know fundamental ideas by recollecting them.Plato lived in Athens, Greece. He wrote approximately two-dozen dialogues that explore core topics that are essential to all human beings. Although the historical Socrates was a strong influence on Plato, the character by that name that appears in many of his dialogues is a product of Plato’s fertile imagination. All of Plato’s dialogues are written in a poetic form that his student Aristotle called "Socratic dialogue." In the twentieth century, the British philosopher and logician Alfred North Whitehead characterized the entire European philosophical tradition as "a series of footnotes to Plato." Philosophy for Plato was not a set of doctrines but a goal — not the possession of wisdom but the love of wisdom. Agora Publications offers these performances based on the assumption that Plato wrote these works to be performed by actors in order to stimulate additional dialogue among those who listen to them.

Aristotle's Poetics is best known for its definition and analysis of tragedy and comedy, but it also applies to truth and beauty as they are manifested in the other arts. In our age, when the natural and social sciences have dominated the quest for truth, it is helpful to consider why Aristotle claimed: "poetry is more philosophical and more significant than history." Like so many other works by Aristotle, the Poetics has dominated the way we have thought about all forms of dramatic performance in Europe and America ever since. The essence of poetry lies in its ability to transcend the particulars of everyday experience and articulate universals, not merely what has happened but what might happen and what ought to happen. Perhaps the greatest tribute to Aristotle comes from St. Thomas Aquinas who, in the 13th century, simply referred to him as "the Philosopher" and called him the master of those who know. Born in northeastern Greece, Aristotle went to Athens as a young man to study in Plato’s Academy where he remained for more than 20 years. When Plato died, he left the Academy, and four years later he returned to Macedonia to tutor the king’s son who quickly became Alexander the Great, the ruler of most of the civilized world. Like Plato, Aristotle’s writings extend far beyond what we currently call philosophy, including the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities.

"Plato was not a Platonist! I would like to show . . . that anyone who reads the dialogues of Plato without bias or an ax to grind will find a humorous, witty, pleasant friend; and not a desiccated scholarly mandarin. Plato was an open-minded, tolerant, reasonable individual, not a tight-lipped, pietistic, puritan. In a word, Plato was an Athenian, not a Spartan!" In the twenty-four centuries that have passed since the Athenians put Socrates to death, every generation has interpreted the meaning of Plato’s work differently. Joseph Uemura guides us through six dialogues in an effort to promote a dialectical quest rather than seek a final resting place. Plato’s dialogues treat the big questions that confront any thoughtful person. "Eythyphro" explores religion, "Phaedo" reflects on mind, "Theatetus" examines knowledge, "Sophist" probes being, "Phaedrus" reflects on art, and the "Republic" ponders society. All great literature must be experienced first-hand. Because it is not self-explanatory, it must be interpreted and evaluated. Professor Uemura’s reflections serve as a touchstone by which to test every new reading of Plato’s work.Professor Emeritus at Hamline University, Joseph Uemura has taught philosophy at small liberal arts colleges since he completed his Ph.D. in philosophy at Columbia University. During his career he has held two endowed professorships and transformed the lives of an uncounted number of students. His primary medium is the mind of his students, where he has recorded indelible ideas against which, as Nietzsche said, "time tests its teeth in vain." Although the crisp and witty prose of many of his essays and talks captures the essence of Plato’s core philosophy, it is the minds of his students where his lasting contribution persists not for the moment but for all time.

Molts crítics consideren Èdip rei l'obra mestra de Sòfocles. Èdip és l'heroi tràgic per antonomàsia: l'home just, intel·ligent, pietós envers els déus, que vol conèixer la veritat pel bé del seu poble, costi el que costi; i que no defalleix en l'intent de descobrir-la,malgrat que, a mesura que s'hi apropa, ja intueix que serà la causa de la seva ruïna. La solució diversa amb què Iocasta i Èdip afrontaran el coneixement de la veritat és també el reflex de dues maneres d'encarar les dificultats vitals.Este audiolibro está narrado en castellano.Sòfocles va nèixer al voltant de 496. Va ser un dels tres grans dramaturgs tràgics de l'antiga Atenes, Grècia, juntament amb els dramaturgs i filòsofs Èsquil i Eurípides.

Georg Brandes introducerer her den berømte filosof Friedrich Nietzsches tænkning, der senere har rodfæstet sig som kanon inden for europæisk filosofi og åndsliv. Bogen er skrevet som del af Brandes berygtede forelæsninger på Københavns Universitet i slutningen af det 19. århundrede.Georg Brandes (1842-1927) er den mest indflydelsesrige litteraturkritiker og –teoretiker i dansk litteraturhistorie. Det var netop Georg Brandes, der definerede de litterære genrer realisme og naturalisme op imod senromantikken, som han så som virkelighedsfjern og præget af tom æstetik. Georg Brandes er den vigtigste teoretiker bag det moderne gennembrud.

Journalist Kjeld Koplev var fra 1994 og tolv år frem vært på P1-radioprogrammet "Koplevs krydsfelt", hvor han inviterede kendte gæster, der havde en historie at fortælle, i studiet. Bogen af samme navn indeholder radiointerviews fra programmets fem første år, og du kan således dykke ned i Koplevs spændende samtaler med blandt andet Merethe Stagetorn, Bettina Heltberg, Anders Bodelsen og mange andre.Kjeld Koplev (f. 1939) er en dansk forfatter og journalist. Han har skrevet fire voksenromaner samt et hav af børne- og ungdomsbøger, hvoraf flere er skrevet sammen med hans kone, Marianne Koester. Han har i mange år arbejdet som journalist på Danmarks Radio, hvor han blandt andet har lavet programmer om film, teater, musik og bøger.

Le jeune Candide travaillait dans un chateau pour un baron, et avait pour maitre Pangloss, qui professait une philosophie leibnizienne deformee et clamant qu'ils vivaient dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. Malheureusement pour le garcon, il est mis a la porte du chateau apres un baiser vole et se retrouve sur la route, allant de mesaventure en mesaventure, mais s'accrochant neanmoins desesperement a cet optimisme appris. Ce celebre conte philosophique et satirique de Voltaire fut publie en 1759 a Geneve et est un court texte a la fois comique et genial dans son exploration de la philosophie, de la religion, des prejudices, et de la cruaute d'un optimisme aveugle. Il s'inscrit dans un siecle ou les questions philosophiques sont au premier rang. Quand Voltaire ecrit son "e;Candide"e;, un debat sur le fatalisme et l'existence du Mal bat son plein, et l'optimisme leibnizien est beaucoup discute. De plus, la guerre de Sept Ans vient de commencer et un tremblement de terre a ravage Lisbonne, evenements qui ont tout deux beaucoup marque Voltaire. De meme, le philosophe francais collaborait au projet de "e;L'Encyclopedie"e; de Diderot et d'Alembert, qui a ete sanctionne par le Parlement de Paris. Tous ces elements ont joue un role dans la production de conte. -

Alors qu'il est a la recherche d'un nouveau livre, un libraire decouvre "e;Histoire veritable"e;, qui est un ouvrage se disant etre les memoires d'un homme qui vit depuis quatre mille ans. Le narrateur pretend avoir un don de memoire et se souvenir de nombreuses vies anterieures et d'avoir vecu de nombreuses renaissances. "e;Histoire veritable"e; est un conte philosophique, s'inspirant de l'A uvre eponyme de Lucien de Samosate (c.120 - 180), et qui raconte les maintes petites et grandes histoires de la vie des Hommes, passant du plus petit animal, au betail, d'un homme sur un continent etranger a une femme dans une contree lointaine. -

Johannes Sløks bøger og foredrag om eksistentialisme i anden halvdel af 1900-tallet var med til at genoplive interessen for denne filosofiske retning i Danmark. I "Eksistentialisme" gør han brug af sin enorme viden som både teolog, idehistoriker og filosof til at redegøre for denne særlige disciplin, der har sin rod i Søren Kierkegaards kristen-eksistentialistiske tanker og fortsættes af Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus og Simone de Beauvoir i 1940‘erne.Johannes Sløk (1916-2001) var en dansk teolog, filosof, idehistoriker og debattør. Han blev ansat som professor ved Det Teologiske Fakultet ved Aarhus Universitet i 1959 og blev sidenhen en af hovedkræfterne bag oprettelsen af Institut for Idehistorie ved Aarhus Universitet. Johannes Sløk var som filosof stærkt inspireret af Søren Kierkegaard og har skrevet flere bøger om hans tanker og eksistentialisme generelt. Gennem sit mangeårige akademiske virke nåede Johannes Sløk at skrive mere end 60 bøger om filosofi, teologi og idehistorie.

Villy Damstrup deler ud af sin livserfaring i mere end 100 aforismer om alt fra tilværelsens banaliteter til dens mere komplicerede apsekter. Det hele fremlægges poetisk med en gennemsyrende humor og kløgtighed. Det gælder både den danske, engelske og tyske version, som alle fremgår i bogen.Villy Damstrup (1933-2008) var en dansk forfatter, foredragsholder og sømand. Gennem sit liv rejste Damstrup verden tynd, både i professionelt øjemed, men særligt på sit træskib KYRI.

I denne bog opsummerer den danske filosof Frithiof Brandt sin egen livsfilosofi i 41 skarpe og humoristiske aforismer. Temaerne spænder fra tilværelsens store spørgsmål til hverdagens ironi.Frithiof Brandt (1892-1968) var en dansk filosof og forfatter. Han beskæftigede sig i løbet af sin karriere både med filosofi og psykologi. Han udgav blandt andet bøger om Hobbes og Kirkegaard - filosoffer, der på hver deres måde, havde afgørende indflydelse på hans egen tænkning

Door zijn magnumopus Hersttij der Middeleeuwen (1919) werd Huizinga wereldberoemd. In het boek betoogt Huizinga dat de overdreven formaliteit en romantiek van het laatmiddeleeuwse hofleven een verdedigingsmechanisme was tegen de toenemende verruwing van de maatschappij. Voor deze cultuur- en mentaliteitsgeschiedenis koos Huizinga bewust voor kronieken en literatuur als bronmateriaal en niet voor archiefstukken. Zijn kunsthistorische benadering heeft hem enerzijds veel lof en anderzijds veel kritiek opgeleverd. -

"Hvad er lykke?Er spørgsmålet trivielt? Giv så svaret: Hvad er lykke!Læseren har megen eftertanken nødig, thi begrebet lykke er endnu ikke defineret. Uvisnelig hæder, herunder Nobelprisen, venter det geni, som kan give formlen. Den har været søgt, så længe mennesket har søgt – lykken.Schmidt von Lübeck sagde: Lykken er, hvor du ikke er. Og det er et postulat i lige høj grad som psykologen Hegelers påstand om, at man selv må sørge for sin lykke."Christian Bernhardsens essay går helt tæt på det uendelige spørgsmål om, hvad lykke er. Gennem citater fra digtere, psykologer og andre, man umiddelbart skulle tro var kvalificerede til at besvare det ubesvarlige spørgsmål, kredser han om noget, der er relevant for alle dem, der ikke føler sig lykkelige: Hvad er lykke?Christian Bernhardsen blev født i Norge i 1923 og flyttede til Danmark i en ung alder. Han arbejdede i en årrække som journalist på Information, før han sprang ud som forfatter. Han står bag en lang række romaner og er særligt populær som forfatter til historiske romaner for børn og unge.