Meditations
Meditations
Private notes on judgment, death, and the discipline of wanting less than circumstances offer. The English text here is a public-domain translation of the emperor’s Greek.
Subject
Philosophy
Meditations, essays, and arguments about how to live and how power behaves. Translations, where the original is not English, are older public-domain English versions.
The Prince
The Prince
A short treatise on acquiring and holding a state, written in exile and dedicated to a Medici. Machiavelli prefers what rulers do to what mirror-books said they should do.
Walden
Walden
Thoreau’s account of two years in a cabin by Walden Pond, arranged by season and by argument. It is a book about economy in the old sense: how a life is furnished.
The Communist Manifesto
The Communist Manifesto
by Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto, originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party, is a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto was commissioned by the Communist League and published in London.
The Republic
The Republic
by Plato
The Republic is Plato's most famous work and one of the seminal texts of Western philosophy and politics. The characters in this Socratic dialogue - including Socrates himself - discuss whether the just or unjust man is happier.
The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature
The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature
The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature comprises his edited Gifford Lectures on natural theology, which were delivered at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The lectures concerned the psychological study of individual private religious experiences and mysticism, and used a range of examples to identify commonalities in religious experiences across traditions.
The Book of Tea
The Book of Tea
The Book of Tea (茶の本, Cha no Hon) by Okakura Kakuzō is a long essay linking the role of chadō (teaism) to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of Japanese life and protesting Western caricatures of "the East".
Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh
Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh
Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh purports to be a commentary on the thought and early life of a German philosopher called Diogenes Teufelsdröckh (which translates as 'Zeus-born Devil's-dung'), author of a tome entitled Clothes: Their Origin and Influence.
The Apology
The Apology
by Xenophon
The Apology of Socrates to the Jury (Ancient Greek: Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους πρὸς τοὺς Δικαστάς), by Xenophon of Athens, is a Socratic dialogue about the legal defence that the philosopher Socrates presented at his trial for the moral corruption of Athenian youth; and for asebeia (impiety) against the pantheon of Athens; judged guilty, Socrates was sentenced to death.
The Memorabilia
The Memorabilia
by Xenophon
The lengthiest and most famous of Xenophon's Socratic writings, the Memorabilia is essentially an apologia (defense) of Socrates, differing from both Xenophon's Apology of Socrates to the Jury and Plato's Apology. Both Xenophon's and Plato's Apologies present Socrates as defending himself before the jury, whereas the Memorabilia presents Xenophon's own defense of Socrates, offering edifying examples of Socrates' conversations and activities along with occasional commentary from Xenophon.
Critias
Critias
by Plato
Critias (; Greek: Κριτίας), one of Plato's late dialogues, recounts the story of the mighty island kingdom Atlantis and its attempt to conquer Athens, which failed due to the ordered society of the Athenians. The latter was possibly never written and the ending to Critias has been lost.
Timaeus
Lysis
Lysis
by Plato
Lysis (; Ancient Greek: Λύσις, genitive case Λύσιδος, showing the stem Λύσιδ-, from which the infrequent translation Lysides), is a dialogue of Plato which discusses the nature of philia (φιλία), often translated as friendship, while the word's original content was of a much larger and more intimate bond.
Euthydemus
Euthydemus
by Plato
In it, Socrates describes to his friend Crito a visit he and various youths paid to two brothers, Euthydemus and Dionysodorus, both of whom were prominent Sophists and pankrationists from Chios and Thurii. The Euthydemus contrasts Socratic argumentation and education with the methods of Sophism, to the detriment of the latter.
Symposium
Cratylus
Ion
Ion
by Plato
In Plato's Ion (; Ancient Greek: Ἴων) Socrates discusses with the titular character, a professional rhapsode who also lectures on Homer, the question of whether the rhapsode, a performer of poetry, gives his performance on account of his skill and knowledge or by virtue of divine possession.
Phaedrus
Phaedrus
by Plato
The Phaedrus was presumably composed around 370 BC, about the same time as Plato's Republic and Symposium. Although the dialogue appears to be primarily concerned with the topic of love, the discussion also revolves around the art of rhetoric and how it should be practiced, and dwells on subjects as diverse as metempsychosis (the Greek tradition of reincarnation) and erotic love, and the nature of the human soul shown in the famous chariot allegory.
Euthyphro
Meno
Apology
Apology
by Plato
Specifically, the Apology of Socrates is a defence against the charges of "corrupting the youth" and "not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel" to Athens (24b). Among the primary sources about the trial and death of the philosopher Socrates, the Apology of Socrates is the dialogue that depicts the trial, and is one of four Socratic dialogues, along with Euthyphro, Phaedo, and Crito, through which Plato details the final days of the philosopher Socrates.
Crito
Alcibiades I
Alcibiades I
by Plato
The First Alcibiades, also referred to as Alcibiades Major and abbreviated as Alcibiades I (Greek: Ἀλκιβιάδης αʹ), is a dialogue ascribed to Plato, depicting Socrates in conversation with Alcibiades.
Eryxias
Menexenus
Parmenides
Parmenides
by Plato
Parmenides (Greek: Παρμενίδης) is one of the dialogues of Plato. Parmenides is widely considered to be the most challenging and enigmatic of Plato's dialogues.
Sophist
Sophist
by Plato
Its interlocutors, led by Eleatic Stranger employ the method of division in order to classify and define the sophist and describe his essential attributes and differences in relation to the philosopher and statesman. Like its sequel, the Statesman, the dialogue is unusual in that Socrates is present but plays only a minor role.
Philebus
Laws
Utopia
Utopia
Utopia (Latin: Libellus vere aureus, nec minus salutaris quam festivus, de optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia, "A truly golden little book, not less beneficial than enjoyable, about how things should be in a state and about the new island Utopia") is a work of fiction and socio-political satire by Thomas More (1478–1535), written in Latin and published and revised.
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires
An Essay on Man; Moral Essays and Satires is an effort to rationalize or rather "vindicate the ways of God to man" (l. 16), a variation of John Milton's claim in the opening lines of Paradise Lost, that he will "justifie the wayes of God to men".
The City of the Sun
The City of the Sun
The City of the Sun was written in Italian, shortly after Campanella's imprisonment for heresy and sedition. A Latin version was written and published in Frankfurt.
The Relation of Literature to Life
The Relation of Literature to Life
The relation of literature to life -- Simplicity -- "Equality"--What is your culture to me? -- Modern fiction -- Thoughts suggested by Mr. Froude's "Progress"--England -- The English volunteers during the late invasion -- The novel and the common school -- A night in the garden of the Tuileries.
Leviathan
Leviathan
Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, commonly referred to as Leviathan, is a work of social and political theory by the English empiricist philosopher and political theorist Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), published in (revised Latin edition ).
The Pharisee and the Publican
The Pharisee and the Publican
by John Bunyan
The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (or the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) is a parable of Jesus that appears in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 18:9–14, a self-righteous Pharisee, obsessed by his own virtue, is contrasted with a tax collector who humbly asks God for mercy.
Culture and Anarchy
Culture and Anarchy
Culture and Anarchy: An Essay in Political and Social Criticism is a series of periodical essays by Matthew Arnold, first published in Cornhill Magazine –68 and collected as a book. Arnold's famous piece of writing on culture established his High Victorian cultural agenda which remained dominant in debate from the 1860s until the 1950s.
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers recounts his experience on a boat trip with his brother on the Concord River and Merrimack River.
A Treatise of Human Nature
A Treatise of Human Nature
by David Hume
A Treatise of Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning into Moral Subjects (–40) is a book by Scottish philosopher David Hume, considered by many to be Hume's most important work and one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy.
The Critique of Practical Reason
The Critique of Practical Reason
The Critique of Practical Reason (German: Kritik der praktischen Vernunft) is the second of Immanuel Kant's three critiques, published. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as the "second critique".
The Grand Inquisitor
The Grand Inquisitor
The Grand Inquisitor is recited by Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov, during a conversation with his brother Alexei, a novice monk, about the possibility of a personal and benevolent God.
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh
by Bahá'u'lláh
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh consists of "a selection of the most characteristic and hitherto unpublished passages from the outstanding works of the Author of the Baháʼí Revelation," according to Shoghi Effendi. The passages come from the whole range of Baháʼu'lláh's writings, dated from about to 1892.
Zadig; Or, The Book of Fate
Zadig; Or, The Book of Fate
by Voltaire
Zadig; Or, The Book of Fate recounts Zadig, a Zoroastrian philosopher in ancient Babylonia. Voltaire does not attempt any historical accuracy.
The discovery of a world in the moone
The discovery of a world in the moone
by John Wilkins
The discovery of a world in the moone received generally good reviews as a showcase for the band's experimental/psychedelic pop. The album is the band's first major change in production style compared to earlier albums.
The Secret of Divine Civilization
The Secret of Divine Civilization
by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
The Secret of Divine Civilization is considered to be part of the authoritative religious text of the Baháʼí Faith. The Secret of Divine Civilization was lithographed in Bombay and received wide circulation in Iran under the Persian title Risali-yi-madaniyyih or the Treatise on Civilization.
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions; Together with Death's Duel
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions; Together with Death's Duel
by John Donne
Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions; Together with Death's Duel covers death, rebirth and the early modern concept of sickness as a visit from God, reflecting internal sinfulness. The Devotions were written in December as Donne recovered from a serious but unknown illness – believed to be relapsing fever or typhus.
Past and Present Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works, Vol. XIII
Past and Present Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works, Vol. XIII
Past and Present Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works was published in April in England and the following month in the United States. Past and Present Thomas Carlyle's Collected Works combines medieval history with criticism of 19th-century British society.
The Subjection of Women
The Subjection of Women
Mill submitted the finished manuscript of their collaborative work On Liberty soon after her untimely death in late, and then continued work on The Subjection of Women until its completion. Harriet Taylor Mill wrote an earlier essay The Enfranchisement of Women, published under her own name in The Westminster Review, which covered much of the same ground, and seems to use similar language for many of its arguments.
A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive
A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive
A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive is a book by English philosopher John Stuart Mill.
Manifesto of the Communist Party
Manifesto of the Communist Party
by Karl Marx
The Communist Manifesto, originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party, is a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Manifesto of the Communist Party was commissioned by the Communist League and published in London.
Young's Night Thoughts With Life, Critical Dissertation and Explanatory Notes
Young's Night Thoughts With Life, Critical Dissertation and Explanatory Notes
by Edward Young
Young's Night Thoughts With Life, Critical Dissertation and Explanatory Notes was illustrated with notable engravings by William Blake. The poem records Young's musings on death as he ponders the loss of his wife and friends, and as he laments human frailties.
A Vindication of Natural Diet
A Vindication of Natural Diet
A Vindication of Natural Diet was first written as part of the notes to Queen Mab, which was privately printed. Later in the same year the essay was separately published as a pamphlet by J.
Socialism, Utopian and Scientific
Socialism, Utopian and Scientific
Socialism, Utopian and Scientific was primarily extracted from a longer polemic work published, Anti-Dühring. The title Socialism: Utopian and Scientific was adopted for the first English edition — the tenth language in which the book appeared.
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones uses spelling and grammar that are often considered poor, and contains almost no punctuation. Dexter was a rich businessman and an eccentric, known for gaining his wealth through ill-advised but ultimately lucky investments like sending coals to Newcastle at the time of a miners' strike.
The Epicurean: A Tale
The Epicurean: A Tale
by Thomas Moore
The Epicurean: A Tale relates the story of Alciphron, leader of the Epicurean sect in Athens in the 3rd century AD, who is on a journey to Egypt to find the secret to immortality. Some editions of the book include etchings by J.
The Prince
The Prince
Many commentators have viewed that one of the main themes of The Prince is that immoral acts are sometimes necessary to achieve political glory. From Machiavelli's correspondence, a version was being written, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (Of Principalities).
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits
The Fable of the Bees; Or, Private Vices, Public Benefits consists of the satirical poem The Grumbling Hive: or, Knaves turn'd Honest, which was first published anonymously in; a prose discussion of the poem, called "Remarks"; and an essay, An Enquiry into the Origin of Moral Virtue.
The Discoverie of Witchcraft
The Discoverie of Witchcraft
The Discoverie of Witchcraft contains a small section intended to show how the public was fooled by charlatans, which is considered the first published material on illusionary or stage magic. Scot believed that the prosecution of those accused of witchcraft was irrational and not Christian, and he held the Roman Church responsible.
A vindication of the rights of men, in a letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke; occasioned by his Reflections on the Revolution in France
A vindication of the rights of men, in a letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke; occasioned by his Reflections on the Revolution in France
A Vindication of the Rights of Men, in a Letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke; Occasioned by His Reflections on the Revolution in France is a political pamphlet, written by the 18th-century British writer and women's rights advocate Mary Wollstonecraft, which attacks aristocracy and advocates republicanism.
Paradise (to be) Regained
Paradise (to be) Regained
Paradise (to be) Regained takes the form of a review of John Adolphus Etzler's book The Paradise within the Reach of all Men, without Labor, by Powers of Nature and Machinery: An Address to all intelligent men, in two parts, which had come out in a new edition the previous year.
Medical ethics
Medical ethics
Medical ethics was written by English physician Thomas Percival and published in 1803. Medical ethics is widely regarded as the first on public health and ethics in medicine.