Philosopher Biography

A symbol of liberated womanhood, Simone de Beauvoir’s unconventional relationships inspired and scandalised her generation. A philosopher, writer, and feminist icon, she won prestigious literary prizes and transformed the way we think about gender with The Second Sex. But despite her successes, she wondered if she had sold herself short. This ground-breaking biography draws on never-before-published diaries and letters to tell the fascinating story of how Simone de Beauvoir became herself.

To say Edith Stein lived a remarkable life would be a dramatic understatement. Born in Breslau (then part of Germany) at the end of the 19th century, Edith was raised as an observant jew, only to turn her back on religion right around the time World War I devastated the continent. In the wake of the war, during which she earned a doctorate and began working as an assistant at the University of Freiburg, she began reading the works of the legendary St. Teresa of Ávila, one of the most influential Catholic saints in history.

T. W. Adorno (1903-1969) was a German philosopher and social and cultural theorist. His work has come to be seen as increasingly relevant to understanding the pathologies of contemporary society evident in today's climate emergency, the financial crash, the reappearance of fascism in many countries, and the growing instability of the world order. This Very Short Introduction covers Adorno's work and life, explaining his key philosophical concepts and the philosophical background and historical context of Adorno's thinking.

How many of these famous Greek philosophers do you know? Each of these 15 gave a great contribution to history. Not only did they work on numbers, they also molded societies, cultures, philosophies, and beliefs. The philosophers may have died many years ago but their brilliance still shines until this day. Get to know these 15 famous Greek philosophers today!

Learn how the life of this Lebanese immigrant has positioned him to artistically capture the hearts, minds, and souls of readers for generations, making him one of the world’s best-selling poets. In the collected works of poetry, poet, author, artist, and philosopher, Kahlil Gibran, shares his spiritual and moral views of life, purpose, love, and pain.

Ferdinand von Schirachs neues Buch verwebt autobiographische Erzählungen, paradoxe Aperçus, Betrachtungen und Reflexionen zu einem...

Durch keinen anderen Denker lernt man so gut kennen, was auch die "Sattelzeit" genannt wurde: der Übergang des alten Europa in die moderne Gesellschaft. Ob Aufklärung, die Herrschaft Napoleons oder die Befreiungskriege, ob Industrialisierung, Vormärz oder die großen Entdeckungen - die Welt ändert sich während der Lebensjahrzehnte Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegels von Grund auf. Und zwar durch Ideen, die zu Revolutionen führten: politische, industrielle, ästhetische und pädagogische.

Hannah Arendt would’ve recognized the extremes of our century from her own: the disenchantment with politics; the rise of conspiracy theories; self-censorship; powerlessness; racism; mass displacement; tyranny and occupation. She had lived through it already.

An introduction to the life and work of Rudolf Steiner, a largely undiscovered genius whose work deserves to be far better known. No acquaintance is presupposed, but experienced anthroposophists also stand to gain by listening to it.

Few philosophers have so extensively influenced thought and language as Aristotle. His conception of the universe pervades Christian theology. Knowledge of his thought is necessary to understand Bacon, Galileo and the modern scientific view of nature, as well as Dante and many passages from Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton. Many phrases such as "liberal education" and "theory" contrasted with "practice" originated with this student of Plato and tutor of Alexander the Great. Writing to inform the beginner and stimulate the expert, eminent scholar A.E. Taylor presents a searching analysis of Aristotle's thought, including classification of the sciences; formal logic; theory of knowledge; matter and form; the four causes; God; physics; biology; sensation; ethics; theory of the state; the fine arts. He also considers Aristotle's provincialism, errors regarding the nervous system and astronomy, and defense of slavery.

La primera ambición de Platón fue la de consagrarse como luchador, pero no pudo llegar a los Juegos Olímpicos. Probó entonces suerte como poeta trágico, pero no ganó ninguno de los grandes certámenes. Como último recurso, fue a visitar a Sócrates. Fue amor a primera vista; el joven Platón decidió dedicarse a la filosofía. En el 387 a.C. fundaba la Academia ateniense, la primera universidad de la historia, donde enseñaba a sus discípulos que cuanto vemos no es la genuina realidad, sino una reproducción imperfecta de la misma. Se forjaba así una de las filosofías más vigorosas de la historia.

En Wittgenstein en 90 minutos, Paul Strathern expone de manera clara y concisa la vida e ideas del torturado genio vienés. El libro incluye una selección de sus escritos, una breve lista de lecturas sugeridas para aquellos que deseen profundizar en su pensamiento, y cronologías que sitúan a Wittgenstein en su época y en una sinopsis más amplia de la filosofía.

En vida de JeanPaul Sartre, su filosofía fue bien conocida por estudiantes, intelectuales y revolucionarios, e incluso entre el gran público de todo el mundo. Esta popularidad, sin precedentes para un filósofo, fue debida en parte a sus propias ideas políticas revolucionarias, pero sobre todo se debió a su papel como portavoz del existencialismo en el momento justo en que este conjunto de ideas llenaba el vacío espiritual heredado de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y sus despojos.

Have you ever wondered what great philosophers from the past have thought of? What were their ideas, perspectives, and insights on life’s events? Look no further, as you will learn about four deep thinkers in history who have paved the way for others to learn and to ponder life. The four philosophers discussed in this book include Thomas Aquinas, David Hume, Desiderius Erasmus, and Baruch Spinoza.

From the Introduction: "Every biography is a story of adventure. The energetic personalities of the world represent an adventure in living. The philosophical personalities, on the other hand, represent an adventure in thinking. And when we examine the lives of the philosophers we find that the procession of a man's thoughts can be as exciting a spectacle as the pageantry of a man's deeds."

As a young man, Albert Schweitzer seemed destined for greatness. His immense talent and fortitude propelled him to a place as one of Europe's most renowned philosophers, theologians, and musicians in the early 20th century. Yet Schweitzer shocked his contemporaries by forsaking worldly success and embarking on an epic journey into the wilds of French Equatorial Africa, vowing to serve as a lifelong physician to "the least of these" in a mysterious land rife with famine, sickness, and superstition.

No one has commanded more universal comment and attention than the mystic who was known by the name of the Comte de St. Germain. A hero of romance, a charlatan, a swindler, and an adventurer; rich and varied were the names that showered freely upon him. Hated by the many, loved and reverenced by the few, time has not yet lifted the veil that screened his true mission from the vulgar speculators of the period. Then, as now, the occultist was dubbed charlatan by the ignorant; only some men and women here and there realized the power with which he stood possessed.

In American Philosophy, John Kaag - a disillusioned philosopher at sea in his marriage and career - stumbles upon a treasure trove of rare books on an old estate in the hinterlands of New Hampshire that once belonged to the Harvard philosopher William Ernest Hocking. The library includes notes from Whitman, inscriptions from Frost, and first editions of Hobbes, Descartes, and Kant. As he begins to catalog and preserve these priceless books, Kaag rediscovers the very tenets of American philosophy.

Geometry defines the world around us, helping us make sense of everything from architecture to military science to fashion. And for over 2,000 years, geometry has been equated with Euclid's Elements, arguably the most influential book in the history of mathematics. In The King of Infinite Space, renowned mathematics writer David Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements.

The tradition of the Himalayan sages that exists today is an unbroken chain that extends for more than 5,000 years. Undisturbed by the passage of time, this tradition is not concerned with teachings that apply only to a particular era of history or geographical region of the world - its entire emphasis is on the experience of the universal truth of who we are.