Western Philosophy

The Human Calling is a vigorously researched and profoundly spiritual narrative history of the world's religious movements as they relate to society's collective understanding of the nature of their relationships with others, looking ahead to what lessons from history can be applied as people navigate an age of technology worship.

Welcome to The Science Behind Yoga—a book which bridges the gap between Eastern philosophy and Western medicine to explain this practice. Learn the philosophies and techniques behind yogic practices so you can achieve greater balance in your mind, body, and spirit. Unlock the secrets of this ancient tradition as we explore the power of yoga through both ancient Eastern wisdom and modern scientific understanding.

At the age of 48, film critic David Denby returned to his alma mater, Columbia University, to re-experience the core humanities courses he had taken as a freshman 30 years before. Facing the question of what he really knows, Denby re-examines the besieged Western classics, ranging from Homer, Sappho, and Sophocles to Dante, Nietzsche, and Woolf. What relevance do the writers and thinkers of the past have to our current life? The answer surprised Denby and will surprise and enlighten his listeners.

The book explores themes of Buddhist and Stoic mindfulness, shared psychological insights, as well as Stoic and Buddhist practices for cultivating compassion and concern for others. It is for anyone who is interested in how either Stoicism or Buddhism can be a helpful and heartfelt addition to his or her life, as well as reflecting on how both Stoicism and Buddhism are undergoing dynamic "reinterpretations" in the modern world.

One of the few names to emerge from the Dark Ages to live on today is that of Charlemagne. After the fall of Rome, Western Europe was in almost complete disarray for several centuries, with different tribes and factions running different parts of the continent. Then, in CE 768, Charles the Great, more commonly known as Charlemagne, became the ruler of the Franks.

Did you know that the barbarian tribe known as the Franks were the founders of present-day France? After assimilating with the Romans in the imperial province of Gaul, the Franks established a unified dominion under King Clovis in the late fifth and early sixth centuries. Under Clovis’ successors, the Frankish kingdom fractured. Warring factions of Franks, under the leadership of the royal descendants of Clovis, imprisoned or more often killed each other. They forced the luckiest of their rivals into monasteries and removed potential royal wives by exiling them to convents.

Most of us have probably heard the story of how a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of a church. These Ninety-five Theses were essentially ninety-five complaints lodged against the Catholic Church. In those days, the Catholic Church was the big guy on the block when it came to religion.

Eine der am wenigsten verstandenen Perioden der europäischen Geschichte ereignete sich zwischen dem 6. und dem 14. bzw. 15. Jahrhundert (je nachdem, welchen Historiker Sie fragen). Allgemein als Mittelalter bezeichnet, war dies eine Epoche extremer Veränderungen für Europa, beginnend mit dem Fall des Weströmischen Reiches. Für einen Kontinent, der eine drastische Umverteilung im Machtgefüge erlebt hatte, schien die Welt besonders hart zu sein. Rom hatte weit über ein Jahrtausend lang eine wichtige Rolle in Gesamteuropa gespielt. Dann verschwand es.

Uno de los pocos nombres que surgieron de la Edad Media y que todavía viven hoy en día es el de Carlomagno. Después de la caída de Roma, Europa Occidental estuvo completamente desorganizada durante varios siglos, con diferentes tribus y facciones dirigiendo diferentes partes del continente. Entonces, en el 768 d. C., Carlos el Grande, más conocido como Carlomagno, se convirtió en el gobernante de los francos.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Middle Ages, then pay attention...One of the least understood periods of European history occurred between the 6th century and the 14th or 15th century (depending on which historian you ask). Commonly called the Middle Ages, this was a time period of extreme change for Europe, beginning with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. To a continent that had seen a drastic shift in the power structure, the world seemed to be particularly harsh. Rome had been a major player across Europe for well over a millennium. Then it was gone.

Desde aproximadamente el siglo IX hasta el siglo V antes de Cristo, la población de Grecia creció sin precedentes, expandiéndose de aproximadamente 800.000 a 13 millones. Cerca de un cuarto de millón de estos vivían en Atenas. El tamaño promedio de los hogares urbanos durante este período creció considerablemente, un hecho que sugiere que los alimentos estuvieron repentinamente disponibles en excesos suficientes para mantener a las familias más grandes sanas y vivas mucho más eficazmente que solo un milenio antes.

The first World War was one of the most devastating conflicts in our history. The tumult and chaos that remained in the wake of the first World War had far-reaching and devastating consequences, not just for Europe and the survivors of the war, but for the entire world. The ruins of Europe provided a fertile breeding ground for fierce nationalism, which led to the rise of the Third Reich and allowed the evil of Adolf Hitler to go unchecked for far too long.

The Ottoman world was nothing like an exotic fairy tale featuring tyrant sultans, mean pashas, and ill-fated harem women. The true stories of genuine sultans and princes are a bit more complicated and no less exciting. Incredible facts about this empire still surprise anyone who starts discovering those stories. You’ll find out that, for quite a while, this Islamic state was effectively ruled by women, and that’s just the beginning.

Durante la Primera Guerra Mundial se libraron muchas y muy variadas batallas, todas ellas brutales, sangrientas y devastadoras, y cada una a su propia manera. Cada batalla tuvo sus victorias y sus derrotas, sus éxitos y sus fracasos. Hubo héroes concretos en ambos bandos, también acciones heroicas de batallones enteros. Hubo hombres que lucharon hasta el final más amargo, y murieron en los embarrados campos de Francia. Sus cuerpos nunca se recuperaron, y los lugares de su descanso eterno permanecieron sin ningún tipo de señal ni recuerdo durante más de un siglo.

The Battle of the Somme was a significant battle for all those who took part, but it was especially important for the British because it was the first time in World War One that they were forced to shoulder the main responsibility for an offensive, and they did not have enough time to fully prepare for the assault.