Bewilderments of Vision


Book Description

According to Oscar Wilde, 'the primary aim of the critic is to see the object as in itself it really is not'. Through a series of close and often unusual readings, this book endeavours to develop Wilde's remark into a detailed and creative theory of reading. It focuses on a series of neologisms from writing of the period.




The Allegory of the Cave


Book Description

The Allegory of the Cave, or Plato's Cave, was presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work Republic (514a–520a) to compare "the effect of education (παιδεία) and the lack of it on our nature". It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother Glaucon and his mentor Socrates, narrated by the latter. The allegory is presented after the analogy of the sun (508b–509c) and the analogy of the divided line (509d–511e). All three are characterized in relation to dialectic at the end of Books VII and VIII (531d–534e). Plato has Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them, and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners' reality.




Bewilderment: A Novel


Book Description

AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB SELECTION An Instant New York Times Bestseller Shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction Longlisted for the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction A heartrending new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Overstory. The astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life throughout the cosmos while single-handedly raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. Robin is a warm, kind boy who spends hours painting elaborate pictures of endangered animals. He’s also about to be expelled from third grade for smashing his friend in the face. As his son grows more troubled, Theo hopes to keep him off psychoactive drugs. He learns of an experimental neurofeedback treatment to bolster Robin’s emotional control, one that involves training the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain… With its soaring descriptions of the natural world, its tantalizing vision of life beyond, and its account of a father and son’s ferocious love, Bewilderment marks Richard Powers’s most intimate and moving novel. At its heart lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?




A New Age of Vision


Book Description

We live in a world beset by many problems, and most of these problems are of our own creation. There is a method for solving these problems, and it can be found in the Christ message. In A New Age of Vision, author J. Craig Woods revisits the message Jesus brought to earth in an attempt to understand Gods purpose for us and how we can improve our human condition through spiritual growth. A spiritual journey to find the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ, A New Age of Vision takes a new and bold look at what his message really means for us today. It explores the history of Christian religion and offers examples of how Christian doctrines were developed, and why these man-made doctrines missed the mark. It seeks to provide an understanding of why the Christian religion has failed us, and it also discusses the nature of our mind which provides the connection between the spiritual and physical realm. Finally, it investigates the missing gospel books and reveals an exciting truth about the teaching of Jesus Christ. A New Age of Vision shows how the Christ message offers us the truth we need for our tumultuous times. Learning and understanding this message provides the instructions for spiritual growth and the return to our spiritual Garden of Eden.




An Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics: A Reader


Book Description

A comprehensive collection of historical readings in the philosophy of mathematics and a selection of influential contemporary work, this much-needed introduction reveals the rich history of the subject. An Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics: A Reader brings together an impressive collection of primary sources from ancient and modern philosophy. Arranged chronologically and featuring introductory overviews explaining technical terms, this accessible reader is easy-to-follow and unrivaled in its historical scope. With selections from key thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume and Kant, it connects the major ideas of the ancients with contemporary thinkers. A selection of recent texts from philosophers including Quine, Putnam, Field and Maddy offering insights into the current state of the discipline clearly illustrates the development of the subject. Presenting historical background essential to understanding contemporary trends and a survey of recent work, An Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics: A Reader is required reading for undergraduates and graduate students studying the philosophy of mathematics and an invaluable source book for working researchers.




The Dialogues of Plato


Book Description

At head of title: New national edition. I. The Republic, introduction and analysis.--II. The Republic.--III. The trial and death of Socrates.--IV. Charmides and other dialogues, Selections from the Laws.




THE COMPLETE WORKS OF PLATO


Book Description

This unique collection of Plato's complete works has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards. Plato (428/427 BC - 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Table of contents: Early works: Apology Crito Charmides Euthyphro First Alcibiades Greater Hippias Lesser Hippias Ion Laches Lysis Middle works: Cratylus Euthydemus Gorgias Menexenus Meno Phaedo Protagoras Symposium Republic Phaedrus Parmenides Theaetetus Late works: Timaeus Critias Sophist Statesman Philebus Laws Pseudonymous works (traditionally attributed to Plato, but considered by virtually all modern authorities not to have been written by him): Epinomis Second Alcibiades Hipparcus Rival Lovers Theages Cleitophon Minos Demoducus Axiochus On Justice On Virtue Sisyphus Eryxias Halcyon Letters There are also included a number of essays relating to various aspects of Plato's works.




Plato: The Complete Works


Book Description

This carefully crafted ebook: "Plato: The Complete Works" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Plato (428/427 BC - 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the foundations of Western philosophy and science. Table of contents: Early works: Apology Crito Charmides Euthyphro First Alcibiades Greater Hippias Lesser Hippias Ion Laches Lysis Middle works: Cratylus Euthydemus Gorgias Menexenus Meno Phaedo Protagoras Symposium Republic Phaedrus Parmenides Theaetetus Late works: Timaeus Critias Sophist Statesman Philebus Laws Pseudonymous works (traditionally attributed to Plato, but considered by virtually all modern authorities not to have been written by him): Epinomis Second Alcibiades Hipparcus Rival Lovers Theages Cleitophon Minos Demoducus Axiochus On Justice On Virtue Sisyphus Eryxias Halcyon Letters There are also included a number of essays relating to various aspects of Plato's works.




The Republic


Book Description

"The Republic" is a Socratic dialogue, authored by the famed Greek Philosopher Plato around 375 BC, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man. It is Plato's best-known work, and one of the world's most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically. In the dialogue, Socrates discusses the meaning of justice and whether the just man is happier than the unjust man with various Athenians and foreigners. They consider the natures of existing regimes and then propose a series of different, hypothetical cities in comparison, culminating in Kallipolis, a utopian city-state ruled by a philosopher-king. They also discuss the theory of forms, the immortality of the soul, and the role of the philosopher and of poetry in society. The dialogue's setting seems to be during the Peloponnesian War.




Can we live better? 7 classic utopias


Book Description

"Can we live better? 7 classic utopias” is a collection of the most famous classical works on the topic of an ideal society. For thousands of years human beings have dreamt of perfect worlds, worlds free of conflict, hunger and unhappiness. But can these worlds ever exist in reality? Many thinkers and authors have sought an answer to this question. Utopia is a perfect paradise that doesn’t exist, but which we all dream of anyway. Author Thomas More actually created the noun in one of his books to describe an imaginary island where all systems—political, social, and legal—are perfect and operate harmoniously. The collection includes works by Plato, Thomas More, Tommaso Campanella, Francis Bacon, Edward Bellamy, William Morris, Samuel Butler. Contents: Plato - The Republic Thomas More - Utopia Tommaso Campanella - The City of The Sun Frances Bacon - The New Atlantis Edward Bellamy - Looking Backwards: from 2000 to 1887 William Morris - News from Nowhere Samuel Butler - Erewhon