Philosophy, Logic, & Ethics

What is the good life? What is justice? Do we have free will? Does it matter? From ancient classics like Plato's Allegory of the Cave to modern standards like John Rawls's A Theory of Justice, the texts in this collection explore ideas and questions at the root of the human condition.

Publication year 1902

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Science / Nature

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Nature (1902) by William James is a philosophical examination of how religious revelations function in individuals’ lives and minds. This renowned work applies James’s theoretical framework of pragmatism to the study of the functionality of religion. James utilizes radical empiricism to examine both the subjective and objective experiences of religion. James argues that individual experiences, not major religious institutions, form the spiritual shape of the world. He... Read The Varieties of Religious Experience Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sociology, Arts / Culture, Technology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Language

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Arts / Culture, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government


Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Anthropology, Science / Nature, Technology, Anthropology, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Travel Literature, Religion / Spirituality

This study guide refers to the 2009 House of Anansi Press edition of Wade Davis’s The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World. The Wayfinders collects a series of five Massey Lectures that Davis delivered in Canada in 2009. Davis is a Colombian-Canadian anthropologist and ethnobotanist, and the Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. This position, as well as his long anthropological career, has allowed Davis to spend time with many of the... Read The Wayfinders Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness


Publication year 1758

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Tags History: U.S., Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Finance / Money / Wealth, Self Help, Classic Fiction

The essay begins as Poor Richard addresses his audience, “Courteous Reader,” and admits that few “other learned authors” have quoted him, despite his being “an eminent author of almanacs annually now a full quarter of a century” (1). Poor Richard does take solace in the fact that “[his] writings produce [him] some solid pudding” (1) thanks to the people who buy his work, whom he describes as “the best judges of [his] merit” (2). Because... Read The Way To Wealth Summary


Publication year 1986

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Community, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags LGBTQ, Health / Medicine, American Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1776

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Wealth of Nations—first published in 1776, during the Scottish Enlightenment and Agricultural Revolution—is the seminal work of Adam Smith, a Scottish economist, philosopher, author, and public intellectual. Born in Scotland, Smith studied at University of Glasgow, Balliol College, and Oxford, and lectured at the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh and Glasgow University. While The Wealth of Nations is a pioneering, revolutionary work on economics, his other principal writing, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, is a... Read The Wealth Of Nations Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature, British Literature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1948

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Lyric Poem, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Anthropology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Social Justice, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government


Publication year 1901

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Philosophy, Psychology


Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery

Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help


Publication year 1935

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Sociology, German Literature


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1953

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Social Science, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

The Worldly Philosophers, first published in 1953, is a nonfiction work on the history of economics, written by American economist and historian Robert L. Heilbroner, the Norman Thomas Professor of Economics, Emeritus at the New School for Social Research, New York. Currently in its seventh edition, published in an updated and revised form in 1999, the book is regularly assigned to economics undergraduates, providing them with an overview of western economic thought. The Worldly Philosophers... Read The Worldly Philosophers Summary


Publication year 1961

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism

Tags Race / Racism, Existentialism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: European, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

The Wretched of the Earth (1961) is a nonfiction book by Frantz Fanon, a French West Indian psychiatrist and philosopher. Together with such texts as Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978), Gayatri Spivak’s “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988), and Homi Bhabha’s The Location of Culture (1994), The Wretched of the Earth is a founding text of modern postcolonial studies. It is also Frantz Fanon’s most internationally acclaimed book, translated into more than 25 languages, though he is... Read The Wretched of the Earth Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community

Tags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help


Publication year 1937

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Originally published in 1937, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is widely acknowledged as a foundational text in the field of self-help literature. The book mainly revolves around the themes of The Mystical Power of Positive Thinking, Setting Goals and Persistence, and Desire and Motivation in Personal and Financial Growth. Through anecdotes and practical strategies that Hill claims came from his intimate knowledge of business luminaries such as Andrew Carnegie, Hill promises to catalyze personal... Read Think and Grow Rich Summary