Dover Books on Western Philosophy

Fourteenth-century Germany produced three authors - Eckhart, Tauler, and Suso - who wrote numerous sermons, tracts, and anecdotes in the vernacular rather than Latin. This survey chronicles their lives, critiques their works, and discusses their influence on the development of Christian spiritual expression along with that of their contemporaries, the Friends of God and the Franciscan friars.

The work of a leading figure in the transition from a predominantly European-centered 19th-century philosophy to a new American philosophy, this volume presents a full and definitive expression of the pragmatist epistemology. It encompasses everything James had hitherto written on the theory of knowledge, including later polemic and expository contributions, and replies to previous criticism.

This classic exploration of human history vis-à-vis its link to Christianity ponders the question: What makes human beings uniquely human? In this thoughtful response to the rampant social Darwinism of the early twentieth century, G. K. Chesterton explains how religion-a blend of philosophy and mythology-satisfies both the human intellect and the spirit, and sets man starkly apart from any other living creature. Written in 1925, this enduring polemic still strikes a modern chord. Addressing evolution, feminism, and cultural relativism within the context of religion, the book also examines religious skepticism. How does one sustain belief in Jesus Christ-and the Church-when, throughout history, the key to religious truth has been constantly reshaped? According to Chesterton, the shape of the key is not important. What matters is that it fits the lock and opens the door. An emphatic affirmation of Christian faith, The Everlasting Man is leavened with the author's characteristic wit and wisdom, and appeals to the mind as well as the heart.

These selections illuminate Philo's crucial role in assimilating Greek philosophy to biblical religion and accommodating Jewish belief to Greek thought. Topics include the knowledge of God; the mystic way; the soul and her God; man's humility, hope, faith, and joy; vices and virtues; and Israel and the nations.

Facts, legends, customs, and superstitions related to Christianity's most prominent symbol appear in this unique book. It begins centuries before the Christian era, when crosses were pagan emblems, and traces their association with notable events and people. In simple, direct language, the author describes the cross's many forms and uses. 27 black-and-white illustrations.

Shortly before he was assassinated in 1940, Leon Trotsky - one of Marx's most devoted converts and a key figure in the Russian Revolution - made this selection from Capital, to which he appended his own lengthy and insightful introduction. Compact and fascinating, this invaluable work not only presents Marx's thoughts in his own words but also places them in the swirling context of the 20th century. A critical analysis of ideas that have influenced millions of lives for well over a century, this book will be an important addition to the libraries of students and instructors of economics, history, government, and Communist thought.

An examination of the conflicts within and among nations, this treatise proposes a remedy based on true Christian doctrine: recognition of love as the supreme law of life. Written just before World War I, it articulates Tolstoy's famous dictum that it is morally superior to suffer violence than to do violence-a philosophy that has inspired Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and countless others. Famed for such popular novels as War and Peace and Anna Karenina, Tolstoy experienced a religious crisis at the age of fifty. Thenceforth he devoted himself to promoting the transformation of society, writing stories, essays, and books advocating the pursuit of an inner moral revolution. In the preface to this work, Tolstoy declares, "The only reason why I am writing this is because, knowing the one means of salvation for Christian humanity, from its physical corruption as well as from the moral corruption in which it is sunk, I, who am on the edge of the grave, cannot be silent." A century later, Tolstoy's powerful plea for nonviolence continues to resonate.

An early and influential volume among the 20th-century studies of mystic psychology, this landmark survey begins with an examination of empirical science and religious psychology. It discusses the sensation of presence in mystics and non-mystics, distinctive features of Christian mysticism, and criticisms of the legitimacy of the mystic experience.

The final published book by Nobel Prize-winning author and philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941), La pensée et le mouvant (translated here as The Creative Mind), is a masterly autobiography of his philosophical method. Through essays and lectures written between 1903 and 1923, Bergson retraces how and why he became a philosopher, and crafts a fascinating critique of philosophy itself. Until it leaves its false paths, he demonstrates, philosophy will remain only a wordy dialectic that surmounts false problems. With masterful skill and intensity, Bergson shows that metaphysics and science must be rooted in experience for philosophy to become a genuine search for truth. And in the quest for unanswered questions, the spiritual dimension of human life and the importance of intuition must be emphasized. A source of inspiration for physicists as well as philosophers, Bergson's introduction to metaphysics reveals a philosophy that is always on the move, blending man's spiritual drive with his mastery of the material world.

Credited with influencing the philosophies of Nietzsche and Ayn Rand and the development of libertarianism and existentialism, this prophetic 1844 work challenges the very notion of a common good as the driving force of civilization. Stirner chronicles the battle of the individual against the collective to show how the latter invariably leads to oppression.

"Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them."-Saint Thérèse of Lisieux One of the greatest spiritual classics ever written, this influential autobiography has been translated into nearly every language, capturing hearts and minds around the world. Simply written in clear, enchanting prose, this memoir reveals the path to true inner peace, for "Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity." Born in France, young Thérèse Martin (1873–1897) entered the Carmel Convent of Lisieux at the age of fifteen. Also known as "the Little Flower," her autobiography, written at the request of her Carmelite Superiors in the last years of her life, includes poignant girlhood recollections and her teachings of "the little way of childhood." The "little way," inspired by the Gospel, places love at the very center of every action we take. Traditional yet unique, delicate yet heroic, Thérèse taught a shining spirituality that could easily be adapted into everyday life. Her divine words of acceptance and love are universal, and have gently led many people-both within the Catholic Church and outside of Christianity-back to their faith. Saint Thérèse was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925. In 1997, she was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II.

Banned in Russia, Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You was deemed a threat to church and state. The culmination of a lifetime's thought, it espouses a commitment to Jesus's message of turning the other cheek. In a bold and original manner, Tolstoy shows his readers clearly why they must reject violence of any sort-even that sanctioned by the state or the church-and urges them to look within themselves to find the answers to questions of morality. In 1894, one of the first English translations of this book found its way into the hands of a young Gandhi. Inspired by its message of nonresistance to evil, the Mahatma declared it a source of "independent thinking, profound morality, and truthfulness." Much of this work's emotional and moral appeal lies in its emphasis on fair treatment of the poor and working class. Its view of Christianity, not as a mystic religion but as a workable philosophy originating from the words of a remarkable teacher, extends its appeal to secular and religious readers alike.

"Think with the few and speak with the many," "Friends are a second existence," and "Be able to forget" are among this volume's 300 pithy maxims on politics, professional life, and personal development. Published in 1637 by Baltasar Gracian, a Spanish Jesuit scholar, this book of timeless advice, focusing on honesty and kindness, remains ever popular.