Hundreds of sage observations from China's most revered scholarTeacher, politician, philosopher, and student, Confucius offered wisdom and aphorisms on a variety of topics that transcend borders and time. Whether considering his own life, human nature, or a society's responsibilities, Confucius's teachings emphasize personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. He aimed to effect social and political reform, and le...

Beyond the Little Red Book: China's revolutionary leader and his philosophyIn this collection of essays, China's Chairman Mao Tse-Tung explains the interpretation of Marxism-Leninism ideology that became known as Maoism. This philosophy fueled the Chinese Revolution and the massive social and economic changes Mao instituted as the nation's leader. From examining the way contradictions can cause great shifts within a society, to the necessity of guerilla-based revol...

An A-to-Z compendium of Russell's writingOne of the great minds of the twentieth century, Bertrand Russell explored philosophy, mathematics, and a variety of other intellectual, political, historical, and social issues in his lifetime. In this indispensable and easily accessible guide, drawn from his books and essays, readers will find Russell's fundamental principles, from objectivity to ontological arguments to logical certainty, in his own words. Russell also ex...

An invaluable introduction to the leading French intellectual of the twentieth centuryThe Wisdom of Sartre offers key excerpts from the eloquent French writer, playwright, and philosopher's masterpiece, Being and Nothingness. From this collection, readers will discover the strongest themes in his early philosophical work: an ontological account of what it means to be human, and the role of perception, knowledge, and consciousness in the practical ...

Be the Change. Drawn from Gandhi's own words, this collection shares one man's philosophy that changed world history.When the Indian people, inspired by the words of Mahatma Gandhi, overthrew British rule, they proved that great political change could exist without violence. Revered both as a saint and a master politician in his native country, Gandhi proffered a philosophy that combined Thoreau's doctrine of civil disobedience with many Hindu beliefs. A c...

Words of ancient wisdom from some of the world’s most seminal textsThe Wisdom of the Torah is an instruction in the central beliefs of three world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But by observing the Torah, or the Hebrew Bible, as a collected work of multiple authors spanning generations, the modern reader can look beyond its fundamental instruction. In these works, readers find many lyrical and timeless reflections on what it means to have fa...

Uncover the tenets of Islam through the words of its founder.This compelling examination of the life and sayings of Muhammad offers the modern reader both a historical context for and a spiritual guide to the principles at the heart of the world's second largest religion. Drawing on the Koran and the Sunnah, this collection of quotes is organized by topic from A to Z and provides a window into the eloquence, practicality, and ethical fortitude with which Muhammad pr...

Explore the third of the great literatures in JudaismWhile many readers may have heard of Kabbalah in recent years, how many understand the origins and unique perspective of this collection of Jewish mystical beliefs? Handed down in the oral tradition for thousands of years and transcribed in fourteenth-century Spain, the Kabbalah is the classical expression of Jewish mysticism. This collection draws from the main work of Kabbalah— Sepher ha-Zohar, or *The...

Reverence for Life—Albert Schweitzer's pivotal philosophyMusician, physician, humanitarian, and philosopher, Albert Schweitzer was a twentieth-century Renaissance man who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his "Reverence for Life" philosophy. The Wisdom of Albert Schweitzer explores this core philosophy, which inspired one of the world's great humanitarians.While traveling in Africa, Schweitzer recognized that all living creatures have a will to live an...

From the sacred texts of Judaism: ancient and lyrical reflections on the meaning of life, faith, and humanity.The Wisdom of the Kabbalah: Handed down in the oral tradition for thousands of years and transcribed in fourteenth-century Spain, the Kabbalah is the classical expression of Jewish mysticism. This collection draws from the main work of Kabbalah— Sepher ha-Zohar, or The Book of Splendor.The Wisdom of the Talmud: Dev...

Discover the origins of Buddhism and its tenets from the seminal textsDrawn from the sacred books of Buddhism, this collection reveals the insights and beliefs at the heart of the world's fourth-largest religion. Siddhartha Guatama, a sixth-century Hindu warrior prince, renounced the world in his search for the meaning of life and became the Buddha, or "Enlightened One," while meditating at Bodh Gaya.From that moment forward the Buddha sought to share his o...

An A-to-Z reference of the great social reformer's own wordsAmong modern philosophers, few have had a greater impact on history than Karl Marx. Now this easy-to-use introduction to the nineteenth-century theorist breaks down his work into definitions of his terms and concepts, including Bourgeois State, Classless Society, and Freedom of the Press. Accompanied by an insightful introductory essay that puts the included excerpts from his works in context, The Wisd...