The works of German thinker Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel represent the apex of German classical philosophy. It was Hegel who pounded out the dialectical methodology that shaped the doctrine of idealism into a fully formed and deeply thought-out philosophical system. For many philosophical contemporaries, the name Hegel is synonymous with the word philosopher. Friedrich Nietzsche once boldly stated that "Hegel is taste," and, speaking of Hegel, the thinker Vladimir Solovyov remarked: "of a...

The early nineteenth century philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel is an important figure of German idealism, who achieved wide recognition within the continental tradition of philosophy. He has since become increasingly influential in the analytic tradition and his canonical stature within Western philosophy is universally recognised. Hegel’s principal achievement was his development of a distinctive articulation of idealism, in which the dualisms of mind and nature and subjec...

Hegel wrote this classic as an introduction to a series of lectures on the "philosophy of history" — a novel concept in the early nineteenth century. With this work, he created the history of philosophy as a scientific study. He reveals philosophical theory as neither an accident nor an artificial construct, but as an exemplar of its age, fashioned by its antecedents and contemporary circumstances, and serving as a model for the future. The author himself appears to have regarded this book...

The thirteenth century Italian Dominican friar, Thomas Aquinas was a philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism. His two masterpieces, the Summa Theologiae and Summa contra Gentiles, helped develop the classical systematisation of Latin theology, while as a poet he produced some of the finest eucharistic hymns in the church’s liturgy. The foremost classical proponent of natural theology, Thomas had an immense influence on Western thought, as much of modern philoso...

Regarded by some as the greatest genius of the early Christian church, Origen of Alexandria was a third century scholar, ascetic and theologian. He was a prolific writer of approximately 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and hermeneutics and spirituality. His treatise ‘On the First Principles’ systematically lays out the principles of Christian theology and became the foundation for later theological writings; while the treatis...

The philosopher and psychologist, William James (brother to the famous novelist Henry James) was a leading thinker of the late nineteenth century and one of the most influential American philosophers, regarded by many as the father of American psychology. James established the philosophical school known as pragmatism and is also cited as a founder of functional psychology. Noted for his rich and vivid literary style, James developed the philosophical perspective known as radical em...

Norse sagas concern tales of ancient Nordic and Germanic history, detailing early Viking voyages, the battles that took place during these voyages, exotic adventures in foreign lands and the migration to Iceland. These prose sagas were written in the Old Norse language, sharing similarities with epic poetry, telling of heroic deeds of days long gone. The tales offer an endless panorama of pagan chieftains, Viking warriors, historic saints, noble bishops and ordinary men and women, ...

A rhetorician of the late second century, Athenaeus wrote ‘The Deipnosophistae’ (‘Dinner-Table Philosophers’), a fifteen-book encyclopaedia of information on the ancient world, preserving otherwise lost treasures from many important writers. The text is structured as a dialogue in the vein of Plato, offering an amusing account of a Greek symposium. ‘The Deipnosophistae’ details the many different cuisines and entertainments of ancient banquets, held together by the intellectual tal...

“Powerful and original . . . Being and Time changed the course of philosophy.” — Richard Rorty, New York Times Book Review“Possibly the greatest Western philosopher since Hegel . . . Heidegger’s greatest work.” —The Guardian“Heidegger’s masterwork” —The EconomistMartin Heidegger’s 'Being and Time', first published in 1927, is a seminal work of 20th-century philosophy that examines the fundamental nature of "being" (Sein) through an analysis of human existence, or Dasein ("being-there"). Th...

A second century theologian from Carthage, Tertullian was an important early Christian writer, who produced an extensive corpus of literature. As the initiator of ecclesiastical Latin, he was instrumental in shaping the vocabulary and thought of Western Christianity. Tertullian has been described by some as the father of Latin Christianity and the founder of Western theology. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both Englis...

The Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between patient and psychoanalyst. Freud developed therapeutic techniques including the use of free association and transference, establishing its central role in the analytic process. Freud’s redefinition of sexuality led him to formulate the Oedipus complex as the central tenet of psychoanalytical theory. His analysis of dreams as wish-fulfilme...

The Complete Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe! Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Poems and Autobiography - In One Beautifully Formatted Volume!Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer and statesman, who left behind a huge legacy of literary works spanning many genres. Regularly placed amongst the very highest canon of literary masters, Goethe's huge collection of works are essential reading for any student or fan of great literature.