"Is evil only a natural defect, an imperfection disappearing by itself with the growth of good, or is it a real power, ruling our world by means of temptations, so that, to fight it successfully, assistance must be found in another sphere of being? This vital question can be fully examined and solved only in a complete system of metaphysics." -- Vladimir Solovyov (preface)In this prophetic, millennial w...

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Spiritual Works of Leo Tolstoy: A Confession, The Kingdom of God is Within You, What I Believe, Christianity and Patriotism, Reason and Religion, The Gospel in Brief and more" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. In the 1870s Tolstoy experienced a profound moral crisis, followed by what he regarded as an equally profound spiritual awakening, as outlined in his non-fiction work A Confession. His literal interpreta...

The Book of Lost Books is a book of stories involving kings, heretics, untimely interruptions and back room deals, falling tortoises and fairy princesses, train crashes and war atrocities, bravery, cowardice, rent boys, chamber maids, love, quests, puzzles and a crocodile.From Homer to Jane Austen, Shakespeare to Ernest Hemingway, this is an account of books destroyed, misplaced, never finished, or never even begun. With academic shaggy dog stories, swashbuckling historica...

From one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century: A collection of accessible and enlightening essays on topics from envy to intellectual rubbish.Russell, the sage non-conformist, is always meaningful, no matter what the topic or the issue. In this small book are some of his old but nonetheless remarkable observations, and some of the thoughts he expressed on his 90th birthday. Here are titles, taken at random from the Table of Contents: Psychoanalysis ...

Tangle with one of the most astoundingly vexing minds that the Western philosophical canon has ever produced. In The Anti-Christ, Nietzsche first defined his concept of the will to power, the animating force that he sees as the motivation behind most human behavior. Whether you are a non-believer or a committed Christian, Nietzsche's detailed critique of the Christian ethos is a masterwork of rigorous discourse.

Describing Tolstoy's crisis of depression and estrangement from the world, A Confession (1879) is an autobiographical work of exceptional emotional honesty. By the time he was fifty, Tolstoy had already written the novels that would assure him of literary immortality; he had a wife, a large estate and numerous children; he was 'a happy man' and in good health - yet life had lost its meaning. In this poignant confessional fragment, he records a period of his life when he began to turn away ...

Friedrich Nietzsche's essay "The Antichrist" is regarded by many as one of the greatest critiques of Christianity and morality. "The Antichrist" seethes with hard criticism, rhetoric and insults that would make some readers shy away. Nietzsche's writing is fast, to the point, striking and filled with cynicism. "This book belongs to the very few" begins the Antichrist.Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most celebrated and debated modern philosophers of the 19th century. Dur...

A poet whose verse inspired music by Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Brahms, Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) was in his lifetime equally admired for his elegant prose. This collection charts the development of that prose, beginning with three meditative works from the Travel Pictures, inspired by Heine's journeys as a young man to Lucca, Venice and the Harz Mountains. Exploring the development of spirituality, the later On the History of Religion and Philosophy in Germany spans the earliest...

Leo Tolstoy's 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You' is a profound exploration of Christian teachings and principles, presented in a thought-provoking and philosophical manner. Written in a clear and direct style, Tolstoy discusses the concept of nonviolent resistance and the idea of living a moral life in the face of societal and institutional injustices. The book challenges readers to question their own beliefs and actions, urging them to find the divine within themselves and to strive towar...

'What can you say to a man who tells you he prefers obeying God rather than men, and that as a result he's certain he'll go to heaven if he cuts your throat?' Voltaire's Pocket Philosophical Dictionary, first published in 1764, is a major work of the European Enlightenment. It is also a highly entertaining book: this is no 'dictionary' in the ordinary sense, nor does it treat 'philosophy' in the modern meaning of the term. It consists of a sequence of short essays...

Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900), one of the greatest philosophers of the nineteenth century, was the founder of a tradition of Russian spirituality that brought together philosophy, mysticism, and theology with a powerful social message. A Platonist and a gnostic visionary, as well as a close friend of Dostoevsky, Solovyov was also a prophet who was granted three visions of Sophia, Divine Wisdom. A poet and a profoundly Christian metaphysicist, his works include The Just...

The Three Dialogues and the Story of the Antichrist, finished on Easter Sunday 1900, is the final work of Solovyov. He clearly foresaw that the 20th century would be "the epoch of great wars, civil strife and revolutions." All this, he said, would prepare the way for the disappearance of "the old structure of separate nations" and "almost everywhere the remains of the ancient monarchical institutions would disappear." This would pave the way for a "United States of Europe."...