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Voltairine de Cleyre (November 17, 1866 - June 20, 1912) was an American anarchist. She was skilled in many subjects and wrote essays, poems, letters, sketches, stories and speeches. These are her selected letters, sketches and stories. (Summary by enko)...

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Short stories, Philosophy

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The Wit and Humor of America is a 10 volume series. In this, the sixth volume, 55 short stories and poems have been gathered from 42 authors. This volume is sure to delight listeners. (Summary by Linette Geisel)...

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Adventure, Fiction, Humor, Literature, Philosophy, Romance, Satire, Short stories

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Surely the most deeply-rooted need of the human soul, its purest aspiration, is for the closest possible union with God. As one turns over the pages of this little work, written by Blessed Albert the Great towards the end of his life, when that great soul had ripened and matured, one feels that here indeed is the ideal of one's hopes. (From the Preface)...

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Religion, Philosophy

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The Dhammapada is is a Buddhist scripture, containing 423 verses in 26 categories. According to tradition, these are verses spoken by the Buddha on various occasions, most of which deal with ethics. It is is considered one of the most important pieces of Theravada literature. Despite this, the Dhammapada is read by many Mahayana Buddhists and remains a very popular text across all schools of Buddhism. - Excerpted from Wikipedia...

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Religion, Philosophy

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Promoting virtues such as filial devotion, compassion, loyalty, and propriety, these dialogues between the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius and his disciples comprise the crux of Confucianism. (Summary by Andrea L)....

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Philosophy

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Awaiting his trial on charges of impiety and heresy, Socrates encounters Euthyphro, a self-proclaimed authority on matters of piety and the will of the gods. Socrates, desiring instruction in these matters, converses with Euthyphro, but as usual, the man who professes to know nothing fares better than the man who claims to be an expert. One of Plato’s well-known Socratic Dialogues, Euthyphro probes the nature of piety, and notably poses the so-called Euthyphro Dilemma: Do the gods love a thing because it is holy, or is a thing holy because it is loved by the gods? (Summary by LauraFox)...

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Philosophy

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A series of biographical lectures originally published in 1850. Each chapter is a philosophical treatment of the life of an intellectual. The six representatives are Plato, Swedenborg, Shakespeare, Montaigne, Napolean and Goethe. (Introduction by S. Kovalchik)...

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Biography, Philosophy

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In Plato's ION, Socrates questions Ion, whether he should really claim laud and glory for his 'rhapsodic' recitals of Homer's poetry. —Description by Simon-Peter Zak...

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Philosophy

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In diesem indischen Märchen erzählt Manfred Kyber die Geschichte von Mantao, der als Sohn armer, einfacher Leute geboren wird, aber in Wahrheit ein Königssohn ist. Wir begleiten Mantao auf seinem Lebensweg, auf dem uns Wiedergeburt und Bestimmung, Versuchung und die Erfüllung einer göttlichen Aufgabe, die ewige Verkettung der Dinge und die Verantwortung für die Schöpfung begegnen. Mit einer poetischen Sprache schafft Kyber eine schöne, leicht mystische Atmosphäre. (Zusammenfassung von Karlsson)...

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Fairy tales, Philosophy

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This dialogue brings Socrates face to face with the famous sophist Gorgias and his followers. It is a work likely completed around the time of Republic and illuminates many of the spiritual ideas of Plato. The spirituality, as Jowett points out in his wonderful introduction, has many ideas akin to Christianity, but is more generous as it reserves damnation only for the tyrants of the world. Some of the truths of Socrates, as presented by Plato, shine forth in this wonderful work on sophistry and other forms of persuasion or cookery. (Summary by Kevin Johnson)...

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Ancient Texts, Philosophy, Satire

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The Autobiography of a Slander exposes the consequences of reckless words or, even worse, intentionally disparaging words. In this moral tale, told from the point of view of the slander, Edna Lyall (pseudonym used by Ada Ellen Bayley) reveals her ideals and goals in life and relationships. (Summary by Rhonda Federman)...

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Fiction, Philosophy, Short stories, Literature

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Diese kleine Schrift ist eine grosse Kriegserklärung; und was das Aushorchen von Götzen anbetrifft, so sind es dies Mal keine Zeitgötzen, sondern ewige Götzen, an die hier mit dem Hammer wie mit einer Stimmgabel gerührt wird, - es giebt überhaupt keine älteren, keine überzeugteren, keine aufgeblaseneren Götzen... Auch keine hohleren... Das hindert nicht, dass sie die geglaubtesten sind; auch sagt man, zumal im vornehmsten Falle, durchaus nicht Götze... (aus Friedrich Nietzsches Vorwort zur Gützendämmerung)...

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Philosophy

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After a number of deaths in his close family, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle turned to spiritualism in hope of finding proof of the afterlife. Being open in this way, he wanted to believe that spirits and other supernatural being including fairies were real. Because of this he believed the photographs of fairies taken by the Cottingley girls were proof of the existence of such beings. In this book he presents his stance on the issue. Eventually it was proven that the photographs were indeed a hoax. (Summary by Amy Gramour)...

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Philosophy, Myths/Legends

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volunteers bring you 18 recordings of The House by the Side of the Road by Sam Walter Foss. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for January 15, 2012. Sam Walter Foss was an American librarian and poet whose works included The House by the Side of the Road and The Coming American. Foss used to write a poem a day for the newspapers, and his five volumes of collected poetry are of the frank and homely “common man” variety. Longtime baseball announcer Ernie Harwell alluded to one of Foss's poems whenever he described a batter taking a called third strike: He stood there like the house by the side of the road and watched it go by. ( Summary from Wikipedia )...

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Poetry, Instruction, Nature, Philosophy

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volunteers bring you 14 recordings of Life by Sir Walter Raleigh. This was the Weekly Poetry project for July 25th, 2010.

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Philosophy, Poetry

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The Apology is Plato's version of the speech delivered by Socrates before the Athenian people in his defence agaist charges of impiety and of misleading others, which ended in his condemnation and death in 399 BC. It is the earliest and most eloquent expression of what has been termed 'philosophical faith', as that love and search for truth which gives meaning to life and trust in the face of death. (Summary by zaaf) Ο Πλάτωνας ήταν σπουδαίος Έλληνας φιλόσοφος και συγγραφέας (427 π.Χ. - 347 π.Χ.), ο γνωστότερος μαθητής του Σωκράτη. Ο Πλάτων έγραψε την Απολογία του Σωκράτους, που θεωρείται ως μια σχετικά ακριβής καταγραφή της απολογίας του Σωκράτη στη δίκη που τον καταδίκασε σε θάνατο....

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Ancient Texts, Classics (antiquity), Biography, Memoirs, Philosophy

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The work consists of ten books, originally separate scrolls, and is understood to be based on notes said to be from his lectures at the Lyceum which were either edited by or dedicated to Aristotle's son, Nicomachus. In many ways this work parallels the similar Eudemian Ethics, which has only eight books, and the two works can be fruitfully compared. Books V, VI, and VII of the Nicomachean Ethics are identical to Books IV, V, and VI of the Eudemian Ethics. Opinions about the relationship between the two works, for example which was written first, and which originally contained the three common books, is divided. Aristotle describes his ethical work as being different from his other kinds of study, because it is not just for the sake of contemplating what things are, but rather to actually become good ourselves. It is therefore practical rather than theoretical in the original Aristotelian senses of these terms. (Summary from Wikipedia)...

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Philosophy, Classics (antiquity)

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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. It defines the fundamental rights of individuals, and exhorts all governments to protect these rights. The UN has translated the document into over three hundred languages and dialects. This audiobook includes readings in 21 languages, by volunteers....

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Philosophy

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Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy, and detective fiction. Chesterton has been called the prince of paradox. He wrote in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. Chesterton wrote about 4000 essays on various subjects, and Ararms and Discursions is one of his collections. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline.)...

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Essay/Short nonfiction

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The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man. Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases only in an arithmetical ratio. A slight acquaintance with numbers will show the immensity of the first power in comparison with the second (Malthus)....

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Science, Nature, Philosophy