Buddhist Scriptures – by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. (2004)

While Buddhism has no central text such as the Bible or the Koran, there is a powerful body of scripture from across Asia that encompasses the dharma, or the teachings of Buddha. This rich anthology brings together works from a broad historical and geographical range, and from languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese and

2 Comments

The Holy Quran

The Quran (/kʊˈrɑːn/, kor-AHN; Arabic: القرآن‎, romanized: al-Qurʼān, lit. ’the recitation’, Arabic pronunciation: [alqurˈʔaːn]), also romanized Qur’an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God (Allah). It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. It is organized in 114 chapters (surah (سور‎;

1 Comment

The Old Testament

The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The second division of Christian Bibles is the New Testament, written in the Koine Greek language.

2 Comments

The New Testament

The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. The New Testament’s background, the first division of the Christian Bible, is called the Old Testament, which is based primarily upon the Hebrew Bible; together they are

1 Comment

Review: The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Consists of 7 parts: Part I: Of the propriety of action Part II: Of merit and demerit; or of the objects of reward and punishment Part III: Of the foundations of our judgments concerning our own sentiments and conduct, and of the sense of duty. Part IV: Of the effect of utility upon the sentiments

15 Comments

Review: “The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business”

The Visible Hand: The Managerial Revolution in American Business is a book by American business historian Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., published by Harvard University Press in 1977. Chandler argues that in the nineteenth century, Adam Smith’s famous invisible hand of the market was supplanted by the “visible hand” of middle management, which became “the most powerful institution in the American economy”.[1] The

8 Comments

The Functions of the Executive

The Functions of the Executive is a book by Chester I. Barnard (1886–1961) that presents a “theory of cooperation and organization” and “a study of the functions and of the methods of operation of executives in formal organizations.”[1]:xi-xii It was originally published in 1938; a Thirtieth Anniversary edition, published in 1968, is still in print.[2][3] The book is notable for its focus on how

7 Comments

New Atlantis

by Francis Bacon (1927) We sailed from Peru, where we had continued by the space of one whole year, for China and Japan, by the South Sea, taking with us victuals for twelve months; and had good winds from the east, though soft and weak, for five months’ space and more. But then the wind

1 Comment

Of the Jealousy of Trade

by David Hume Having endeavoured to remove one species of ill-founded jealousy, which is so prevalent among commercial nations, it may not be amiss to mention another, which seems equally groundless. Nothing is more usual, among states which have made some advances in commerce, than to look on the progress of their neighbours with a

2 Comments

Some Considerations on the consequences of the Lowering of Interest and the Raising of the Value of Money

by John Locke (in a letter Sent to a Member of Parliament 1691) Letter 1: These Notions, concerning Coinage Sir, These Notions, concerning Coinage, having for the main, as you know, been put into Writing above Twelve Months since; as those other concerning Interest, a great deal above to many Years: I put them now

1 Comment

Raising the Value of Money

by John Locke Further Considerations Concerning Raising the Value Of Money Wherein Mr. Lowndes’s Arguments for it in his late Report concerning An Essay for the Amendment of the Silver Coins, are particularly Examined. The Second Edition Corrected, London, 1696 To the Right Honorable Sr John Sommers, Kt. Lord Keeper of the great Seal of

2 Comments

The Consolation of Philosophy (Boethieus, 524)

The Consolation of Philosophy (Latin: De consolatione philosophiae) is a philosophical work by the Roman statesman Boethius, written around the year 524. It has been described as the single most important and influential work in the West on Medieval and early Renaissance Christianity, as well as the last great Western work of the Classical Period. Boethius was an eminent public figure under the Gothic

1 Comment

On Liberty – by Mill John Stuart (1860)

On Liberty is a philosophical essay by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. Published in 1859, it applies Mill’s ethical system of utilitarianism to society and state. Mill suggests standards for the relationship between authority and liberty. He emphasizes the importance of individuality, which he considers prerequisite to the higher pleasures—the summum bonum of utilitarianism. Furthermore, Mill asserts that democratic ideals may result in the tyranny of

1 Comment

The Communist Manifesto – by Marx Karl, Frederick Engels (1848)

The Communist Manifesto, originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party (German: Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei), is an 1848 pamphlet by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Commissioned by the Communist League and originally published in London just as the Revolutions of 1848 began to erupt, the Manifesto was later recognised as one of the world’s most influential political documents. It presents an analytical approach to the class struggle (historical and

2 Comments

The Republic – by Plato (375 BC)

The Republic (Greek: Πολιτεία, translit. Politeia; Latin: De Republica) is a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BC, concerning justice (δικαιοσύνη), the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man. It is Plato’s best-known work, and has proven to be one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy and political theory, both intellectually and historically. In the dialogue, Socrates talks with various Athenians and foreigners about the meaning

1 Comment

The Trial and Death of Socrates – by Plato

The third edition of The Trial and Death of Socrates presents G. M. A. Grube’s distinguished translations, as revised by John Cooper for Plato, Complete Works. A number of new or expanded footnotes are also included along with a Select Bibliography. Table of Contents MENO: The Immortality of the Soul EUTHYPHRO: Piety and Impiety APOLOGY: The Defense

2 Comments

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature – by William James (1902)

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature is a book by Harvard University psychologist and philosopher William James. It comprises his edited Gifford Lectures on natural theology, which were delivered at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland between 1901 and 1902. The lectures concerned the psychological study of individual private religious experiences and mysticism, and used a range of examples to identify commonalities in

1 Comment

The Wealth of Nations – by Smith Adam (1776)

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, generally referred to by its shortened title The Wealth of Nations, is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. First published in 1776, the book offers one of the world’s first collected descriptions of what builds nations’ wealth, and is today a fundamental work in classical economics. By

2 Comments

Utilitarianism – by Mill John Stuart (1863)

John Stuart Mill’s book Utilitarianism is a classic exposition and defence of utilitarianism in ethics. The essay first appeared as a series of three articles published in Fraser’s Magazine in 1861 (vol. 64, p. 391–406, 525–534, 659–673); the articles were collected and reprinted as a single book in 1863. Mill’s aim in the book is to explain what utilitarianism is,

2 Comments

What is Property? – by Pierre Joseph Proudhon (1890)

“Property is theft!” (French: La propriété, c’est le vol!) is a slogan coined by French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in his 1840 book What is Property? Or, an Inquiry into the Principle of Right and of Government. By “property”, Proudhon referred to a concept regarding land property that originated in Roman law: the sovereign right of property, the right of the proprietor to

1 Comment