Modern Renaissance Books - Page 2

Montaigne: Essays

Michel de Montaigne

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An enlightened consciousness 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Michel de Montaigne is considered by many to be the inventor of the literary form of the essay, so the collection from which these excerpts come is important in several ways. Montaigne was a humanist and a skeptic in his philosophical approach, and essentially looked at his own experience as the first topic for examination always.

The book of Essays was one he worked on periodically throughout his life, issuing different editions, the first of which appeared in 1580. Montaigne's style of writing is sometimes stream-of-consciousness, sometimes structured in more formal styles.

Montaigne's stated task in his preface to the reader is for self-examination, but it becomes very clear that Montaigne sees himself as an 'everyman' character. He strives for full-disclosure; indeed, he writes that were he another culture 'which are said to live still in the sweet freedom of nature's first laws', then he might have appeared naked.

This is a complete set of the Essays, together with a helpful introduction and notes for reading. As Montaigne added to his essays periodically, they are not necessarily in the order he wrote them, but this collection has preserved their order according to his standards.

Montaigne's essays show a pessimism and skepticism, perhaps based on the kinds of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants going on, in France and elsewhere, as well as the periodic flare of plague. He was a humanist who saw cultures as having value internal to themselves and preferred to not universalise morals, laws and other ideas.

Montaigne was sometimes conventional in thought (seeing marriage as necessary for children, and distrusting the idea of romantic love), but other times he was very much a free thinker (particularly when it came to religious dogma or absolutist kinds of philosophical paradigms). Montaigne had respect for those who followed religious codes and ways of life, but distrusted those who tried to impose such ideas upon others.

Montaigne added to his essays twice in major ways, but did not strive for consistency or systematic ways of thinking - he declined to remove previous essays if they contradicted new writings.

Montaigne is perhaps the most important French philosopher prior to the Enlightenment. His essays remain popular because they have a sense of the modern and the current about them.

Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Secularism

Paul Kurtz

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Fundamentalists from all religious persuasions deny the possibility of morality without belief in God. Yet belief in God is no guarantee of moral virtue - as the evils committed in the name of religion, past and present, have shown. Are there ethical, non-religious choices that will work for a world in crisis? Paul Kurtz, America's leading secular humanist philosopher, affirms that it is possible to live the good life and be morally responsible without belief in religion. In this original and penetrating book, Kurtz delineates the means by which humanity can transcend the limitations of traditional religious loyalties and achieve a higher stage of ethics.In order to progress to a maximum level of creative development, Kurtz maintains that we must be nourished by the 'forbidden fruit' of the knowledge of good and evil, grounding principles and values in autonomous reason. This is the path that leads to the discovery of significant ethical truths that can guide both self-reliant conduct and consideration for the rights of others. By breaking the bonds of theistic illusion, we can summon the courage and wisdom to develop a rational ethic based on a realistic appraisal of nature and an awareness of the centrality of the moral decencies common to all peoples. The ultimate key to the good life, Kurtz writes, is to eat of the fruit of the second tree in the Garden of Eden - the tree of life - discovering for ourselves the manifold potentialities for a bountiful existence. "Forbidden Fruit" contains important chapters on privacy and human rights, and presents concrete ethical recommendations as alternatives to the reigning orthodoxies.

History of Philosophy, Volume 3

Frederick Copleston

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

As always, excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

One could almost say that volume 2 was a buildup to volume 3. In volume 2 Scholasticism and Neoplatonism was forged from Greek philosophy in order to create a Christian worldview. While there were changes made, like Aquinas modifying some of the conjectures of Aristotle and Augustine doing the same of Platonism, there was no real direct attack on these two thinkers. Aristotle's philosophy was almost synonymous with philosophy instead of a subset of philosophy.

Here some of the doors are burst wide open, lead mostly by William of Ockham. Here he tears apart much of Aquinas's proofs for the existence of God, attacked many of the traditional ideas concerning universals, and paved the way to the emphasis on empirical study. Whether one agrees or not with the man, his thought was a much needed critique of established wisdom that too often degraded to spurious conjecture.

There is some modified Scholasticism in the book by Suarez, who extends much of what Aquinas wrote, ans well as political philosophy developed much in part by the tension between Papal power and the powers of the State. Indeed, there is much here that paved the way for a new form of republic to emerge, as many of the philosophers states(rightly in my opinion), that political power was derived by God through the people, and a tyrant has no right of Authority.

Like always, Copleston treats everyone fairly, and most certainly seems to have done his research given the depth of knowledge and a staggering bibliography. If you have time to tackle Copleston, you'll be rewarded for doing so.

Editorial Review:

Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English.

Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition

Frances A. Yates

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Placing Bruno—both advanced philosopher and magician burned at the stake—in the Hermetic tradition, Yates's acclaimed study gives an overview not only of Renaissance humanism but of its interplay—and conflict—with magic and occult practices.

"Among those who have explored the intellectual world of the sixteenth century no one in England can rival Miss Yates. Wherever she looks, she illuminates. Now she has looked on Bruno. This brilliant book takes time to digest, but it is an intellectual adventure to read it. Historians of ideas, of religion, and of science will study it. Some of them, after reading it, will have to think again. . . . For Miss Yates has put Bruno, for the first time, in his tradition, and has shown what that tradition was."—Hugh Trevor-Roper, New Statesman

"A decisive contribution to the understanding of Giordano Bruno, this book will probably remove a great number of misrepresentations that still plague the tormented figure of the Nolan prophet."—Giorgio de Santillana, American Historical Review

"Yates's book is an important addition to our knowledge of Giordano Bruno. But it is even more important, I think, as a step toward understanding the unity of the sixteenth century."—J. Bronowski, New York Review of Books

Humanism, What's That?: A Book for Curious Kids

Helen Bennett

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

humanism - the ultimate universe 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is a fine book for teachers and or anyone who is not a theist trying to answer questions about "non-belief." The world has always had non believers. Unfortunately fear from any and all religious sects kept the secular/humanistic point of view hidden beneath the thundering voice of authoritarian religion. We need more people to speak out.

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Terrific primer for this magnificent outlook on the world. If you hope the best for your child ... and if by 'best' you mean to make them a thinking contributing human INDIVIDUAL (not an automoton who simply mimics a design of your own making) I could not more highly recommend this fine book.

Well written kids book on humanism 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Not hostile to other beliefs and a very good example of what humanism is. My children enjoyed reading this.

Editorial Review:

This work is aimed at ages 10+. Complete with discussion questions, suggestions for activities, and a bibliography, this innovative approach to presenting humanism to young adults will be welcome by parents and teachers looking to expose their children or students to a secular philosophic perspective.

Pensees

Blaise Pascal, Roger Ariew

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Editorial Review:

Roger Ariew masterfully renders the oddities of 17th-century French vocabulary and syntax in this eloquent and philosophically astute translation—the first complete English translation based on the Sellier edition of Pascal’s manuscript, widely accepted as the version closest to what Pascal intended. Ariew provides a select bibliography of primary and secondary sources, a chronology of Pascal’s life and works, a brief history of the text, concordances between the Sellier and Lafuma editions of the original, and an index.

Machiavelli's The Prince: Bold-faced Principles on Tactics, Power, and Politics

Niccolo Machiavelli

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

ok 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

the book is small it fits into the palm of my hand. and it really isn't a hard back it's more like a paperback lamented. the commentary is ok i think i would of rather bought an ordinary copy instead but it's not to bad

Editorial Review:

Machiavelli’s words are as timely today as they were when he first wrote them, more than 500 years ago. One of the most famous philosophical and political tracts ever created, The Prince maintains its power, influencing people around the world and in all walks of life. This new highlighted edition makes it even easier to glean knowledge, inspiration, and practical strategies from Machiavelli’s masterwork: it features boldfaced phrases throughout that are especially relevant to today’s lifestyle. Also, each chapter concludes with a finishing thought and enough room for readers to make their own personal notes and deeper interpretations. An introduction provides details of Machiavelli’s eventful life, and examines his work in the context of the time he lived in. With The Prince as a guide, anyone can set off on the road to victory.

 

The Complete Essays of Montaigne

Michel Eyquem Montaigne

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

"A Great Anthology of Montaigne's Essays" 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

Montaigne's writings are eloquent, rich in allusions and anecdotes, and above all they sparkle with philosophical insights. Immortal names like Cicero, Homer, Virgil, and Horace are cited on every page, and reveal that the classical world of the past and the humanistic world of the present were very real to him. These essays also display Montaigne's mistrust of systematic philosophy, and show his support of faith and divine revelation over human reason. Montaigne's writings played a considerable role in setting the stage for later philosophers, like Descartes, to establish a new system of knowledge independent of the sense perception. This edition is a faithful translation from the original, and preserves beyond others the pristine clarity of Montaigne's ideas.

Editorial Review:

In his Essays Montaigne warns us from the outset that he has set himself 'no goal but a domestic and private one' yet he is one author whose modernity and universality have been acclaimed by each age since he wrote. Probing into his emotions, attitudes, and behavior, Montaigne reveals to us much about ourselves.

El Principe / the Prince (Alba)

Niccolo Machiavelli, Juan Manuel Rodriguez

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Para entender por que estamos tan mal... 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Definitivamente, muchos gobernantes, funcionarios, politicos, hombres de empresa, etc. han tomado a El Principe como un manual. Si alguna vez nos hemos preguntado por que las obras de los politicos no terminan de traer el bien comun en la mayoria de los paises, aqui encontraremos una parte de la respuesta. Para resumir el libro en una frase, Maquiavelo dice que el fin justifica los medios. La crueldad, la perfidia y la intriga son medios para que el gobernante conserve e incremente el Estado. Leer directamente EL PRINCIPE de Maquiavelo, nos puede dejar con un malestar interno, asi que para digerirlo mejor y entender a Maquiavelo, recomiendo leerlo junto con el espectacular ensayo NICOLAS MAQUIAVELO EN SU QUINTO CENTENARIO por ANTONIO GOMEZ ROBLEDO. Este ensayo viene como prologo a la edicion de EL PRINCIPE de Editorial Porrua (Mexico).

Editorial Review:

El Príncipe, de Nicholás Maquiavelo (1469-1527), es una obra clásica en materia políticay de gran trascendencia dentro de la cultura occidental. Maquiavelo es, además de un gran teórico del pensamiento político, uno de los grandes prosistas en lengua italiana del s. XVI.

Atacado por muchos y defendido también con firmeza, Maquiavelo nos demuestra su talento de escritor y la forma de conseguir y mantener el poder.

Con esta obra, escrita cuando ya se había retirado de la vida pública, Maquiavelo presenta su genio, eminentmente práctico.

The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand: Truth and Toleration in Objectivism

David Kelley

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Ayn Rand's philosophical novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged made her the most controversial author of her age. Her works have drawn millions of readers and continue to sell at a breathtaking pace. Their impact on American culture runs from libertarian politics to the self-esteem movement in psychology to the rugged individualism of Silicon Valley and the Internet. Rand also launched a movement of intellectuals committed to her philosophy of Objectivism. While it has grown dramatically since Rand's death in 1982, however, the Objectivist movement has also fractured into rival camps whose differences over doctrine and strategy are compounded by competition for leadership and bitter accusations of heresy. In The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand, philosopher David Kelley analyzes the conflicts that led him to break ranks with orthodox Objectivists and create an independent branch of the movement. Originally published in 1990 as a manifesto, this work has been revised as an analysis of the principles of intellectual collaboration -- the terms on which intellectuals and activists can work together in a common cause. Going beyond the immediate issues, Kelley discusses the nature of individual responsibility for the spread of ideas and for their historical consequences. He offers a new argument for toleration based on a non-relativistic theory of truth. He describes the nature of tribalism among intellectuals, showing how the troubled legacy of Ayn Rand has followed a pattern similar to the not-so-civil wars among followers of other original and charismatic thinkers such as Marx and Freud. In a postscript for the second edition, Kelley reviews the growth in Objectivist scholarship and theinfluence of Rand's ideas over the past decade. The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand is an engaging introduction to the Objectivist movement, its core ideas, and its central fissures. At the same time, it offers a case study in the sociology of intellectual movements and a frank discussion of the issues that arise whenever thinkers leave their studies to promote their idea in the public realm.