Wise And Not So Wise Advice From The Great Philosophers On Everyday Life

Ten thought-provoking 'life lessons' based on seventy-five tasty tit-bits of philosophy, drawn from the writings of the greats. 'How To Live' offers not only tips on life's eternal questions but a tasty entree into philosophy."

The author of Straw Dogs, famous for his provocative critiques of scientific hubris and the delusions of progress and humanism, turns his attention to cats—and what they reveal about humans' torturous relationship to the world and to themselves. The history of philosophy has been a predictably tragic or comical succession of palliatives for human disquiet. Thinkers from Spinoza to Berdyaev have pursued the perennial questions of how to be happy, how to be good, how to be loved, and how to live in a world of change and loss. But perhaps we can learn more from cats--the animal that has most captured our imagination--than from the great thinkers of the world. In Feline Philosophy, the philosopher John Gray discovers in cats a way of living that is unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness, showing how they embody answers to the big questions of love and attachment, mortality, morality, and the Self: Montaigne's house cat, whose un-examined life may have been the one worth living; Meo, the Vietnam War survivor with an unshakable capacity for "fearless joy"; and Colette's Saha, the feline heroine of her subversive short story "The Cat", a parable about the pitfalls of human jealousy. Exploring the nature of cats, and what we can learn from it, Gray offers a profound, thought-provoking meditation on the follies of human exceptionalism and our fundamentally vulnerable and lonely condition. He charts a path toward a life without illusions and delusions, revealing how we can endure both crisis and transformation, and adapt to a changed scene, as cats have always done.

Mark Wilson presents a highly original and broad-ranging investigation of the way we get to grips with the world conceptually, and the way that philosophical problems commonly arise from this. Words such as colour, shape, solidity exemplify the commonplace conceptual tools we employ to describe and order the world around us. But the world's goods are complex in their behaviors and we often overlook the subtle adjustments that our evaluative terms undergo as their usage becomes gradually adapted to different forms of supportive circumstance. Wilson not only explains how these surprising strategies of hidden management operate, but also tells the astonishing story of how faulty schemes and great metaphysical systems sometimes spring from a simple failure to recognize the innocent wanderings to which our descriptive words are heir. Wilson combines traditional philosophical concerns about human conceptual thinking with illuminating data derived from a large variety of fields including physics and applied mathematics, cognitive psychology, and linguistics. Wandering Significance offers abundant new insights and perspectives for philosophers of language, mind, and science, and will also reward the interest of psychologists, linguists, and anyone curious about the mysterious ways in which useful language obtains its practical applicability.

Will a deep appreciation of wisdom lead to more happiness, flourishing, and success in life? Why is America increasingly plagued by tribalism, elitism, materialism, and ME-ism? What do philosophy, psychology, and personal growth have to say about wisdom? Are the Bible and other religious texts legitimate and useful sources of human wisdom? Though powerful and beautiful, philosophy has typically discouraged many readers who find it difficult, abstract, and boring. Moreover, modern psychology and age-old personal growth principles are given a bad name by many social media personalities who oversimplify them in an effort to make money. What is wisdom, how can it help me, and is this book authentic, reliable and useful ? Four-time author Jason Merchey believes wisdom can be developed and acquired, and improving your understanding of wisdom will certainly lead to living a better life! Wisdom is one of humankind's oldest and most prized virtues, yet it is not much respected nowadays. . . This new book has the potential to assist readers to live a life that harnesses the power of philosophy, critical thinking, and applied psychology. These secular sources of wisdom are not as complicated as they may seem, and indeed are road maps to a better life. Greater wisdom leads to improved personal growth, happiness, and success. Wisdom is not simple or plug-and-play, but it will yield its secrets to those who love it. In fact, the word philosophy is Greek for “the love of wisdom.” Wisdom is a comprehensive, transparent exploration of ancient and intriguing concepts combined with critical thinking, compassion, and other aspects of wisdom. Brimming with examples of psychological principles, careful analysis, and insightful quotes from many cultures and civilizations, it provides a basis for authentic intellectual, emotional, spiritual and moral growth. The author deftly combines digestible psychological research findings, compelling personal stories, and useful quotations about wisdom. Anyone aiming to build a life of value—one that yields purpose and happiness—should consider wisdom to be their basis. Wisdom has been one of humanity's highest aspirations for millennia. Jason Merchey has dealt with mental illness most of his life, but also earned a master's degree in clinical psychology and trained as a psychotherapist. No stranger to “the big questions” and the difficulty of life, he has studied wisdom, values and virtues for twenty years. In addition to personal benefits, this book sheds light on some of America’s significant social problems. The great philosopher Socrates himself knew that ancient Athens, Greece was in serious trouble. If we were all wiser and we had more enlightened and humane priorities, many of the problems that mark communities and nations would give way to more love, fellowship, and prosperity. This deep and eclectic book is full of ideas and insights that will assist you to: * Discover and prioritize wisdom in your personal life and relationships * Achieve greater fulfillment, happiness and self-confidence * Bring about true success based on self-knowledge and values * Make a positive difference in your community—and the world as a whole One cannot buy wisdom per se, but investing in this affordable book provides a refreshing opportunity for self-improvement and intellectual growth. It has the potential to assist you to make wisdom your greatest strength!

"If I gained one thing from philosophy is that at the very least, I am well prepared to confront any change in fortune." - Diogenis The goal of this book is to improve people's everyday lives. It contains advice and wisdom from the ancient Greek philosophers for a less stressful, happier and more fulfilling life. We studied the surviving original ancient Greek texts and collected the quotes that would provide the most value to our readers. The quotes are translated directly from ancient Greek to English to preserve the meaning and the goal of the originals. They come from a variety of philosophers and schools of thought, so everyone can find something applicable to their everyday life. They are also grouped in categories so you can start focusing on what is important to you. Use the quotes as a way of thought or a starting point for a discussion and apply them to your daily life. Become a philosopher yourself.

In the tradition of Logicomix, Donald J. Robertson's Verissimus is a riveting graphic novel on the life and stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. Marcus Aurelius was the last famous Stoic of antiquity but he was also to become the most powerful man in the known world – the Roman emperor. After losing his father at an early age, he threw himself into the study of philosophy. The closest thing history knew to a philosopher-king, yet constant warfare and an accursed plague almost brought his empire to its knees. “Life is warfare”, he wrote, “and a sojourn in foreign land!” One thing alone could save him: philosophy, the love of wisdom! The remarkable story of Marcus Aurelius’ life and philosophical journey is brought to life by philosopher and psychotherapist Donald J. Robertson, in a sweeping historical epic of a graphic novel, based on a close study of the historical evidence, with the stunning full-color artwork of award-winning illustrator Zé Nuno Fraga.

An engaging and often hilarious survey of the far-from-fusty extra-curricular activities of some of philosophy’s finest practitioners Philosophers Behaving Badly examines the lives of eight great philosophers—Rousseau, whose views on education and the social order seem curiously at odds with his own outrageous life; Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, two giants of the 19th century whose words seem ever more relevant today; and five immensely influential philosophers of the 20th century, Russell, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Sartre, and Foucault.