Philosophy audiobooks

Zadig ou la Destinée

By: Voltaire

Narrated by: Ezwa

Length: 2 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

Sur le point d'épouser la plus belle fille de Babylone, jouissant de tous les privilèges de la jeunesse et de la fortune, vertueux de surcroît, Zadig se demande s'il est possible de vivre heureux ici-bas. Sa fiancée ne tarde pas à la trahir, des fanatiques le traînent en justice, on le menace du bûcher, on le vend comme esclave en Egypte et... Read more

Open Mindset

By: Steven McRyan

Narrated by: Eric Wheeler

Length: 3 hours 14 minutes

Abridged: No

Open Mindset, in it, you will learn: The power of mindset in influencing how far you go in life, including the 3 types of mindsets and how each one determines success or failure in life Why your mindset is to blame for everything you are struggling with today The scientific explanation of why mindset is a key ingredient in everyone’s life 3... Read more

Natural

By: Alan Levinovitz

Narrated by: Joe McQuillan

Length: 8 hours 47 minutes

Abridged: No

Illuminates the far-reaching harms of believing that natural means “good,” from misinformation about health choices to justifications for sexism, racism, and flawed economic policies.

People love what’s natural: it’s the best way to eat, the best way to parent, even the best way to act—naturally, just as nature intended. Appeals to the wisdom of... Read more

The Philosophy Cure

By: Laurence Devillairs

Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg

Length: 5 hours 14 minutes

Abridged: No

The wisdom of famous philosophers distilled into practical takeaways for modern listeners.

For centuries, philosophers have considered the “big questions” of human life, mulling over everything from ethics to the definition of reality. Their ideas and insights are powerful and innovative, but often inaccessible and far too academic for most... Read more

Why We Act

By: Catherine A. Sanderson

Narrated by: Catherine A. Sanderson

Length: 7 hours 27 minutes

Abridged: No

In the face of wrongdoing, why do good people so often do nothing? Pioneering psychologist Catherine A. Sanderson explains why moral courage is so rare – and how we can all learn to be brave. We are bombarded every day by reports of bad behaviour: from sexual harassment to political corruption, from... Read more

The Wealth of Nations

By: Adam Smith

Narrated by: Michael Lunts

Length: 41 hours 58 minutes

Abridged: No

The Wealth of Nations, first published in 1776, is the first book of modern political economy and still provides the foundation for the study of that discipline. An Enquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, to give it is full title, was an immediate best seller and has since rightfully claimed its place in the Western... Read more

Plato's Phaedrus

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis & Al Anderson

Length: 2 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

Plato's dialogues frequently cover several topics and show their connection to each other. The "Phaedrus" is a model of that skill because of its seamless progression from examples of speeches about the nature of love to mythical visions of human nature and destiny to the essence of beauty and, finally, to a penetrating discussion of speaking... Read more

An Introduction to Metaphysics

By: Henri Bergson

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 2 hours 5 minutes

Abridged: No

The basic principles that Bergson articulates, especially his way of thinking about reality as a dynamic process and his view of human beings as creative and evolving, should be helpful to anyone who seeks to go beyond simply dealing with the practical demands of daily life and consider the nature of things. Of special importance is Bergson's... Read more

Aristotle's Poetics

By: Aristotle

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour 25 minutes

Abridged: No

Aristotle's Poetics is best known for its definition and analysis of tragedy and comedy, but it also applies to truth and beauty as they are manifested in the other arts. In our age, when the natural and social sciences have dominated the quest for truth, it is helpful to consider why Aristotle claimed: "poetry is more philosophical and more... Read more

Berkeley's Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous

By: George Berkeley

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson & William Schuller

Length: 4 hours 32 minutes

Abridged: No

Berkeley uses the Socratic mode of inquiry in "Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous" to question fundamental beliefs about knowledge and reality. These dialogues are between Hylas (whose name is derived from the ancient Greek word for matter) and Philonous, whose name means "lover of mind." The new physical sciences developed in the... Read more

Anderson's Reality and the Arts

By: Albert A. Anderson

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 4 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

Art is the creative manifestation of essences. In order to understand the relation between art and reality, we need a philosophical guide. The best way to comprehend how the creative act of imagining enables the mind to seek reality is to employ the kind of dialectical thinking that Plato used in his dialogues. Beginning with the shadows on the... Read more

Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy

By: René Descartes

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 3 hours 31 minutes

Abridged: No

René Descartes is often described as the first modern philosopher, but much of the content of his "Meditations on First Philosophy" can be found in the medieval period that had already existed for more than a thousand years. Does God exist? If so, what is his nature? Is the human soul immortal? How does it differ from the body? What role do... Read more

Lao Zi's Dao De Jing

By: Laozi

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour 25 minutes

Abridged: No

The "Dao De Jing" exists on the border between poetry and philosophy, embracing both mythos and logos. Its poetic form can stand alone, but it is enriched when its timeless ideas are analyzed and explained through careful scholarship. For example: "He who knows others is knowledgeable. He who knows himself is wise." These words resemble... Read more

Mill's On Liberty

By: John Stuart Mill

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 6 hours 9 minutes

Abridged: No

John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" was first published in 1859. In the 21st century this text confirms Socrates' claim that "it is only the life of true philosophy that scorns the life of political ambition" (Plato's Republic, 521). Mill's thinking about freedom in civic and social life examines fundamental principles shared among conservative,... Read more

Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

By: David Hume

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson, William Sigalis, Ray Childs...

Length: 6 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion had not yet been published when he died in 1776. Even though the manuscript was mostly written during the 1750s, it did not appear until 1779. The subject itself was too delicate and controversial, and Hume's dialectical examination of religious knowledge was especially provocative. What should... Read more

Plato's Gorgias

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis, Neil Schroeder, Al Anderson, R...

Length: 2 hours 59 minutes

Abridged: No

Gorgias of Leontini, a famous teacher of rhetoric, has come to Athens to recruit students, promising to teach them how to become leaders in politics and business. A group has gathered at Callicles' house to hear Gorgias demonstrate the power of his art. This dialogue blends comic and serious discussion of the best life, providing a penetrating... Read more

Plato's Euthyphro

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis & Henry Akona

Length: 31 minutes

Abridged: No

In Euthyphro, Socrates is on his way to the court where he must defend himself against serious charges brought by religious and political authorities. On the way, he meets Euthyphro, an expert on religious matters, who has come to prosecute his own father. Socrates questions Euthyphro's claim that religion serves as the basis for ethics.  Read more

Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy: From the Spirit of Music

By: Friedrich Nietzsche

Narrated by: William Sigalis

Length: 3 hours 14 minutes

Abridged: No

"The Birth of Tragedy" stands alongside Aristotle's "Poetics" as essential works for all who seek to understand poetry and its relationship to human life. In this, his first book, Nietzsche developed a way of thinking about the arts that unites the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus as the central symbol of human existence. Although tragedy serves... Read more

Plato's Crito

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis & Neil Schroeder

Length: 29 minutes

Abridged: No

After Socrates is sentenced to death by the Athenian court, his friend Crito comes to the prison to help him escape and go to another country. Socrates responds by saying that he would accept Crito's offer only if he can be convinced that it is right and just to do so. This dialogue is not only about Socrates' particular choice but also about... Read more

Plato's Apology

By: Platon

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour

Abridged: No

Socrates is on trial for his life. He is charged with impiety and corrupting young people. He presents his own defense, explaining why he has devoted his life to challenging the most powerful and important people in the Greek world. The reason is that rich and famous politicians, priests, poets, and a host of others pretend to know what is good,... Read more

Plato's Phaedo

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis, Neil Schroeder, Henry Akona, A...

Length: 2 hours 38 minutes

Abridged: No

Socrates is in prison, sentenced to die when the sun sets. In this final conversation, he asks what will become of him once he drinks the poison prescribed for his execution. Socrates and his friends examine several arguments designed to prove that the soul is immortal. This quest leads him to the broader topic of the nature of mind and its... Read more

Plato's Meno

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis, Al Anderson, Travis Murray & A...

Length: 1 hour 9 minutes

Abridged: No

A dialogue between Socrates and Meno probes the subject of ethics. Can goodness be taught? If it can, then we should be able to find teachers capable of instructing others about what is good and bad, right and wrong, or just and unjust. Socrates and Meno are unable to identify teachers of ethics, and we are left wondering how such knowledge... Read more

Plato's Ion

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis & Donald Lyons

Length: 35 minutes

Abridged: No

Socrates questions Ion, an actor who just won a major prize, about his ability to interpret the epic poetry of Homer. How does an actor, a poet, or any other artist create? Is it by knowing? Is it by inspiration? As the dialogue proceeds, the nature of human creativity emerges as a mysterious process and an unsolved puzzle.  Read more

Plato's Laches

By: Platon

Narrated by: William Sigalis, Al Anderson, Ray Munro, Joe Fi...

Length: 59 minutes

Abridged: No

Laches, a general in the Athenian army, saw Socrates fight bravely in the battle of Delium. When he and Nicias, another general, are asked to explain the idea of courage, they are at a loss and words fail them. How does courage differ from thoughtless and reckless audacity? Can a lion be said to be courageous? What about small children who have... Read more