Philosophy audiobooks

Plato's Meno

By: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour 12 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: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

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 Phaedrus

By: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 2 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

Plato’s dialogues frequently treat 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 and... Read more

Plato's Republic

By: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 11 hours 47 minutes

Abridged: No

The Republic poses questions that endure: What is justice? What form of community fosters the best possible life for human beings? What is the nature and destiny of the soul? What form of education provides the best leaders for a good republic? What are the various forms of poetry and the other arts, and which ones should be fostered and which... Read more

Plato's Greater Hippias

By: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour 8 minutes

Abridged: No

Hippias of Elis travels throughout the Greek world practicing and teaching the art of making beautiful speeches. On a rare visit to Athens, he meets Socrates who questions him about the nature of his art. Socrates is especially curious about how Hippias would define beauty. They agree that “beauty makes all beautiful things beautiful,” but when... Read more

Plato's Gorgias

By: Plato

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

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

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

The 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

Dao De Jing

By: Laozi

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 1 hour 26 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 Socrates’... Read more

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

By: David Hume

Narrated by: Albert A. Anderson

Length: 4 hours 17 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

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind

By: Joseph Murphy

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 6 hours 58 minutes

Abridged: No

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind introduces and explains the mind-focusing techniques that remove the subconscious obstacles that prevent us from achieving the success we want-and deserve. This authorized edition of Dr. Murphy's keystone work is the first premium mass market edition to feature additional commentary drawn from his unpublished... Read more

Seven

By: Jacqueline Leo

Narrated by: Pam Ward

Length: 6 hours 39 minutes

Abridged: No

Why are there 7 wonders of the world, 7 seas, 7 ages of man, 7 levels of hell, 7 primary colors, 7 whole notes of the musical scale, and 7 days of the week? And why, when asked to choose a number between 1 and 10, do most people choose 7?Leo celebrates the special qualities of the number 7 by delving into its mathematical, scientific,... Read more

Philosophie: Die Zukunft der Hirnforschung - Abridged

By: Michael Pauen

Narrated by: Michael Pauen

Length: 1 hour 5 minutes

Abridged: Yes

Der wissenschaftliche Fortschritt wird häufig als "Kränkung" des Menschen und seiner vermeintlichen Größensucht betrachtet. Zum Ausdruck kommt dabei die Befürchtung, dass auch zentrale Bestandteile unseres Menschenbildes wie die Willensfreiheit oder das Ich/Selbstbewusstsein durch die wissenschaftliche Forschung widerlegt werden könnten. Bei... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 01 Wonach fragt die philosophische Ethik? - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: 49 minutes

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 04 Der Begriff der sittlichen Handlung - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: 59 minutes

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 02 Die charakteristischen Eigenschaften moralischer Urteile - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: TBA

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 05 Das Moralprinzip - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: TBA

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 06 Endliche, abwägende Vernunft - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: 56 minutes

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

Philosophische Ethik: 03 Gut handeln und gut sein - Abridged

By: Friedo Ricken

Narrated by: Friedo Ricken

Length: 58 minutes

Abridged: Yes

Das menschliche Leben ist eine Abfolge von Entscheidungen. Der Mensch steht daher unausweichlich vor der Frage nach dem richtigen Handeln. Hier sucht die Ethik nach einer begründeten Antwort. Kriterium des richtigen Handels ist die Selbstzwecklichkeit des Menschen. Verantwortbar ist ein Handeln, das den berechtigten Anspruch der Betroffenen auf... Read more

De la tranquillité de l'âme

By: Seneque

Narrated by: Irène Jacob

Length: 1 hour 16 minutes

Abridged: No

Sénèque est un philosophe, un dramaturge et un homme d'État du premier siècle après Jésus-Christ. Il a été en charge de l'éducation de Néron, futur Empereur de Rome. Sa pensée se situe en filiation avec le Stoïcisme grec, mais la notion de système est mise à distance au profit de considérations davantage morales que métaphysiques. Le principe... Read more

Return of the Primitive

By: Ayn Rand & Peter Schwartz

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 13 hours 10 minutes

Abridged: No

In the 1960s and early ’70s, the most prominent, vocal cultural movement was the New Left: a movement that condemned America and everything it stood for: individualism, material wealth, science, technology, capitalism.While the New Left achieved limited political success, it brought about vast cultural changes that remain with us to this day.... Read more

Reawakening To Life's Great Adventure

By: Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

From the dark terror of his own breakdown, Kirk Schneider has come to live in a state of awe. He explored the roots of his nightmares and anxiety, and the habits that kept him depressed and disengaged, and found that life is something to marvel at. Now he shares the long, winding road he traveled from there to here, and offers guideposts each of... Read more

The Machiavellians

By: James Burnham

Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach

Length: 9 hours 10 minutes

Abridged: No

This classic work of political theory and practice offers an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States. The book devotes a long section to Machiavelli himself as well as to such modern Machiavellians as Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and... Read more

A Discourse on Method, Meditations on the First Philosophy, and Principles of Philosophy

By: René Descartes

Narrated by: James Adams

Length: 8 hours 8 minutes

Abridged: No

This three-part work includes A Discourse on Method, Meditations on the First Philosophy, and Principles of Philosophy.By calling everything into doubt, Descartes laid the foundations of modern philosophy. With the celebrated words “I think, therefore I am,” his compelling argument swept aside ancient and medieval traditions. He deduced that... Read more