Showing results by narrator "Alastair Cameron" in All Categories

In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle delves into the question of what is best for mankind and humans as individuals. His conclusion is that happiness is the best possible human condition, though he is not referencing the emotion of happiness. Instead, Aristotle concludes that true happiness comes as a way of life in which the individual contributes to the good of his community, as well as his mind.

"Night Mission", with its burning plane, heroism, and greed, was - like the other six short stories in this collection - inspired by Clive Lodge's experiences in World War II and the decade after. "There's No Scar Now" - with its gripping opener, "I killed John James Beresford", is set in Kent and draws on his experience in the Home Guard before he enlisted in the RAF. "The Tunnel", by contrast, is set in peacetime, some years after the war, but reveals how unpunished atrocities of war can haunt a person.

In Tolstoy's final novel, a privileged nobleman by the name of Dmitri Nekhlyudov seeks to make amends for a bad deed he committed in the past. In the process, he discovers that he has been living in a world far removed from the reality of the average person.

Usually timid and subservient, councilor Golyadkin has lately become worryingly paranoid. After being humiliatingly thrown out of a party for acting erratically, he runs off into the night where he is shocked to come across a man who appears to be his exact double. The double follows him home and begins to insinuate himself into every part of Golyadkin's life, and alternates between befriending him and cruelly taunting him.

Utilitarianism is a book released in 1863 by John Stuart Mill to provide the support for the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory and to respond to misconceptions about it. =The book consists of five chapters; the introduction to the essay, the definition of utilitarianism and its common criticisms, the rewards it can offer the methods of proving its validity and in the final chapter looks at the connection between justice and utility and argues that happiness is the foundation of justice.

The March of the Ten Thousand by Xenophon is an account of the Greek mercenary armies formed by Cyrus the Younger in an attempt to overthrow his brother, Artaxerxes II, with the purpose of gaining control of the Persian Empire. Xenophon was one of the leaders of these mercenaries; his work The Anabasis retells the story of the march to the Battle of Cunaxa.

The Age of Reason is formed of two parts. The first, written in 1793 in France during the revolution, is a criticism of not just the Christian church, although it is primarily focused on Christian theology, but as a rejection of all forms of organized religion, including Judaism and Islam. However, Paine's position is not one of atheism, and he begins the book with a declaration of faith in one god.

Alexei Ivanovich is a Russian tutor working in Germany. His employer, the General, is waiting for his wealthy grandmother to die to pay off his debts so that he can marry Mademoiselle Blanche, while Alexei is in love with the General's beautiful but not so kind stepdaughter, Polina, who is scornful of his devotion to her. Alexei dramatically offers to kill himself for Polina, but she asks him instead to place a bet for her at the roulette table of the local casino. Alexei does, and he wins, but still he cannot sway her.

The classic science-fiction fantasy novel A Princess of Mars, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the first in the series that takes place on the planet Mars also called Barsoom. Mars is seen as a hot, dry planet that houses many kinds of alien races including the green Tharks and the Red Martians. John Carter, a former Civil War soldier, is mysteriously teleported to Barsoom when he explores an ancient cave in Arizona.

Two Treatises of Government is a work of political philosophy that outlined a concept foreign to the American people who, at the time, were still under English monarchy. This concept is what we now call democracy and advocated for a system in which all people were afforded rights to freedom and property ownership. The book was intended to push forward the ideas on contract theory and natural rights. Thomas Jefferson borrowed many of the ideas of Two Treatises of Government while writing the Declaration of Independence.

On Liberty is a book by John Stuart Mill, one of the most celebrated philosophers on the subject of leadership and governing ideals. The book focuses on Mill's philosophy on utilitarianism which is one of his defining principles. The principles of the book are focused on developing a relationship between the ruling authority and liberty.

In this classic, coming of age story, the winds of change are sweeping over pre-revolutionary Russia. It is a turbulent era of conflict between the Russian nobles and the radical new ideas of the youth. Two friends, Bazarov and Arkady, find themselves entangled in misunderstandings and romantic intrigues.

In the 15th century, the Augustinian monk, Thomas Kempis authored one of the most profound Christian works to date. The Imitation of Christ focuses on living the life that Jesus and his followers promoted through ministry, emphasizing the need for isolation and prayer, as well as renouncing worldly vanities and searching for eternal truths as a method of getting closer to Christ and God.

Many people know Benjamin Franklin as one of the founding fathers of the United States of America, but not many people understand exactly what the famed inventor and politician contributed to society. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is a compilation of some of the great events from the man's life that have made him an American legend.

This gloomy book is written in the form of letters exchanged between two cousins, Makar Devushkin and Varvara Dobroselova, who live on the same street in a shockingly deprived part of St. Petersburg Russia. Makar is a lowly clerk, who is being bullied at work and lives in the screened-off corner of someone else's kitchen and Varvara has taken in sewing as a means of avoiding falling into prostitution to make money. Their friendship is touching and sentimental, but it begins to suffer.

David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding was considered to be one of the most contentious works of its time. Hume's view of reasoning through experience and "sophistry and illusion" in reference to religiously inspired fantasy was extremely controversial in the 18th century.

The Enchiridion and Discourses is a compilation of Epictetus's philosophical teachings. Although Epictetus spent much of his life as a slave, he believed that all people were free to control their emotional well-being and live in harmony with their circumstance and those around them. His works are a guide for applying philosophy to day-to-day living. Although many of the great philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, promoted grand ideas, they never approached the subject of integrating those ideas into everyday life.

Hard Times, set in 19th century England, explores the moral and social thinking of the time. The rise of self-interest and the climb to the top has forced people to dehumanize themselves, and be more like the machines that run their daily lives. The Gradgrind family learns all too well the effects of social status on the soul as the family patriarch masks his own selfish interests in charitable donations and funding of schools.

Though the Romans were known for having contributed much to culture and the arts, there was one facet that was unrivaled when it came to ancient civilizations: their published works. Philosophy was their forte, and it goes without saying that the meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a superb piece of philosophical writings and musings. What is interesting about this collection is that it chronicles his thoughts during the time of his reign as Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180.

It's 1647: a time of bitter civil wars in England. Wayland, the village blacksmith, returns from army service to find his wife, Rebecca, murdered, and his son traumatised and struck dumb. Wayland's overpowering desire for revenge is thwarted by the collapse of laws and a dearth of clues to her sadistic killer. Thwarted, that is, until the villagers ask him to investigate a runaway horse. Whilst searching for its rider, he discovers instead the body of a young boy, cut with symbols in the same way as Rebecca's body had been.