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Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us
by Simon Critchley • 2019
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
3.89
388
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us Summary
Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us 93%
Greek tragedy's darkest insight: we are not victims of fate. We are its willing accomplices.
by Simon Critchley 2019
3.89
388 ratings
The Birth of Tragedy
by Friedrich Nietzsche • 1871
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
3.98
22k+
The Birth of Tragedy Summary
The Birth of Tragedy 92%
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1871
3.98
22k+ ratings
Poetics
by Aristotle
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
3.83
30k+
Poetics Summary
Poetics 90%
Plot is everything. Character is secondary. The ancient blueprint for a tragedy that devastates.
by Aristotle
3.83
30k+ ratings
The Trojan Women
by Euripides • 2006
Hektor's last hope arrives too late: a Thracian king whom Athena has already marked for death.
3.89
13k+
The Trojan Women Summary
The Trojan Women 90%
Hektor's last hope arrives too late: a Thracian king whom Athena has already marked for death.
by Euripides 2006
3.89
13k+ ratings
درباره اورستیا
by Simon Goldhill • 1992
Why the charter myth of Western theatre is far more unsettling than its torchlit finale admits.
3.98
63
درباره اورستیا Summary
درباره اورستیا 90%
Why the charter myth of Western theatre is far more unsettling than its torchlit finale admits.
by Simon Goldhill 1992
3.98
63 ratings
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness
by Gary Cox • 2011
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
4.12
121
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness Summary
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness 90%
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
by Gary Cox 2011
4.12
121 ratings
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering
by Scott Samuelson • 2018
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
4.00
134
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering Summary
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering 90%
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
by Scott Samuelson 2018
4.00
134 ratings
Grief Lessons
by Anne Carson
Four Euripidean plays where the gods are cruel, grief is permanent, and the living envy the dead.
4.38
2k+
Grief Lessons Summary
Grief Lessons 90%
Four Euripidean plays where the gods are cruel, grief is permanent, and the living envy the dead.
by Anne Carson
4.38
2k+ ratings
Shakespeare
by Harold Bloom • 1998
Macbeth as a map of the mind: how ambition, guilt, and deception destroy from within.
4.03
4k+
Shakespeare Summary
Shakespeare 90%
Macbeth as a map of the mind: how ambition, guilt, and deception destroy from within.
by Harold Bloom 1998
4.03
4k+ ratings
Antigone
by Jean Anouilh • 1960
A king forbids her brother's burial. She buries him anyway, knowing it means her death.
3.77
31k+
Antigone Summary
Antigone 90%
A king forbids her brother's burial. She buries him anyway, knowing it means her death.
by Jean Anouilh 1960
3.77
31k+ ratings
Colección integral de Sófocles
by Sophocles
When plague strikes Thebes, a brilliant king hunts the killer, unaware he hunts himself.
3.95
17k+
Colección integral de Sófocles Summary
Colección integral de Sófocles 89%
When plague strikes Thebes, a brilliant king hunts the killer, unaware he hunts himself.
by Sophocles
3.95
17k+ ratings
Breaking Bad and Philosophy
by David R. Koepsell • 2012
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
3.30
274
Breaking Bad and Philosophy Summary
Breaking Bad and Philosophy 89%
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
by David R. Koepsell 2012
3.30
274 ratings
Oedipus Rex
by Sophocles
To lift a plague, an oracle demands Laius's killer. Oedipus vows to hunt him down.
3.73
239k+
Oedipus Rex Summary
Oedipus Rex 89%
To lift a plague, an oracle demands Laius's killer. Oedipus vows to hunt him down.
by Sophocles
3.73
239k+ ratings
Antigone
by Sophocles
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
3.69
179k+
Antigone Summary
Antigone 89%
Creon bans burial for a traitor; Antigone defies him to honor the gods.
by Sophocles
3.69
179k+ ratings
War and the Iliad
by Simone Weil • 1940
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
4.09
983
War and the Iliad Summary
War and the Iliad 89%
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
by Simone Weil 1940
4.09
983 ratings
Heidegger
by Michael Watts • 2014
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
4.40
143
Heidegger Summary
Heidegger 89%
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
by Michael Watts 2014
4.40
143 ratings
Studies in Pessimism
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1890
Beneath all striving is a blind will: pleasure is pain's absence, and boredom fills every gap.
3.88
2k+
Studies in Pessimism Summary
Studies in Pessimism 89%
Beneath all striving is a blind will: pleasure is pain's absence, and boredom fills every gap.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1890
3.88
2k+ ratings
Jag är Zlatan
by Zlatan Ibrahimović • 2011
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
3.86
19k+
Jag är Zlatan Summary
Jag är Zlatan 89%
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
by Zlatan Ibrahimović 2011
3.86
19k+ ratings
Very Little...Almost Nothing
by Simon Critchley • 2004
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
3.89
132
Very Little...Almost Nothing Summary
Very Little...Almost Nothing 89%
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
by Simon Critchley 2004
3.89
132 ratings
Prometheus Bound
by Aeschylus • 1990
Chained for giving fire to mortals, a Titan holds the secret that could overthrow Zeus.
3.94
22k+
Prometheus Bound Summary
Prometheus Bound 89%
Chained for giving fire to mortals, a Titan holds the secret that could overthrow Zeus.
by Aeschylus 1990
3.94
22k+ ratings
Cynicism
by Ansgar Allen • 2014
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
3.71
146
Cynicism Summary
Cynicism 89%
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
by Ansgar Allen 2014
3.71
146 ratings
Ecce Homo
by Friedrich Nietzsche • 1908
If you had to live your exact life again forever, could you say yes? Nietzsche's final book.
3.81
20k+
Ecce Homo Summary
Ecce Homo 89%
If you had to live your exact life again forever, could you say yes? Nietzsche's final book.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1908
3.81
20k+ ratings
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race
by Thomas Ligotti • 2011
Nature's worst mistake was making you self-aware. The only logical response is to stop reproducing.
4.01
10k+
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race Summary
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race 89%
Nature's worst mistake was making you self-aware. The only logical response is to stop reproducing.
by Thomas Ligotti 2011
4.01
10k+ ratings
On Human Nature
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1851
Character is fixed, free will is a lie, and cruelty is our default. Only compassion redeems.
3.96
759
On Human Nature Summary
On Human Nature 89%
Character is fixed, free will is a lie, and cruelty is our default. Only compassion redeems.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1851
3.96
759 ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
by Albert Camus • 1942
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
4.21
66k+
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays 89%
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.21
66k+ ratings
The Art of Happiness
by Epicurus
The father of hedonism lived on bread and water. His definition of pleasure will change yours.
3.80
6k+
The Art of Happiness Summary
The Art of Happiness 89%
The father of hedonism lived on bread and water. His definition of pleasure will change yours.
by Epicurus
3.80
6k+ ratings
Caligula and Three Other Plays
by Albert Camus • 1949
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
4.07
3k+
Caligula and Three Other Plays Summary
Caligula and Three Other Plays 89%
Four plays by Albert Camus where grief becomes tyranny, silence kills, and justice demands blood.
by Albert Camus 1949
4.07
3k+ ratings
Plato, Not Prozac!
by Lou Marinoff • 1999
A five-step method that uses philosophy to solve life's everyday problems, no couch required.
3.47
3k+
Plato, Not Prozac! Summary
Plato, Not Prozac! 89%
A five-step method that uses philosophy to solve life's everyday problems, no couch required.
by Lou Marinoff 1999
3.47
3k+ ratings
A New History of Western Philosophy
by Anthony Kenny • 2007
Western philosophy, Thales to Wittgenstein: the rare history that gives the medieval era its due.
4.22
520
A New History of Western Philosophy Summary
A New History of Western Philosophy 88%
Western philosophy, Thales to Wittgenstein: the rare history that gives the medieval era its due.
by Anthony Kenny 2007
4.22
520 ratings
Andromaque
by Jean Racine • 1667
A Trojan widow must marry Achilles' son to save her child; four hopeless loves collide.
3.70
10k+
Andromaque Summary
Andromaque 88%
A Trojan widow must marry Achilles' son to save her child; four hopeless loves collide.
by Jean Racine 1667
3.70
10k+ ratings
On the Suffering of the World
by Arthur Schopenhauer • 1850
Happiness is only the temporary absence of pain; suffering, not joy, is life's actual engine.
3.86
3k+
On the Suffering of the World Summary
On the Suffering of the World 88%
Happiness is only the temporary absence of pain; suffering, not joy, is life's actual engine.
by Arthur Schopenhauer 1850
3.86
3k+ ratings
The Gods Are Not to Blame
by Ola Rotimi • 1971
Abandoned as a baby to cheat a prophecy, he returns as king to find the curse waiting.
4.01
1k+
The Gods Are Not to Blame Summary
The Gods Are Not to Blame 88%
Abandoned as a baby to cheat a prophecy, he returns as king to find the curse waiting.
by Ola Rotimi 1971
4.01
1k+ ratings
Lyrical and Critical Essays
by Albert Camus • 1970
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
4.31
1k+
Lyrical and Critical Essays Summary
Lyrical and Critical Essays 88%
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
by Albert Camus 1970
4.31
1k+ ratings
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy
by Richard Greene • 2007
Tarantino's blowtorch-wielding criminals as moral philosophers: nihilism, karma, and revenge.
3.73
201
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy Summary
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy 88%
Tarantino's blowtorch-wielding criminals as moral philosophers: nihilism, karma, and revenge.
by Richard Greene 2007
3.73
201 ratings
Ancient Philosophy
by Anthony Kenny • 2004
The questions the ancient Greeks asked still define philosophy, and still resist easy answers.
3.95
580
Ancient Philosophy Summary
Ancient Philosophy 88%
The questions the ancient Greeks asked still define philosophy, and still resist easy answers.
by Anthony Kenny 2004
3.95
580 ratings
All Things are Possible
by Lev Shestov • 1905
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
4.09
314
All Things are Possible Summary
All Things are Possible 88%
Reason is a trap, morality is vengeance, and the outcast knows what philosophy will not say.
by Lev Shestov 1905
4.09
314 ratings
Ancient Philosophy
by Julia Annas • 2001
Why ancient ideas about happiness, knowledge, and nature still challenge our modern assumptions.
3.64
853
Ancient Philosophy Summary
Ancient Philosophy 88%
Why ancient ideas about happiness, knowledge, and nature still challenge our modern assumptions.
by Julia Annas 2001
3.64
853 ratings
The Trial and Death of Socrates
by Plato
Athens tried its greatest thinker. He turned a death sentence into philosophy's founding argument.
4.12
46k+
The Trial and Death of Socrates Summary
The Trial and Death of Socrates 88%
Athens tried its greatest thinker. He turned a death sentence into philosophy's founding argument.
by Plato
4.12
46k+ ratings
Introduction to Metaphysics
by Martin Heidegger • 1929
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
4.03
4k+
Introduction to Metaphysics Summary
Introduction to Metaphysics 88%
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
by Martin Heidegger 1929
4.03
4k+ ratings
Aristotle
by John Sellars • 2023
An ancient toolkit for thought: why Aristotle's logic, ethics, and politics never went out of style.
3.95
232
Aristotle Summary
Aristotle 88%
An ancient toolkit for thought: why Aristotle's logic, ethics, and politics never went out of style.
by John Sellars 2023
3.95
232 ratings
Life Is Hard
by Kieran Setiya • 2022
Life has no cure. A moral philosopher shows how to face pain, grief, and injustice anyway.
3.54
2k+
Life Is Hard Summary
Life Is Hard 88%
Life has no cure. A moral philosopher shows how to face pain, grief, and injustice anyway.
by Kieran Setiya 2022
3.54
2k+ ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus
by Albert Camus • 1942
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
4.17
99k+
The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus 88%
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.17
99k+ ratings
The Bacchae
by Euripides
King Pentheus forbids the worship of Dionysus. The god arrives in disguise to destroy his house.
3.94
26k+
The Bacchae Summary
The Bacchae 88%
King Pentheus forbids the worship of Dionysus. The god arrives in disguise to destroy his house.
by Euripides
3.94
26k+ ratings
The Age of Defeat
by Colin Wilson • 1959
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
4.00
59
The Age of Defeat Summary
The Age of Defeat 88%
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
by Colin Wilson 1959
4.00
59 ratings
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
by Tom Stoppard • 1967
Two bit players wander into Hamlet and can't escape: the script already says they die.
4.04
94k+
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Summary
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead 88%
Two bit players wander into Hamlet and can't escape: the script already says they die.
by Tom Stoppard 1967
4.04
94k+ ratings
Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar
by Thomas Cathcart • 2007
Jokes and philosophy work the same way: both ambush your assumptions. Here's how.
3.76
18k+
Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar Summary
Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar 88%
Jokes and philosophy work the same way: both ambush your assumptions. Here's how.
by Thomas Cathcart 2007
3.76
18k+ ratings
Existentialism
by Robert C. Solomon • 1974
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
4.07
384
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 88%
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
by Robert C. Solomon 1974
4.07
384 ratings
Plato at the Googleplex
by Rebecca Goldstein • 2014
Plato, alive today, would walk into Google and ask questions Silicon Valley still cannot answer.
3.85
2k+
Plato at the Googleplex Summary
Plato at the Googleplex 88%
Plato, alive today, would walk into Google and ask questions Silicon Valley still cannot answer.
by Rebecca Goldstein 2014
3.85
2k+ ratings
Sun and Steel
by Yukio Mishima • 1968
Words trapped him. The body gave him a second grammar: its final word was death.
3.83
9k+
Sun and Steel Summary
Sun and Steel 88%
Words trapped him. The body gave him a second grammar: its final word was death.
by Yukio Mishima 1968
3.83
9k+ ratings
Faust, Part Two
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe • 1832
His soul bargained, Faust chases ideal beauty and builds a kingdom, but paradise demands a cost.
3.65
9k+
Faust, Part Two Summary
Faust, Part Two 88%
His soul bargained, Faust chases ideal beauty and builds a kingdom, but paradise demands a cost.
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1832
3.65
9k+ ratings
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