Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

A forum for old votes and nomination threads
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Hazletts
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Hazletts »

I nominate 'A Theory of Justice' by John Rawls. Not read it yet but I am fascinated by the study of justice and its implications in the modern world.
Janis Schmidt
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Janis Schmidt »

I would like to nominate Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In addition to being a great story, it is full of philosophical discussions market mentality vs. humanity. Set in the Great Depression, hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes, and were led to believe California was the promised land for work. Unlike our current situation, Steinbeck tells more how greed and profit is killing people.
Jerry
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Jerry »

I nominate Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga. It sure has made me re-think what is automatic or free will.
The Amazon description is; 'The father of cognitive neuroscience and author of Human offers a provocative argument against the common belief that our lives are wholly determined by physical processes and we are therefore not responsible for our actions. A powerful orthodoxy in the study of the brain has taken hold in recent years: Since physical laws govern the physical world and our own brains are part of that world, physical laws therefore govern our behavior and even our conscious selves. Free will is meaningless, goes the mantra; we live in a “determined” world. Not so, argues the renowned neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga in this thoughtful, provocative book based on his Gifford Lectures——one of the foremost lecture series in the world dealing with religion, science, and philosophy. Who’s in Charge? proposes that the mind, which is somehow generated by the physical processes of the brain, “constrains” the brain just as cars are constrained by the traffic they create. Writing with what Steven Pinker has called “his trademark wit and lack of pretension,” Gazzaniga shows how determinism immeasurably weakens our views of human responsibility; it allows a murderer to argue, in effect, “It wasn’t me who did it——it was my brain.” Gazzaniga convincingly argues that even given the latest insights into the physical mechanisms of the mind, there is an undeniable human reality: We are responsible agents who should be held accountable for our actions, because responsibility is found in how people interact, not in brains. An extraordinary book that ranges across neuroscience, psychology, ethics, and the law with a light touch but profound implications, Who’s in Charge? is a lasting contribution from one of the leading thinkers of our time.'
"That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." J.S.Mill
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Rebwit
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Rebwit »

Anthem by Ayn Rand. Her best work in my opinion, it will not waste your time with brown leafs and grey walls. Straight to the point. I wish every book was like this. ta
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Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes »

I have posted the topic to discuss the February book of the month. And I have posted the topic to vote for the March book of the month. Please continue posting new nominations here.
My entire political philosophy summed up in one tweet.

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."

I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
Mont
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Mont »

I would like to nominate God Is An Illusion: To Live Is To Experience, by Forest Grace. This thin book is definitely philosophical. It talks about each person being a duality (Yin and Yang). It also illustrates all forms of existence through some kind of interdependence of opposites. Furthermore, it puts God and gods in proper perpectives: illusions. Combining all of the above, plus some other similar concepts, it shows that one's ultimate purpose of life is to genuinely experience it. The biggest obstacle that can prevent us from having a "genuine" experience is human ego. And the book also shows us ways to control our egos. I found it very refreshing. Would like to know what you all think of it. By the way, don't get its Kindle version where the type setting is messy. The paperback is a lot better.
Invictus_88
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Invictus_88 »

Is there anywhere a list of all the past books of the month?
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dparrott
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by dparrott »

I would like to discuss Robinson Crusoe.
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Misty
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Misty »

I think a good book to discuss would be 'Impersonal Life' by Anonymous from 1940's but now 'The Impersonal Life'
by Joseph Benner (same book) which can be reviewed on amazon. (about why mankind is here in relationship to
God)
Things are not always as they appear; it's a matter of perception.

The eyes can only see what the mind has, is, or will be prepared to comprehend.

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MarkLint
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by MarkLint »

Not sure that it produced much benefit to either this site or the Partially Examined Life that we had some overlap re. our covering Foucault and that being the book of the month here for Feb., but for the record, in case we want to try to synchronize further, here are some upcoming episode topics over there that maybe folks would like to read about and discuss here:

1. Owen Flanagan's "The Bodhisattva's Brain"
2. Henri Bergson's "On Laughter"
3. Wittgenstein's "Philosophical Investigations"
4. Nozick's "Anarchy, State and Utopia"
5. "After Virtue" by Alisdair McIntyre
Steve3007
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Steve3007 »

I nominate 1984 by George Orwell.

As well as the relevance to political philosophy, I think it is relevant to other areas. For example, discussions between O'Brien and Winston Smith in the Ministry of Love in which O'Brien asserts that the Party creates reality and defines history are interesting comments on the nature of reality. O'Brien's assertion that it's perfectly possible for a stable society to be based on fear and hatred is interesting with regard to the relativist/absolutist views of morality.
Schaps
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Schaps »

An excellent book to consider is, The Sunflower - by Simon Wiesenthal. The nature and extent of forgiveness is explored and discussed by numerous "experts" in the field.
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dparrott
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by dparrott »

Edward Livingston Seagull. It is one of the only books that I have read more than once and I think about it atleast once a day.
Sevillana123
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Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by Sevillana123 »

I like "Thinking of answers:Questions in the Philosophy in Everyday Life" by A C Grayling.
heeltap

Re: Nominate books to be a philosophy book of the month

Post by heeltap »

Consider Anthony Weston's _ A Rulebook for Arguments_ The people who want to do philosophy might pick up a few of the rules.
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Return to “Old Book of the Month Votes”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
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February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

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Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
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May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
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Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

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by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
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If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
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The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
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Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
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Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
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