To understand China, it is essential to understand Confucianism. First formulated in the sixth century BCE, the teachings of Confucius would come to dominate Chinese society, politics, economics, and ethics. In this Very Short Introduction, Daniel K. Gardner e... read more

In the five chapters that make up this volume, Habermas discusses the concept of communicative action and the grounding of the social sciences in the theory of language; the relationship between rationality and the theory of lan... read more

A polemic writing by the famous "Red Rosa" Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution (1899) explains why capitalism can never overcome its internal contradictions. An effective refutation of revisionist interpretations of Marxist doctrine, it defines the position of sc... read more

There is a beyond of reason and unreason. It is the human psyche. -- Positive Nihilism Like many German intellectuals, Hartmut Lange has long grappled with Heidegger. Positive Nihilism is the result of a lifetime of reading Being and Time and offers... read more

What's the best way to answer some of the biggest questions in life-questions like- Does God exist? What is the meaning of life? Is there a basic principle for all moral decisions? What is the best way to organise society? How d... read more

Some of our strongest, most lasting relationships are hidden in plain view-those we have with objects. What do our possessions do for us? And how do they do it? In The Promise of Things, Ruth Quibell explores what our possessions say about us: who we think we are, what we long... read more

In an era of hardening religious attitudes and explosive religious violence, this book offers a welcome antidote. Richard Holloway retells the entire history of religion - from the dawn of religious belief to the 21st century - with deepest respect and a keen commitm... read more

Why should we never listen to people who explain rather than do? Why do companies go bust? How is it that we have more slaves today than in Roman times? Why does imposing democracy on other countries never work? The answer- too many people running the world don't have skin in th... read more

These authors range from John Henry Newman in the nineteenth century to Joseph Needham, who died in 1995, and include G. K. Chesterton, Arnold Toynbee, R. H. Tawney, Malcolm Muggeridge, T. S. Eliot and C. S Lewis. Their reactions vary fro... read more

A new series of beautiful hardcover nonfiction classics, with covers designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith World-changing ideas meet eye-catching design: the best titles of the extraordinarily successful Great Ideas series are now packaged in Coralie Bickford-Smith's distinctiv... read more

The third volume of Foucault's history of sexuality. A sociologist and historian of ideas, Foucault's other works include "Madness and Civilization", "The Archaeology of Knowledge", "The Birth of the Clinic" and "Discipline and Punish".

From the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers, a delightful and eclectic exploration of language, and what it can teach us about ourselves and our lives.Why is the name 'Cleopatra' not allowed in Iceland? Why do clocks 'talk' to t... read more