An excerpt from Nigel Warburton’s A Little History of Philosophy, a lively and accessible introduction to Western philosophy, bringing the ideas of the world’s greatest thinkers into focus. from Socrates’ questions about reality to Peter Singer’s thinking on the moral status of animals in our own times. Nigel Warburton— You
Spanning four centuries of fashion and art history, Aileen Ribeiro’s Facing Beauty: Painted Women and Cosmetic Art, illuminates shifting perceptions of female beauty through works of art and the evolution of cosmetics. This new book explores everyday perceptions of beauty in the Western world and the ways in which women utilized
December 25th, 1776 is a deeply meaningful day in the history of the Revolutionary War and the legend of the creation of the United States. That night, General George Washington began a surprise attack against Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. Planned – in earnest and in secrecy – for
In 1935, with a doctorate in art history and no prospect of a job, the twenty-six-year-old Ernst Gombrich was invited by a publishing acquaintance in Viennato attempt to write a history of the world for younger readers. Amazingly, he completed the task in an intense six weeks, and the book,
Ivan Lett— Despite recent posts, I am not inclined to change the title of this column to “War!”, as one e-mail suggestion read…. If I seem stuck on the topic of recent books on World War II, it is primarily because: Other WWII books I’ve read never consider a Germanic
“I love you.” We call them “three little words,” and yet in Western thought, love as a concept is anything but a small concern. In fact, in Love: A History, Simon May demonstrates the way in which love has grown into a veritable colossus in our cultural consciousness, providing the
Following his “Eminent Biography” post on his new book, Mary I: England’s Catholic Queen, presenting a striking re-characterization of this often misunderstood monarch, John Edwards now writes on his own research experiences and how he came to carefully retell her life. John Edwards— Anyone who tackles a biography of