The Great Books of the Western Canon, organized by Mortimer J. Adler in the Syntopicon, span 102 enduring ideas—ranging from Truth, Beauty, and Justice to Democracy, Love, and God. These categories trace the intellectual tradition of the West, connecting philosophy, literature, history, science, and theology. Together, they map the recurring questions and principles shaping human thought across centuries.
The Elusive Horizon: On the Definition of Happiness Summary: The quest for a definitive understanding of happiness has preoccupied philosophers for millennia. Far from a simple emotional state, "happiness" presents itself as a multifaceted concept, often entangled with notions of pleasure, virtue, reason, and the very essence of...
The Philosophical Definition of Truth: A Perennial Pursuit For centuries, philosophers have grappled with a question that seems deceptively simple: what is truth? Far from being a mere dictionary lookup, the philosophical definition of truth delves into the very nature of reality, knowledge, and belief. It's a quest...
The Profound Distinction: Unpacking Being and Existence In the vast landscape of philosophical inquiry, few concepts are as fundamental, yet as frequently conflated, as Being and Existence. This article aims to clarify the crucial distinction between these two pillars of thought, exploring their nuanced definitions and tracing their significance across...
The Crown and the Chains: Unpacking the Difference Between Monarchy and Tyranny In the grand tapestry of political thought, few distinctions are as vital, yet often blurred, as that between monarchy and tyranny. While both represent a Government where power resides in the hands of a single individual, their fundamental...
The Logical Structure of Definition: A Foundation for Clear Thought The pursuit of knowledge, in philosophy as in any rigorous discipline, hinges critically on the precision of our terms. Without clear definitions, our reasoning becomes muddled, our arguments fall flat, and our understanding remains superficial. This article delves into the...
The Sharp Edge of Inquiry: Dialectic in Defining Good and Evil The concepts of good and evil stand as towering pillars in the landscape of human thought, often appearing self-evident yet proving notoriously elusive when subjected to rigorous examination. How do we move beyond mere opinion or cultural dictum to...
Logic's Enduring Riddle: Deconstructing the Same and the Other At the very bedrock of human thought and the vast edifice of philosophy lies a deceptively simple pair of concepts: the Same and the Other. These are not mere adjectives but fundamental categories through which we apprehend, classify, and...
Defining the One and the Many: A Metaphysical Inquiry The question of the One and Many stands as one of philosophy's most enduring and fundamental problems. At its core, this inquiry grapples with the seemingly contradictory nature of reality: how can existence be simultaneously unified and diverse, singular...
The Profound Divide: Unpacking the Distinction Between Being and Essence At the heart of Metaphysics lies a distinction so fundamental, so pervasive, that it shapes our very understanding of reality: the difference between Being and Essence. This isn't merely an academic exercise; it's a profound inquiry...
Unpacking the Art of Persuasion: The Definition of Rhetoric The very fabric of our shared understanding, the way we engage with ideas, and the mechanisms by which we come to hold certain beliefs, are inextricably linked to the concept of Rhetoric. Far from being a mere trick of speech or...
