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 Divine Dilemma: Navigating Fate and Free Will in Theological Thought Hello, fellow philosophical adventurers! Chloe Fitzgerald here, diving into one of the most enduring and profoundly unsettling paradoxes that has haunted thinkers for millennia: The Theological Problem of Fate and Free Will. It's a question that cuts...
The Necessity of Labor for Wealth: A Philosophical Inquiry Summary: Unpacking the Foundation of Prosperity From the earliest stirrings of human civilization to the complexities of modern global economies, one constant remains: labor is the indispensable crucible in which wealth is forged. This pillar page delves into the profound philosophical...
The Unfolding Tapestry: Exploring the Relationship Between Fate and Will Have you ever paused to consider the intricate dance between what is destined and what we choose? This profound philosophical inquiry, a cornerstone of human thought, delves into the very essence of our existence and agency. At its heart lies...
The Unyielding Heart: Why Courage is the Soul of Revolution Revolution, an often-violent upheaval promising radical societal change, is frequently understood through the lenses of necessity and contingency. While systemic failures may create the necessity for such a dramatic reordering, its success is fundamentally contingent upon the presence of profound...
The Indelible Dance: Fate, History, and the Fabric of Time Is history merely the unfolding script of an inescapable fate, or is it a vibrant, unpredictable tapestry woven by the threads of contingency within the relentless march of time? This question lies at the heart of how we understand our...
The Unyielding Heart: Why Courage is the Indispensable Foundation of Liberty A Summary of Valor's Role in Freedom Liberty, often cherished as an inherent right, is in truth a fragile achievement, perpetually contingent upon the necessity of human courage. From the grand revolutions that birth new societies to...
The Indispensable Core: Why Knowledge Cannot Exist Without Truth Summary: At its philosophical heart, knowledge is inextricably linked to truth. To claim knowledge of something is, by definition, to assert that what is known is true. Without truth as its foundational principle, what we hold to be knowledge degrades into...
The Indispensable Engine: Labor's Necessity for the State The question of what truly sustains a state, enabling its very existence and perpetuation, is a cornerstone of political philosophy. Beyond the grand pronouncements of laws, the charisma of leaders, or the might of armies, lies a more fundamental, often...
The Indispensable Framework: How Law Secures Civil Liberty The notion of liberty often conjures images of unbridled freedom, an absence of constraint, and the boundless pursuit of individual will. Yet, a deeper philosophical inquiry, one that spans the breadth of the Great Books of the Western World, reveals a profound...
The Philosophical Meaning of Chance: Navigating the Unpredictable The concept of chance often evokes images of randomness, luck, or unpredictable events. Yet, within philosophy, its meaning runs far deeper, challenging our fundamental understanding of cause, determinism, and the very fabric of reality. This article explores the profound philosophical implications of...
The Unseen Hand: Disentangling the Role of Fate in History The question of whether history unfolds as a predetermined sequence of events or as a chaotic dance of human choices and chance occurrences has haunted philosophers and historians for millennia. This article delves into the intricate relationship between fate and...
The Unyielding Current: The Necessity of Change in History History is not a static tableau, a series of fixed events to be cataloged and admired from a distance. Rather, it is an incessant, dynamic process, a relentless current of transformation. This article argues that change is not merely an incidental...
