Philosophy

Albert Pike, the Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite from 1859 to 1891, is one of the most honored and influential American Freemasons of all time. The Supreme Council exalts Pike by saying: Albert Pike remains today an inspirations for Masons everywhere. His great book, Morals and Dogma endures as the complete exposition of Scottish Rite philosophy. He will always be remembered and revered as the Master Builder of the Scottish Rite. Often referred to as the 'Masonic Bible'. CONTENTS: Apprentice; Fellow-craft; Master; Secret Master; Perfect Master; Intimate Secretary; Provost and Judge; Intendant of the Building; Elu of the Nine; Elu of the Fifteen; Elu of the Twelve; Master Architect; Royal Arch of Solomon; Perfect Elu; Knight of the East; Prince of Jerusalem; Knight of the East and West; Knight Rose Croix; pontiff; Master of the Symbolic Lodge; Noachite or Prussian Knight; Knight of the Royal Axe or Prince of Liabanus; Chief of the Tabernacle; Prince of the Tabernacle; Knight of the Brazen Serpent; Prince of Mercy; Knight Commander of the Temple; Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept; Scottish Knight of St. Andrew; Knight Kadosh; Inspector Inquisitor; Master of the Royal Secret. IF YOU READ ONLY ONE BOOK ON FREEMASONRY, THIS IS IT! more...

Price: $19.99

This brilliantly conceived and organized book is based on a lecture course given by Dr. Leonard Peikoff in 1976, entitled "The Philosophy of Objectivism." The lectures were attended by Ayn Rand, who helped prepare them and also joined Peikoff in answering questions. Ayn Rand said of these lectures: "Until or unless I write a comprehensive treatise on my philosophy, Dr. Peikoff's course is the only authorized presentation of the entire theoretical structure of Objectivism--that is, the only one that I know of my own knowledge to be fully accurate."Dr. Peikoff, Rand's designated heir and foremost interpreter, reveals the abstract fundamentals of Objectivism and its practical applications in the everyday world. He covers every branch of philosophy recognized by Rand and every philosophic topic she regarded as important--from certainty to money, from logic to art, from measurement to sex. Illustrated with quotes from her published works, complete with an abundance of new material that Ayn Rand offered only in private conversations with Peikoff, these clear, cogent chapters illuminate Objectivism--and its creator--with startling clarity. Now the millions of readers who have been transformed by Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead will discover the full philosophical system underlying Ayn Rand's stories about life "as it might be and ought to be." more...

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An introduction to the core of Buddhism by its greatest teacher, "An Open Heart" is the successor to the bestselling "The Art of Happiness", the Dalai Lama's clear and simple guide to finding compassion and happiness. 25 photos. (World Religions) more...

Price: $12.99

How can we account for the sudden appearance of such dazzling artists and scientists as Mozart, Shakespeare, Darwin, or Einstein? How can we define such genius? What conditions or personality traits seem to produce exceptionally creative people? Is the association between genius and madness really just a myth? These and many other questions are brilliantly illuminated in The Origins of Genius. Dean Simonton convincingly argues that creativity can best be understood as a Darwinian process of variation and selection. The artist or scientist generates a wealth of ideas, and then subjects these ideas to aesthetic or scientific judgment, selecting only those that have the best chance to survive and reproduce. Indeed, the true test of genius is the ability to bequeath an impressive and influential body of work to future generations. Simonton draws on the latest research into creativity and explores such topics as the personality type of the genius, whether genius is genetic or produced by environment and education, the links between genius and mental illness (Darwin himself was emotionally and mentally unwell), the high incidence of childhood trauma, especially loss of a parent, amongst Nobel Prize winners, the importance of unconscious incubation in creative problem-solving, and much more. Simonton substantiates his theory by examining and quoting from the work of such eminent figures as Henri Poincare, W. H. Auden, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Niels Bohr, and many others. For anyone intrigued by the spectacular feats of the human mind, The Origins of Genius offers a revolutionary new way of understanding the very nature of creativity.  more...

Price: $59.95

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This booktable of contents linked to every chapter and footnote. *********************. Perpetual peace refers to a state of affairs where peace is permanently established over a certain area (ideally, the whole world - see world peace). Many would-be world conquerors have promised that their rule would enforce perpetual peace. No empire has ever extended its authority over the entire world, and thus nothing can be said about the ability of a universal empire to ensure world peace, but several large empires have maintained relative peace in their spheres of influence over extended periods of time. Typical examples are the Roman Empire (see Pax Romana) and the British Empire (see Pax Britannica). However their rule wasn''t without incident (see Jewish Revolt, British Raj). Whether such imperial peace is actually good or desirable is another question entirely. In addition, no imperial peace has been permanent, because no empire has lasted forever. Several religions have prophesied that their divinity would produce perpetual peace at some point in the future. The most famous of these is embodied in bronze at the United Nations headquarters, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4). There are also a number of secular projects for a perpetual peace which employ means more subtle, but perhaps more attainable, than universal empire or even democratic world government. If one state can''t reach the power to impose peace on the world, perhaps several can. Henri IV attempted to actually create such a confederation. Others were proposed by the abbé de Saint-Pierre and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. — Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. . more...

Price: $3.99