In this edition, illustrated with beautiful Sung Dynasty paintings that reflect Confucian subjects and ideas, every reader can profit from the timeless philosophy that remains at the heart of Chinese civilisation and tradition.
Ponder the issues of life, existence and knowledge with classic books by some of the greatest thinkers in all history. Political theory, philosophical treaties from the ancient Greeks to the modern era and more are included in the Folio Society’s collection of beautiful books on Philosophy and Politics. Each title features carefully researched or original commissioned illustrations, and presented in specially designed hardback covers. See below for the full list of Folio Philosophy and Politics books.
The Bhagavad Gita is the cornerstone of the Hindu faith and one of the world’s greatest religious texts. Gandhi called it his ‘spiritual dictionary’, while as a secular work it inspired Einstein, Yeats and Jung. Our edition uses Juan Mascaró’s acclaimed translation, with illustrations by Anna Bhushan.
So impossible to vanquish with words that Mark Antony put him to death, Cicero was a master of rhetoric and declamation. His Orations live on, echoed by the most famous speakers of modern times, from Winston Churchill to Barack Obama. In a rare commission for Folio, Tom Phillips, RA, has illustrated this edition.
A ‘political turncoat, a dangerous adventurer’; a ‘delightful rogue who lacked political judgement’ – today few people would guess that these were descriptions of one of the most admired statesmen of the 20th century – Winston Churchill. Yet as historian John Lukacs points out, when Churchill took over as Prime Minister in May 1940, he was not well-liked.
In his inspiring account of the first half of his life, Gandhi recounts his childhood in India, education in England and early legal career in South Africa, before his return home to take up the cause of Indian self-determination.
Albert Einstein was a complex, fascinating man, as brilliant when writing about pacifism, religion and anti-Semitism as about theoretical physics. Ideas and Opinions is a wonderfully engrossing collection of Einstein’s major articles, speeches and letters on all these subjects, and more.
How do we know that what we think is true is actually true? Can we prove the existence of God? Descartes’ questions endure. The Folio edition of Meditations is wittily illustrated by Shout, with an introduction by psychologist Nicholas Humphrey.
Blaise Pascal (1623–62) was a mathematician and physicist who invented the mechanical calculator and developed probability theory. After experiencing a crisis and renewal of faith, he set out to write what he titled a ‘Defence of the Christian Religion’.