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Moby-Dick as Philosophy
- Plato - Melville - Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Randal Schaffer
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
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Publisher's summary
Moby-Dick as Philosophy is at base a chapter-by-chapter commentary on Herman Melville’s masterwork, Moby-Dick. The commentary form of the audiobook subserves a higher end, the presentation of an ideal of the type "philosopher". Superimposing portraits of Plato, Melville, and Nietzsche - the thinkers themselves, their ideas, and their lives - it generates a composite image from the overlaying and interblending of figures.
At a higher level still, the audiobook is a meditation on the nature of philosophy and its relation to wisdom and the relation of creative artistry to both. It explores these themes in the context of the history of philosophy conceived as the rise and fall of a certain influential variety of Platonism - in Nietzschean terms, the life and death of God - and it proceeds with reference to the different reactions, as exemplified particularly by Melville and Nietzsche, to the nihilism that looms on the horizon of these intellectual and spiritual revolutions.
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Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. Author Anthony Gottlieb looks afresh at the writings of the great thinkers, questions much of conventional wisdom, and explains his findings with unbridled brilliance and clarity. From the pre-Socratic philosophers through the celebrated days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, up to Renaissance visionaries like Erasmus and Bacon, philosophy emerges here as a phenomenon unconfined by any one discipline.
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Bias spoils the work.
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The Givenness of Things
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The spirit of our times can appear to be one of joyless urgency. As a culture we have become less interested in the exploration of the glorious mind, and more interested in creating and mastering technologies that will yield material well-being. But while cultural pessimism is always fashionable, there is still much to give us hope.
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Mostly thoughts on religious things
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Seven Types of Atheism
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For a generation now, public debate has been corroded by a shrill, narrow derision of religion in the name of an often vaguely understood “science.” John Gray’s stimulating and enjoyable new book, Seven Types of Atheism, describes the complex, dynamic world of older atheisms, a tradition that is, he writes, in many ways intertwined with and as rich as religion itself.
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The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis
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C. S. Lewis had one of the great minds of the 20th century. Many know Lewis as an author of fiction and fantasy literature, including the Chronicles of Narnia and the Space Trilogy. Others know him for his books in apologetics, including Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain. But few know him for his scholarly work as a professor of medieval and Renaissance literature. What shaped the mind of this great thinker?
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Excellent
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Primitive Mythology
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The author of such acclaimed books as The Hero With a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth discusses the primitive roots of mythology, examining them in light of the most recent discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, and psychology.
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Epic speculation into the origins of our mythic consciousness
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The Portable Atheist
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Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices past and present that have shaped his side of the current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as your erudite and witty guide, you'll be led through a wealth of philosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generous portions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, and more.
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This is ABRIDGED
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Deep Thought
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As Douglas Adams points out, if there is no final answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?" 42 is as good or bad an answer as any other. Indeed, 42 quotes might be even better! Gary Cox guides us through 42 of the most misunderstood, misquoted, provocative, and significant quotes in the history of philosophy, providing witty and compelling commentary along the way.
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Best philosophy intro ever
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Asian Journals
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At the beginning of his career, Joseph Campbell developed a lasting fascination with the cultures of the Far East, and explorations of Buddhist and Hindu philosophy later became recurring motifs in his vast body of work. However, Campbell had to wait until middle age to visit the lands that inspired him so deeply. In 1954, he took a sabbatical from his teaching position and embarked on a year-long voyage through India, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.
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What a journey!
- By Anonymous User on 08-11-18
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The Meaning of Happiness
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Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking third book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us,
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Good Concepts Hard to Follow Along
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What listeners say about Moby-Dick as Philosophy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- CityChicken
- 09-22-19
engrossing
I listened to the sample provided with the audio version of the book several times to make sure I was compatible with the narrator. I've never read Moby Dick. I haven't even read much philosophy. For some reason I couldn't stop coming back to the sample, but felt unwilling to commit to an 18 hr length book on tape about Moby Dick and philosophy.
Finally, after listening to the sample for the 20th time, I admitted it was what my heart wanted. My motivation's aren't that obscure. The narrator goes at an excellent speed, the prose are compelling, and the story is engrossing. Now I have to read Moby Dick in text form, and I couldn't be more excited.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Prophet Mammoth
- 09-23-19
This book answered many questions.
Moby Dick is a (philosophical) colossus and this books is a real helper to anybody struggling with the whale. Each chapter of this American classic is analyzed - just spot on. Highly recommended.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Horkstow Grange
- 09-08-23
Great Book, Poor Reader
The book is well-written and thought-provoking, and I enjoyed it and recommend it. Be aware, you are going to get a lot of Plato and Nietzsche, along with the Melville. It helped me understand Melville's novel more deeply, but even more it helped me understand what Plato is up to in his works and how Nietzsche approached everything. That was what I was hoping for so it worked for me, but it may not be for you.
As for the reader... no problem understanding the words he's reading, and his voice itself is fine. The issue is that he reads in a sort of sing-song way, with a tonal formula that is applied to every sentence (or two sentences in some cases). Sentences generally begin on a higher tone; important words within the sentence also get a higher tone; then towards the end of the sentence he drops the tone in preparation for a standard higher tonal ending, like a dismount. It's sort of like TV reporter reading an editorial from a script.
Once you realize what the reader is up to, it's very distracting. It also has the effect of making what is being read feel trivial, forced into a box. And missing opportunities for humor or to otherwise add to the pleasure of the work. A good reader takes each sentence for itself, giving the words and phrases whatever emphases and cadences are appropriate based on their context and meaning. This doesn't happen so much when you're following a formula.
Take a dramatic sentence like this, concluding a paragraph on the complexities of the novel: "The result reads like an encyclopedic prose-poem chanted by drunken angels in Hell," That's quite a sentence, and deserves special treatment. But the reader gives it the same treatment as everything else, and the opportunity for a dramatic moment is lost.
Notwithstanding that disappointment, I'm happy I listened to the book. And to be fair: although the reader was distracting and disappointing, he also added a layer of interest. I wouldn't have written this review otherwise.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Linda
- 12-28-18
Terrible Narration
I love Moby Dick and was excited to see this. I have liked mist of the content however it is ruined by the distracting, poor narration. Many of the sentences are long and complex and this narrator’s performance can’t handle them correctly. The inflections, pauses,and incorrect accent make it hard to understand. I would recommend reading a print copy as I plan to do. Some of the worst narration I’ve ever heard.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Keith Pajot
- 03-04-21
Not enough Melville
More about Plato and Nietzsche than Melville who seemed an afterthought. Not recommended for reader interested in Melville. I'm going to try and exchange it for Why Read Moby Dick.
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