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Two Treatises of Government
- Narrated by: Alastair Cameron
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
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Publisher's summary
Two Treatises of Government is a work of political philosophy that outlined a concept foreign to the American people who, at the time, were still under English monarchy. This concept is what we now call democracy and advocated for a system in which all people were afforded rights to freedom and property ownership. The book was intended to push forward the ideas on contract theory and natural rights. Thomas Jefferson borrowed many of the ideas of Two Treatises of Government while writing the Declaration of Independence.
The first treatise was an attack on the contemporary religious philosopher at that time, Sir Robert Filmer. Locke argues that the theory of Adam, being ordained through God to have dominion over all people of the earth, was absurd. The theory of monarchs being direct descendants of Adam, therefore having a right to the throne, could not possibly be proven as the lineage was not able to be traced.
In the second treatise, Locke engaged in a political discussion regarding power, government, and reason. He argues that the state of nature, a theory of the time that all humans were born with in a condition of absolute freedom and equality, was an idea that government systems needed to be built upon. Based on this theory, Locke develops a government that guarantees three basic rights to all people - life, liberty, and property.
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Meditations is former U.S. President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 AD, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.
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The reading made it impossible to focus on content
- By Mark Grebner on 09-02-12
By: Marcus Aurelius
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The Memorable Thoughts of Socrates
- By: Xenophon, Edward Bysshe - translator
- Narrated by: Nicholas Tecosky
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Xenophon was a Greek who admired and studied with Socrates. He marched with the Spartans and later was exiled from Athens. He wrote about the history of his times, the sayings of Socrates and about life in Greece. Edward Bysshe translated Xenophone's work in 1702. This translation has continued to have an excellent reputation. In this work Xenophon discusses the views of life taught by Socrates.
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Philosopher, Soldier, Historian and Mercenary
- By Darwin8u on 12-04-12
By: Xenophon, and others
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Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 22 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Published in 1651, Leviathan is considered to be one of the most important works of political philosophy and a major contribution to the modern idea of central government. In the mid-17th century, England was going through a turbulent time of change and unrest, which likely shaped Hobbes' ideas on strong government. Thomas Hobbes established the social contract theory. He believed that self-government did not create the ideal state due to the human tendency to be self-serving, something he believed would eventually lead to chaos.
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For the philosophical minds
- By Nicole on 07-15-17
By: Thomas Hobbes
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No Treason: The Anarchist Classic with a New Introduction
- By: Lysander Spooner
- Narrated by: Ayrton Parham
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Lysander Spooner was one of slavery’s fiercest enemies. As a lawyer, he offered free legal services to escaped slaves, defending them in court. He advocated smuggling guns to slaves, with which to overthrow their masters, and take possession of their property. “Give the Slave-holders, then, a taste of their own whips.”
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I HAVE SEARCHED FOR THE WORDS FOR A LONG TIME
- By devon on 07-16-19
By: Lysander Spooner
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Plato's Crito
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 29 mins
- Unabridged
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The Athenian court has found Socrates guilty and sentenced him to death. While he is waiting to be executed, his friend, Crito, comes to the prison to persuade him to escape and go into exile. Socrates responds by examining the essence of law and community, probing the various kinds of law and making distinctions that go far beyond the particular issue of whether or not Socrates should escape.
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Bravo!
- By Byron on 10-12-16
By: Plato
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Utopia
- By: Sir Thomas More
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Utopia is the name given by Sir Thomas More to an imaginary island in this political work written in 1516. Book I of Utopia, a dialogue, presents a perceptive analysis of contemporary social, economic, and moral ills in England. Book II is a narrative describing a country run according to the ideals of the English humanists, where poverty, crime, injustice, and other ills do not exist.
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More's unobtainable vision of the ideal society
- By Darwin8u on 06-12-13
By: Sir Thomas More
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Constitution
- By: James Madison
- Narrated by: Deaver Brown
- Length: 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In less than 60 minutes of listening to this audiobook, you will have heard the original United States Constitution. To improve your understanding of the Constitution, we have included original readings and commentary related to this subject, such as the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, the historical influences on the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists.
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🎆Adventurous Conversations Following this Topic☕️
- By F. F. F. on 07-12-15
By: James Madison