The Thought Box

Very Short Introductions

by Peter Singer (Contributor), Michael Tanner (Contributor), Christopher Janaway (Contributor)

Very Short Introduction Boxed Sets

Books that are perfect to pop in your pocket now packaged to make the ideal gift!

Five of the best-selling introductory books to 19th philosophy from the highly acclaimed Very Short Introductions series packaged in a stylish case to make the ideal gift or way-in to a subject area.

This boxed set gives a great introductory overview to the subject of 19th century Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard.

A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer

'an excellent introduction to Hegel's thought... Hegel is neatly placed in historical context; the formal waltz of dialectic and the dialectic master and slave are economically illumined; Singer's use of analogy is at times inspired.' - Sunday Times

A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer

Peter Singer identifies the central vision that unifies Marx's thought, enabling us to grasp Marx's views as a whole. He sees him as a philosopher primarily concerned with human freedom, rather than as an economist or a social scientist. He explains alienation, historical materialism, the economic
theory of Capital, and Marx's ideas of communism, in plain English, and concludes with an assessment of Marx's legacy.

A Very Short Introduction by Michael Tanner

Michael Tanner's readable introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings. It also explodes the many misconceptions fostered in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote, 'Do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!'

A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Janaway

'an excellent brief introduction to Schopenhauer's thought - well-written, concise, and pitched at just the right level.' - Christopher Norris, University of Wales

Schopenhauer's philosophy inspired many artists and thinkers including Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud, and Wittgenstein. His central notion is that of the will - a blind, irrational force that he uses to interpret both the human mind and the whole of nature. Seeing human behaviour as that of a natural
organism governed by the will to life, Schopenhauer developed radical insights concerning the unconscious and sexuality which influenced both psychologists and philosophers.

A Very Short Introduction by Patrick Gardiner

Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55) wrote widely on religious, psychological, and literary themes. His seminal diagnosis of the human condition, emphasizing the significance of individual choice, was his most striking philosophical legacy, particularly for the growth of existentialism.

Patrick Gardiner's beautifully written Kierkegaard makes him come alive both as a thinker and as a human being. ' -Independent

Genres: Philosophy

Paperback

Published September 28, 2006

About the author

Peter Singer is sometimes called "the world’s most influential living philosopher" although he thinks that if that is true, it doesn't say much for all the other living philosophers around today. He has also been called the father (or grandfather?) of the modern animal rights movement, even though he doesn't base his philosophical views on rights, either for humans or for animals.


In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute ranked him 3rd among Global Thought Leaders for 2013. (He has since slipped to 36th.) He is known especially for his work on the ethics of our treatment of animals, for his controversial critique of the sanctity of life doctrine in bioethics, and for his writings on the obligations of the affluent to aid those living in extreme poverty. 


Singer first became well-known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2011 Time included Animal Liberation on its “All-TIME” list of the 100 best nonfiction books published in English since the magazine began, in 1923. Singer has written, co-authored, edited or co-edited more than 50 books, including Practical Ethics; The Expanding Circle; How Are We to Live?, Rethinking Life and Death, The Ethics of What We Eat (with Jim Mason), The Point of View of the Universe (with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek), The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World and Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction. His works have appeared in more than 30 languages.

Singer’s book The Life You Can Save, first published in 2009, led him to found a non-profit organization of the same name. In 2019, Singer got back the rights to the book and granted them to the organization, enabling it to make the eBook and audiobook versions available free from its website, www.thelifeyoucansave.org.



Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946, and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. After teaching in England, the United States and Australia, he has, since 1999, been Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University. He is married, with three daughters and four grandchildren. His recreations include hiking and surfing. In 2012 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civic honour.