Of Grammatology

Elements of Semiology

Roland Barthes · 111 pages

Kant and the Platypus: Essays on Language and Cognition

Umberto Eco · 472 pages

Philosophical Investigations

Ludwig Wittgenstein · 250 pages

The Philosophical Investigations of Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) present his own distillation of two decades of intense work on the philosophies of mind, language and meaning.

Illuminations: Essays and Reflections

Walter Benjamin · 280 pages

Écrits

Jacques Lacan · 878 pages

Presents an English translation of Jacques Lacan's most famous work, with translations of all the papers featured in the original French edition.

Literary Theory: An Introduction

Terry Eagleton · 244 pages

This classic work covers all of the major movements in literary studies in this century. Noted for its clear, engaging style and unpretentious treatment, Literary Theory has become the introduction of choice for anyone interested in learning about the world of contemporary literary thought.

Poetics

Aristotle · 144 pages

One of the first books written on what is now called aesthetics. Although parts are lost (e.g., comedy), it has been very influential in western thought, such as the part on tragedy.

How to Do Things with Words

J.L. Austin · 166 pages

This work sets out Austin's conclusions in the field to which he directed his main efforts for at least the last ten years of his life. Starting from an exhaustive examination of his already well-known distinction between performative utterances and statements, Austin here finally abandons that distinction, replacing it with a more general theory of 'illocutionary forces' of utterances which has i

Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist

Walter Kaufmann · 412 pages

Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction

Jonathan Culler · 152 pages

Culler offers insights into theories about the nature of language and meaning, looks at whether literature is a form of self-expression or a method of appeal to an audience, and outlines the ideas behind deconstruction and semiotics.

Poetry, Language, Thought

Martin Heidegger · 587 pages

Naming and Necessity

Saul A. Kripke · 172 pages

Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism

Fredric Jameson · 438 pages

This wide-ranging work seeks to crystallize a definition of postmodernism. The author looks at the postmodern across a wide landscape, from high art to low; from market ideology to architecture, from painting to punk; film, from video art to literature.

On Bullshit

Harry G. Frankfurt · 80 pages

Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by it, yet we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is, why there is so much of it, or what functions it serves--and we lack a conscientious appreciation of what it means to us. In other words, as Harry Frankfurt writes, "we have no theory." Frankfurt, one of the world's most influential mora

The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth

Ruth S. Noel, J.R.R. Tolkien · 207 pages

Presents a comprehensive pocket guide to the fourteen languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth and contains a dictionary and English/Elvish glossary, rules of grammar and pronunciation, and how to write the Elvish alphabet.

Philosophical Hermeneutics

Hans-Georg Gadamer · 243 pages

Published in German during the last 15 years, the 13 essays in this volume provide readers with valuable knowledge of the much discussed theme of hermeneutics today. Gadamer was an early student of Martin Heidegger and has been a lifelong friend and interpreter. These essays are an outgrowth of Gadamer's Truth and Method. They can be understood, however, independently of it. Gadamer's standpoint i

Russian Thinkers

Isaiah Berlin, Jason Ferrell · 312 pages

Few, if any, English-language critics have written as perceptively as Isaiah Berlin about Russian thought and culture. Russian Thinkers is his unique meditation on the impact that Russia's outstanding writers and philosophers had on its culture. In addition to Tolstoy's philosophy of history, which he addresses in his most famous essay, 'The Hedgehog and the Fox,' Berlin considers the social and p

Six Memos For The Next Millennium

Italo Calvino · 124 pages

"Six memos for the Next Millenium" is a collection of five lectures Italo Calvino was about to deliver at the time of his death. Here is his legacy to us: the universal values he pinpoints become the watch-words for out appreciation of Calvino himself. What should be cherished in literature? Calvino devotes one lecture, or memo to the reader, toe each of five indispensable qualities: lightness, qu

Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction

Catherine Belsey · 128 pages

Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection

Julia Kristeva · 219 pages

"Kristeva is one of the leading voices in contemporary French criticism, on a par with such names as Genette, Foucault, Greimas and others ... [Powers of Horror is] an excellent introduction to an aspect of contemporary French literature which has been allowed to become somewhat neglected in the current emphasis on para-philosophical modes of discourse. The sections on Céline, for example, are ind

The Road to Middle-earth

Tom Shippey · 252 pages

"The Road to Middle-earth, Tom Shippey's classic work, now revised and expanded in paperback explores J.R.R. Tolkien's creativity and the sources of his inspiration. Shippey shows in detail how Tolkien's professional background led him to write The Hobbit and create a timeless charm for millions of readers. He argues convincingly that the source of Tolkien's inspiration lay not just in his love of

A Clockwork Orange

Anthony Burgess · 188 pages

A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian satirical black comedy novel by English writer Anthony Burgess, published in 1962. It is set in a near-future society that has a youth subculture of extreme violence. The teenage protagonist, Alex, narrates his violent exploits and his experiences with state authorities intent on reforming him. The book is partially written in a Russian-influenced argot called "Na

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

Douglas R. Hofstadter · 777 pages

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this book applies Godel's seminal contribution to modern mathematics to the study of the human mind and the development of artificial intelligence.

Metaphors We Live By

George Lakoff, Mark Johnson · 259 pages

Metaphor, the authors explain, is a fundamental mechanism of mind, one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects. Because such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our experience, they are "metaphors we live by"--Metaphors that can shape our perceptions and actions without our ever noticing them.