Arts Podcasts

Librivox: Discourse Upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality Among Mankind, A by Rousseau, Jean-Jacques show

Librivox: Discourse Upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality Among Mankind, A by Rousseau, Jean-JacquesJoin Now to Follow

This work presents Rousseau's belief in the profoundly transformational effects of the development of civilization on human nature, which Rousseau claims other political philosophers had failed to grasp. Specifically, before the onset of civilization, according to Rousseau, natural man lived a contented, solitary life, naturally good and happy. It is only with the onset of civilization, Rousseau claims, that humans become social beings, and, concomitant with their civilization, natural man becomes corrupted with the social vices of pride, vanity, greed and servility. (summary by ej)

By LibriVox

Librivox: More William by Crompton, Richmal show

Librivox: More William by Crompton, RichmalJoin Now to Follow

The second of Crompton's series of 39 books about William Brown, our cheeky 11 year-old protagonist. A hero to some, a dastardly villain to others, this book is structured round a year in his life. Starting with William waking up on Christmas morning and ending with him going to sleep the following Christmas Eve, there are the usual round of misadventures, misunderstanding and general mayhem in between. When a boy like William wakes up under a motto that says "A Busy Day Is A Happy Day" alongside a copy of "Things A Boy Can Do", the chaos is just around the corner. Includes the very first William short story - "Rice Mould". Often dismissed as childrens literature, the first few books of William stories were probably aimed more at an adult audience. They resonate with a distinctly English humour, but there are obvious echoes from 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn'.

By LibriVox

Librivox: Multilingual Poetry Collection 003 by Various show

Librivox: Multilingual Poetry Collection 003 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

In LibriVox’s Multilingual Poetry Collection, LibriVox volunteers read their favourite public-domain poems in languages other than English. (Summary by David Barnes).

By LibriVox

Librivox: Sonnets from the Portuguese by Browning, Elizabeth Barrett show

Librivox: Sonnets from the Portuguese by Browning, Elizabeth BarrettJoin Now to Follow

Sonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845–1846 and first published in 1850, is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The poems largely chronicle the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning. The collection was acclaimed and popular even in the poet's lifetime and it remains so today. Elizabeth was initially hesitant to publish the poems, feeling that they were too personal. However, Robert insisted that they were the best sequence of English-language sonnets since Shakespeare's time and urged her to publish them. To offer the couple some privacy, she decided that she might publish them under a title disguising the poems as translations of foreign sonnets. Therefore, the collection was first to be known as Sonnets from the Bosnian, until Robert suggested that she change their imaginary original language to Portuguese, probably after his nickname for her: "my little Portuguese." (Summary from Wikipedia)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Critique of Pure Reason, The by Kant, Immanuel show

Librivox: Critique of Pure Reason, The by Kant, ImmanuelJoin Now to Follow

The Critique of Pure Reason, first published in 1781 with a second edition in 1787, has been called the most influential and important philosophical text of the modern age. Kant saw the Critique of Pure Reason as an attempt to bridge the gap between rationalism (there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently of sense experience) and empiricism (sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge) and, in particular, to counter the radical empiricism of David Hume (our beliefs are purely the result of accumulated habits, developed in response to accumulated sense experiences). Using the methods of science, Kant demonstrates that though each mind may, indeed, create its own universe, those universes are guided by certain common laws, which are rationally discernable. (Summary by Ticktockman)

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Librivox: Favole di Jean de La Fontaine: Libro 11 by La Fontaine, Jean de show

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Nei 12 volumi delle "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine rinnovò la tradizione esopica, rappresentando la commedia umana. Quest'opera dimostrò il suo amore per la vita rurale e attraverso animali simbolici ironizzò sulla vita della società dell'epoca. In the 12 volumes/books of "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine renewed Aesop's tradition, representing the human comedy. This demonstrated his love for country life and by symbolic animals he ironized about his current years society's life. (Summary by Paolo Fedi)

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Librivox: Från barnaår till silfverhår. Första afdelningen by Ramsay, Anders show

Librivox: Från barnaår till silfverhår. Första afdelningen by Ramsay, AndersJoin Now to Follow

"Från barnaår till silfverhår" (From childyears to silverhairs) by Anders Ramsay (1832-1910) is one of the most widely read autobiographies of Fenno-swedish literature. Anders Ramsay's eight volumes offer a great wealth of information about aristocratic life in 19th century Finland, as well as of life in Paris, on the grand tour in Italy and so on. Ramsay's style of writing is free and full of delightful humour -- often at the author's own expense. His life is also a good illustration of the process of industrialisation in Finland, as well as of the triumph of the capitalist spirit over older, aristocratic values. Born a nobleman and landowner, Ramsay felt forced to become an industrialist, but failed miserably. He then went into business, where he failed as completely. However, his autobiography, written at the very end of his life, became a huge critical and popular success, to his immense joy and pride. (Summary by Måns Broo)

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Librivox: Favole di Jean de La Fontaine: Libro 10 by La Fontaine, Jean de show

Librivox: Favole di Jean de La Fontaine: Libro 10 by La Fontaine, Jean deJoin Now to Follow

Nei 12 volumi delle "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine rinnovò la tradizione esopica, rappresentando la commedia umana. Quest'opera dimostrò il suo amore per la vita rurale e attraverso animali simbolici ironizzò sulla vita della società dell'epoca. In the 12 volumes/books of "Favole" (1669 - 1693) Jean de La Fontaine renewed Aesop's tradition, representing the human comedy. This demonstrated his love for country life and by symbolic animals he ironized about his current years society's life. (Summary by Paolo Fedi)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Short Poetry Collection 046 by Various show

Librivox: Short Poetry Collection 046 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

LibriVox's Short Poetry Collection 046: a collection of 20 public-domain poems.

By LibriVox

Librivox: Short Poetry Collection 045 by Various show

Librivox: Short Poetry Collection 045 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

LibriVox's Short Poetry Collection 045: a collection of 20 public-domain poems.

By LibriVox