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Philosophers from Socrates to Nietzsche have used the "dialogue" to test ideas. Here, Nick's characters compare democratic rule to life-without-rule, asking whether life without rule is possible? Is it anarchy? Utopia? Power, equality, the appreciation of natural differences, loyalty to one's own...a galaxy of inter-related ideas trigger new thinking.

""Rule" adopts the tradition of political philosophy begun by Socrates, refined by Xenophon and Plato. The book concentrates on something the characters call life-without-rule. What would that be? Is it a sort of utopia? How does it differ from anarchy? What makes it so appealing and what are the trade-offs?"--

In a hospital waiting room two acquaintances, Director and Woman, await the results of surgery on friends. They lend comfort to one another through a wide-ranging conversation. They speak of fear, laughter, spirit, belief, and many other topics. Their dialogue makes clear that we can do far more than simply wait, passively, in fear of results. With the right partner, you can, together, drink in life--and drink deeply indeed. Woman is a professional violinist; Director is a consultant. But Director is also a philosopher. What does a philosopher love to do? Woman believes they love to talk. But Director indicates this isn't quite true. Philosophers love to philosophize. What does that mean? The answer to this comes through a reading of the book as a whole. The dialogue in this book is philosophy. It does not rely on a structure of concepts arranged to articulate a whole, so it may not seem familiar to many as philosophy. Philosophy, as we need it today, is conversational. After all, what is more persuasive? An all-but-perfectly-tight series of arguments meant to compel a certain conclusion, or a looser discussion of the topic in question with someone you like and admire? This does not mean Director's philosophizing is tame. He asks, 'If we feel fear, what do we seek?' Woman replies, 'I seek comfort. And you?' 'I seek to destroy the source of the fear.' This produces a laugh from Woman. As Director says in response, 'Laughter is better than fear.' But as we read on, we may wonder: Was he serious? What does it mean to destroy the source of the fear? And why does this question arise in a book about comfort? Woman declares that, 'People comfort themselves [...] by refusing to think.' Director and she question whether that is true comfort. This book is about that question.

While James Monroe is responsible for a large body of correspondence, this is the first time an editor has focused principally on his written communications while serving as President George Washington's minister to France. The format of the selected letters, as Monroe wrote them, is preserved whenever possible, and they are presented for the interest of a general readership as well as for students of military, diplomatic, or political history. The addressees are identified, particularly those who have been lost to history, and, where indicated, explanatory notes are provided to assist the reader in placing the correspondence in its particular historical, political, or conceptual context. Readers are encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions as to the intention of a specific piece of correspondence.

"Violence and reason are related, if only because violence is done to reason every single day. All it takes is to fail to listen. Everything else, all the real violence, starts right there, including tough talk in lieu of rational argument and the violence of not allowing us to think things through. In a virtual conversation with other thoughtful people, we can evaluate and refine our own positions, gaining clarity and confidence"--

"A philosophical treatment of the idea of authority, this book is a dialogue between three characters. "Director," a philosopher, challenges the others to think through their ideas of authority, how it is established, how it works, and how it can be either subtle or bold"--

On Power is a philosophical dialogue that explores the nature of power through a conversation among three characters. While the subject of power has filled many books, this is the first to analyze its many facets in a light, conversational tone and in the format of a dialogue, making it an accessible read.

This book examines many facets of strength in a philosophical dialogue that probes the meaning of character and values, what is worth fighting for-and why; what it means to be a true friend; how to know when it's right to stand up and when not-in sum, what it means to be strong, and how to find and train our own inner strength. What is strength, after all? Is it as obvious as it seems? Does it require more strength to act, or to hold yourself from acting? Why do you need it? Where does truth come into play, and how do we know truth when we see it? How do heart, soul and mind figure into things

This book consists of two dialogues, "Aristocrat" and "The Community." Both take place among friends through the course of a night. "Aristocrat" is concerned with what it means to want to rule, with the comparison of aristocracy to democracy, and with duty. The friends begin this dialogue by touching upon excellence, aristocracy's traditional claim to rule. They soon come to question whether there are in fact but two true claims to rule--force, or a system of belief. But most importantly they come to consider their involvement with and commitment to "the cause," a potentially transpolitical cause. "Aristocrat" attempts to answer several related "whats": what is "the cause," what does it involve, and what does it mean to serve? "The Community" attempts to demonstrate a "how"--How to create the new city, a new city determined to set itself apart from the outside world. Discussions of appealing means to make the city different and therefore worthwhile are interwoven with a concern for viability, represented by the Bank, whose interests it seems must always be taken into account. Is the creation of an ideal community an effort that is doomed to be utopian?

Taking a quizzical, philosophical look at the conundrums life places before us, the author explores paradoxical situations in philosophical dialogues geared to stimulate thought and resonate with the reader's own experiences. Implications regarding politics and politicians, leadership and democracy are investigated along the way