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Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas (around 1225–1274 CE) was a Dominican friar and one of the most influential thinkers of the Middle Ages. Born into a noble family near Aquino in Italy, he surprised everyone by choosing a simple, devoted life with the Dominicans, despite his family’s objections.
PeopleThomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas advocates law rightly understood, arguing that freedom flourishes when human law conforms to reason and moral order rather than arbitrary will. By articulating natural law as a limit on rulers and a guide for conscience, he advances a decisive principle of free societies: authority is just only when it serves reason, justice, and the common good.
PeopleAristotle
Aristotle was born in 384 BCE in Stagira, a Greek city on the Chalcidic peninsula of Macedonia. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician to King Amyntas III of Macedon, providing Aristotle with early exposure to medicine and natural philosophy. After his father’s death, Aristotle moved to Athens at age seventeen, where he became a student at Plato’s Academy. He remained there for two decades, deeply engaging with Plat
PeopleAverroes
Averroes, also known as Ibn Rushd, was a prominent Muslim philosopher and jurist in the medieval period. Born in Cordoba, Spain, in 1126, Averroes came from a distinguished family of jurists—both his grandfather and father served as a qadi (chief judge) in Seville and Cordoba. He was known for his expertise in various fields such as law, philosophy, theology, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and theology. Averroes i
PeopleBoethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (c. 480 – 524/525 CE) was a Roman philosopher, government official, and Christian thinker who helped bridge the classical and medieval worlds. Born into the distinguished aristocratic family of the Anicii, Boethius received a classical education and became fluent in both Latin and Greek. He held high political office under Theodoric the Great, ruler of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Ita
PeopleDante
Dante Alighieri was born in Florence, Italy, around May 21–June 20, 1265, to a family of lesser nobility. Florence at the time was a hotbed of political intrigue and factionalism, with the Guelph and Ghibelline parties vying for power—a scenario that would profoundly shape Dante’s life and work. His mother died in his childhood, and his father died when Dante was still young. He married Gemma Donati around 1285, thou
PeopleJob
Job is the central figure of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible and a prophet in Islam known as Ayyūb. Introduced as a prosperous and righteous man in the land of Uz, Job is continually tested in a bet between God and Satan. Known for his integrity and devotion to God, Job is described as ‘blameless,’ making his suffering a well-known literary tragedy. Structured between a prose prologue and epilogue, the Book of Jo
PeopleMaimonides
Maimonides, also known as Moses Ben Maimon, was a famous Jewish philosopher, theologian, physician, and influential Torah scholar in the Middle Ages. He was born in Cordoba, Spain, around 1135 AD, and died in Cairo, Egypt, in 1204. Maimonides is considered one of the greatest Jewish scholars of all time, known for his vast contributions to philosophy, medicine, and Jewish law. In his time, he served as a personal phy
PeoplePlato
Plato (c. 428/427–348/347 BCE) was a Greek philosopher, writer, and foundational figure in Western philosophy. A student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, Plato founded the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. His writings—mostly in the form of philosophical dialogues—explored ethics, politics, metaphysics, epistemology, art, and education. After the Trial of Socrates,
PeopleSavonarola
Girolamo Savonarola (born September 21, 1452, Ferrara, Italy—died May 23, 1498, Florence) was a Dominican friar, preacher, and religious reformer of Renaissance Florence. Born to a prosperous merchant family, Savonarola early became disillusioned with the corruption of society and the Church, prompting him to join the Dominican Order in 1475. Excelling in theology and scriptural studies, he soon gained a reputation a
PeopleWycliffe
John Wycliffe (c. 1328–1384 CE) was an English theologian, scholar, and early reformer whose bold critiques of the medieval Church earned him the title “Morning Star of the Reformation.” Educated at Oxford—where he would also later teach—Wycliffe emerged as a leading voice against ecclesiastical corruption, challenging the Church’s immense wealth, political entanglements, and theological practices.
PeopleArchimedes
Genius of Mathematical Discovery : Archimedes, a Greek mathematician and inventor, is celebrated for his groundbreaking contributions to geometry, calculus, and physics, including the principles of buoyancy and the lever.
PeopleAugustine
Augustine (Aurelius Augustinus, 354–430 CE) was a North African theologian, philosopher, and bishop whose writings shaped Western Christianity and Latin thought. Born in Thagaste (present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria), Augustine received a classical education in rhetoric at Carthage, taught in Rome and Milan, and converted to Christianity in 386 under Ambrose’s influence. After returning to Africa, he became bishop of Hip
PeopleAvicenna
Avicenna (c. 980 – 1037 CE), known in the Islamic world as Ibn Sina, was a Persian thinker whose influence spanned philosophy, medicine, science, and theology. Born near Bukhara in the village of Afshana (modern Uzbekistan), he displayed remarkable intellect early on—memorizing the Quran and mastering diverse sciences by age 16.
PeopleCopernicus
A 16th-century portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Polish astronomer, depicted in profile with fur collar and cap, holding a compass and armillary sphere, symbolizing his heliocentric theory in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium that revolutionized cosmology.
PeopleDeclaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence (1776), primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson and edited by the Continental Congress, drew heavily from Enlightenment thinkers, especially John Locke’s ideas of natural rights, social contract theory, and the right of revolution (adapted famously from “life, liberty, and property” to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”). It also echoed the Virginia Declaration of Rights by Ge
PeopleErasmus
Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) was a Dutch scholar, writer, and priest who is known for his works that laid the foundation for the Protestant Reformation. Born in Rotterdam and orphaned young, he reluctantly became an Augustinian monk before obtaining permission to study abroad. As a wandering scholar, he lived across Europe, supporting himself through teaching, patronage, and his extraordinarily popular writings. Hi
PeopleEuclid
Euclid was a Greek mathematician active around 300 BCE, best known for authoring Elements , one of the most influential works in the history of mathematics. While biographical details are sparse, he is believed to have taught and conducted research at the Library of Alexandria. Euclid drew on earlier work by mathematicians like Eudoxus, Pythagoras, and Theaetetus, organizing their discoveries into a deductive system
PeopleGoethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German literary titan—a poet, novelist, playwright, scientist, statesman, and philosopher. Born in Frankfurt am Main on August 28, 1749, he received a classical education encouraged by his father, Johann Caspar Goethe, an imperial councilor. Goethe studied law at Leipzig University but soon directed his energies toward literature and art, publishing poems and theatrical wo
PeopleGroot
Geert Groote, also known as Gerhard Groet, was a religious Dutch Catholic deacon who founded the Brethren of Common Life. He was born in the Hanseatic city of Deventer, where his father held a good civic position. Being born into a rich family, he received an excellent education. He studied at the University of Paris, where he earned a Master of Arts degree. He later taught at Cologne and Paris, but at the age of 34,
PeopleGrotius
Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) was a Dutch legal genius, philosopher, theologian, and diplomat who helped lay the groundwork for modern international law. Born in Delft, Netherlands, he was a child prodigy—fluent in Latin and Greek by age 8 and publishing scholarly work at just 11.
PeopleHosea
Prophetic Voice of Covenant : Hosea is recognized as one of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, renowned for his messages of God’s steadfast love and the call to repentance amid Israel’s unfaithfulness, using his own life as a metaphor.
PeopleHuss
His outspoken views didn’t go unnoticed. In 1415, he was summoned to the Council of Constance, where he was put on trial for heresy. Hus stood by what he believed and refused to take back his words. He was sentenced to death and burned at the stake. His execution lit the spark for the Hussite movement and a wave of religious conflict across Central Europe.
PeopleJohn
John the Apostle, also known as Saint John the Beloved, was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples according to the New Testament. He is traditionally considered to be the author of the Gospel of John, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation. He was born in 6 AD at Bethsaida in Galilee during the Roman Empire. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome and is listed as the youngest apostle. He is the brother of James the Grea
PeopleKant
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was a German philosopher who stands as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. Born and raised in Königsberg, Prussia, he spent his entire life there, teaching, thinking, and writing.
PeopleLocke
John Locke was a prominent English philosopher and physician in the 17th century, known for his contributions to the fields of political theory, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. He was born in Wrington, Somerset, England, on August 29, 1632, and died on October 28, 1704, in Oates, Essex. Locke’s influence on Western philosophy and political thought is profound, with his ideas shaping the Enlightenment period and
PeopleMilton
John Milton (London, 9 December 1608 – London, 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, intellectual, and civil servant. Born into a devout and musically gifted family, he was educated first at St. Paul’s School and then at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he cultivated his love of languages and literature. Following extensive private study and travel in Europe (notably Italy), Milton became engaged in the
PeoplePaul
Paul was born into a Jewish family with Roman citizenship, a status that afforded him unique privileges and mobility throughout the empire. Deeply devoted to Jewish tradition, he initially saw the early Christian movement as a dangerous threat to Judaism. He actively sought to suppress it, participating in the persecution of Jesus’s followers.
PeopleRigveda
The Rigveda is one of the oldest and most important sacred texts of ancient Indian literature, forming the foundation of Hinduism and Indian culture. Written in Vedic Sanskrit, it is a key part of the Vedas, and it is a collection of over 1,000 hymns divided into ten books (mandalas), which were likely written over a period of several centuries. The Rigveda is considered to be one of the four Vedas, the sacred script
PeopleThucydides
Chronicler of the Peloponnesian War : Thucydides, an Athenian historian, is renowned for his meticulous and analytical account of the Peloponnesian War, emphasizing factual accuracy and human motivations in his seminal work, History of the Peloponnesian War .
PeopleUpanishads
• Preservation of Cultural Heritage : Attributed to various sages and philosophers, the Upanishads comprise a profound body of work that emphasized spiritual wisdom, the unity of the individual soul with the universal consciousness, and ethical living, shaping Indian philosophy and religious thought.
Periods
1200–1300 AD
← Back to All Books 1200–1300 AD The thirteenth century AD includes major works of scholastic philosophy, Franciscan spirituality, Norse saga literature, medieval travel writing, Dante, and theological commentary. This section highlights Robert Grosseteste, St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Snorri Sturluson, Marco Polo, Dante Alighieri, Duns Scotus, and important Icelandic saga texts. Read More No books match th
Periods1400–1500 AD
← Back to All Books 1400–1500 AD From 1400 to 1500 AD, Europe entered a transformative age in which Renaissance humanism, religious renewal, political realism, scientific inquiry, and literary imagination reshaped ideas of human dignity and freedom. Thomas à Kempis and Savonarola called individuals to conscience and spiritual discipline; Leonardo celebrated the creative powers of the human mind; Erasmus used satire t
Books & Works
The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274 · n.d. · The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, Part II, First Part. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.
Books & WorksPolitical Writings of Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743–1826 · 1955 · Political writings of Thomas Jefferson; representative selections. Edited with introduction by Edward Dumbauld. New York, Liberal Arts Press, [1955]. xii, 204 p. 21 cm.
Books & WorksThe Complete Writings of Thomas Paine
Paine, Thomas, 1737–1809 · 1945 · The complete writings of Thomas Paine, collected and edited by Philip S. Foner. New York, The Citadel Press, [1945]. 2 v. frontispiece. 22 cm.
Books & WorksThe English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury
Hobbes, Thomas, 1588–1679 · 1839–1845 · The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, collected and edited by Sir William Molesworth. London, Bohn, 1839–1845. 11 v.
Books & WorksThe Utopia of Sir Thomas More
Sir Thomas More · 1947 · New York: Modern Library; London: J. M. Dent, 1947.
Books & WorksThe Works of Sir Thomas Browne
Browne, Sir Thomas, 1605–1682 · 1904 · The works of Sir Thomas Browne, edited by Charles Sayle. London, Grant Richards, 1904. 5 v.
Books & WorksCommentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle
Thomas Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274 · 1961 · Commentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle. Translated by John P. Rowan. Chicago: H. Regnery, 1961. 2 volumes.
Books & WorksAn Essay on Population
Malthus, T. R. (Thomas Robert), 1766–1834 · 1933 · An essay on population. London, J. M. Dent & Sons; New York, E. P. Dutton & Co., 1933. 2 v. 17 cm. Everyman’s Library.
Books & WorksBulfinch's Mythology
Thomas Bulfinch · 1947 · The Age of Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne. New York: T. Y. Crowell, 1947.
Books & WorksCritique of Practical Reason and Other Works on the Theory of Ethics
Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804 · 1909 · Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason and other works on the theory of ethics. Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott. New York and Bombay, Longmans, Green and Co., 1909.
Books & WorksExercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus
Harvey, William, 1578–1657 · 1941 · Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus, by William Harvey. Springfield, Ill.; Baltimore, Md., C. C. Thomas, 1941.
Books & WorksFundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Ethics
Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804 · 1946 · Fundamental principles of the metaphysic of ethics. Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott. Chicago, The Open Court Publishing Company, 1946. 102 p. 18½ cm. ARD-9737
Books & WorksFundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals
Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804 · 1949 · Fundamental principles of the metaphysics of morals. Translated by Thomas K. Abbott, with introduction by Marvin Fox. New York, The Liberal Arts Press, c1949. xv–80 p. 20 cm. The Little Library of Liberal Arts.
Books & WorksGargantua and Pantagruel
Rabelais, François, 1490 (ca.)–1553? · 1934 · Gargantua and Pantagruel... Translated by Sir Thomas Urquhart and Peter Le Motteux. 1934.
Books & WorksIdeal Commonwealths
Sir Thomas More · 1901 (Morley ed.) · Comprising Utopia, Bacon's New Atlantis, Campanella's City of the Sun, and Harrington's Oceana. Edited by Henry Morley. New York: Colonial Press, 1901.
Books & WorksLe Morte Darthur
Sir Thomas Malory · 1901 (Strachey ed.) · Edited with introduction by Sir Edward Strachey. London & New York: Macmillan, 1901.
Books & WorksLeviathan
Hobbes, Thomas, 1588–1679 · 1946 · Leviathan; or, The matter, forme and power of a common-wealth ecclesiasticall and civill. Edited with an introduction by Michael Oakeshott. Oxford, B. Blackwell, 1946.
Books & WorksLeviathan
Hobbes, Thomas, 1588–1679 · 1950 · Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes. London, J. M. Dent & Sons, 1950. Everyman’s Library.
Books & WorksOf the Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis · 1908 (Rogers trans.) · Translation by Thomas Rogers. London: Chatto & Windus, 1908.
Books & WorksOn Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History
Thomas Carlyle · 1904 · Lectures exploring the role of heroic individuals in history.
Books & WorksOriginal Letters of Locke, Algernon Sidney, and Anthony, Lord Shaftesbury
Forster, Thomas Ignatius Maria, 1789–1860 · 1830 · Original letters of Locke, Algernon Sidney, and Anthony, Lord Shaftesbury... London, J. B. Nichols and Son, 1830.
Books & WorksPiers the Plowman
Langland, William, 1330?–1400? · 1952 · Piers the Plowman: A Critical Edition of the A-Version. Edited by Thomas A. Knott and David C. Fowler. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1952.
Books & WorksSelect English Works of John Wyclif
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384 · 1869–1871 · Select English Works of John Wyclif. Edited by Thomas Arnold. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1869–1871. 3 volumes.
Books & WorksSelections
Hobbes, Thomas, 1588–1679 · 1930 · Selections, edited by Frederick J. E. Woodbridge. New York, Chicago, C. Scribner’s Sons, [1930].
Books & WorksSelections Illustrating the History of Greek Mathematics
Ivor Bulmer-Thomas, editor and translator · 1939–1941 · Loeb Classical Library. Selections from Greek mathematical works with English translation.
Books & WorksSt. Bernard of Clairvaux Sermons and Selected Letters
Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 1091–1153 · 1953 · St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Sermons and selected letters. Translated by Bruno Scott James. Foreword by Thomas Merton. Chicago: H. Regnery, 1953.
Books & WorksThe Age of Reason
Paine, Thomas, 1737–1809 · 1950 · The age of reason. Edited with an introduction by Albury Castell. New York, The Liberal Arts Press, 1950. v–vii, 59 p. 20½ cm. ARD-9759
Books & WorksThe Age of Reason
Paine, Thomas, 1737–1809 · 1795 · The age of reason, being an investigation of true and fabulous theology. Philadelphia, 1795. 2 pts. in 1. 161 p. 19 cm. ARD-9760
Books & WorksThe Complete Jefferson
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743–1826 · 1943 · The complete Jefferson, containing his major writings, published and unpublished, except his letters. Assembled and arranged by Saul K. Padover. New York, Tudor Publishing Co., [1943]. xxxix, 1322 p. frontispiece portrait, illustrations, facsimiles. 22 cm.
Books & WorksThe French Revolution
Thomas Carlyle · 1910 · Classic narrative history of the French Revolution.
Books & WorksThe Goodrich Seminar Room at Wabash College: An Explication
Thomas A. Klingaman · 1998 · Crawfordsville, IN: Lilly Library Fund, 1998.
Books & WorksThe Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis · n.d. (Revised translation) · New York: Grosset & Dunlap, n.d. Revised translation.
Books & WorksThe Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis · 1887 (Chalmers intro.) · With an introductory essay by Thomas Chalmers. Chicago & New York: Belford, Clarke & Co., 1887.
Books & WorksThe Institutes of Justinian
Corpus juris civilis. Institutiones · 1948 · The Institutes of Justinian, with English introduction, translation and notes by Thomas Collett Sandars. 1948.
Books & WorksThe Legacy of Islam
Sir Thomas Walker Arnold (ed.) · 1931 · Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931.
Books & WorksThe Living Thoughts of Tom Paine
Paine, Thomas, 1737–1809 · 1940 · The living thoughts of Tom Paine, presented by John Dos Passos. New York, Toronto, Longmans, Green and Co., 1940. x, 194 p. frontispiece. 19 cm.
Books & WorksThe Peloponnesian War
Thucydides · 1959 (Hobbes trans., ed. Grene) · Thomas Hobbes translation, edited by David Grene. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1959.
Books & WorksThe Pilgrim’s Progress, The Holy War and Grace Abounding
Bunyan, John, 1628–1688 · 1905 · The Pilgrim’s Progress, The Holy War and Grace Abounding, by John Bunyan. London, Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1905.
Books & WorksThe Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu, Charles de Secondat, baron de, 1689–1755 · 1949 · The spirit of laws, translated by Thomas Nugent. New York, Hafner Publishing Co., 1949. 2 v. in 1. 23 cm. Includes bibliographical footnotes.
Books & WorksWho Are Those Guys? A Not Very Scholarly Jaunt Around the Walls of the Goodrich Room
Thomas A. Klingaman · 1997 · Crawfordsville, IN: T.A. Klingaman, 1997.
Books & WorksWilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship and Travels
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749–1832 · n.d. · Wilhelm Meister’s apprenticeship and travels. Translated from the German of Goethe by Thomas Carlyle. New York, A. L. Burt, n.d. 587 p. 19 cm. ADS-1163
Resources
The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274 · n.d. · The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas, Part II, First Part. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.
ResourcesCommentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle
Thomas Aquinas, Saint, 1225?–1274 · 1961 · Commentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle. Translated by John P. Rowan. Chicago: H. Regnery, 1961. 2 volumes.
ResourcesCritique of Practical Reason and Other Works on the Theory of Ethics
Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804 · 1909 · Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason and other works on the theory of ethics. Translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott. New York and Bombay, Longmans, Green and Co., 1909.
ResourcesFundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals
Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804 · 1949 · Fundamental principles of the metaphysics of morals. Translated by Thomas K. Abbott, with introduction by Marvin Fox. New York, The Liberal Arts Press, c1949. xv–80 p. 20 cm. The Little Library of Liberal Arts.
ResourcesSelect English Works of John Wyclif
Wycliffe, John, d. 1384 · 1869–1871 · Select English Works of John Wyclif. Edited by Thomas Arnold. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1869–1871. 3 volumes.
ResourcesThe Peloponnesian War
Thucydides · 1959 (Hobbes trans., ed. Grene) · Thomas Hobbes translation, edited by David Grene. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1959.
ResourcesWilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship and Travels
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749–1832 · n.d. · Wilhelm Meister’s apprenticeship and travels. Translated from the German of Goethe by Thomas Carlyle. New York, A. L. Burt, n.d. 587 p. 19 cm. ADS-1163