Politics
One book, one question a day
The Prince
Am I facing how the world actually works, rather than how it ought to work?
EUROPEThe Republic
Is the world I see real, or is it merely shadows cast on a cave wall?
EUROPEMongmin Simseo
How fairly and without personal greed am I handling the authority and responsibilities given to me?
KOREAThe Prince
Is good intention enough to change the world, or is a cold sense of reality sometimes necessary?
EUROPEThe Social Contract
Does the order of the community you belong to suppress your freedom, or guarantee it?
EUROPEThe Art of War
Do I have the wisdom to find a way to win completely without having to fight or tear down my opponent?
EAST-ASIAOn Liberty
Can I raise my own voice when the opinion of the majority and rigid customs suppress my inner thoughts?
EUROPEDemocracy in America
How does the passion for equality risk becoming a tyranny of the majority that suppresses individual freedom?
EUROPEMokminsimseo
Am I using the small and ordinary authority given to me to elevate myself, or to uplift and save others?
KOREAAdmonitions on Governing the People
How am I using the small power and responsibilities entrusted to me?
KOREAThe Book of Lord Shang
How resolutely can you break away from existing customs to lead true change?
EAST-ASIAHan Feizi
Have you built a system that functions without relying on the goodwill of others?
EAST-ASIASecond Treatise of Government
Where do your rights and freedom come from, and how are they protected?
EUROPEThe Book of Lord Shang
Are we clinging to old customs out of fear of change, or boldly establishing new rules for our lives?
EAST-ASIAA Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Am I limiting my potential by staying confined within the societal expectations of what I should be?
EUROPEGuanzi
To move people's hearts, what practical deficiencies in their lives must you first fulfill?
EAST-ASIAThe Art of War
Do you have your own quiet strategy to win without fighting?
EAST-ASIACivil Disobedience
Am I respecting the voice of my conscience as a higher law than the state or majority opinion?
USThe Communist Manifesto
In the immense class struggle that drives history, how can the oppressed unite to overturn the world?
EUROPELeviathan
How much freedom are we willing to surrender for the sake of order?
EUROPECapital
How does our time and labor translate into someone else's wealth?
EUROPEBanjye Sureok
When the foundation of a state collapses, what institutional innovations must we dream of?
KOREACommon Sense
How to stand against the authority believed to be natural?
USWuzi
Does true victory come from winning the hearts of the people rather than from military force?
EAST-ASIAThe Spirit of the Laws
What is the surest institution to prevent the corruption of power and guarantee the liberty of citizens?
EUROPE