A curated collection of high-quality humanities books.

Our mission

The Modest Inquisitor aims to preserve literary works that are personal, rational, specific, and systematic. Every book in this collection has a steadfast premise, and books are grouped by premise so that you can explore different in-depth answers given in response. For instance, explore how morality was seen without religious guidance, or see the influence of media culture on today's thought.

Wisdom comes with age

Most books in this collection are classics from the 20th century. Our collection includes lesser known works from the best thinkers - from Leo Tolstoy's definition of art that excludes his own works, Bertrand Russell's take on happiness, to Susan Sontag's dissection of the impacts of her own craft - photography. Nothing here is right or wrong, but everything is thought-provoking. In a world where information abounds but knowledge is rare, none of these books will lead you astray.

A living collection for you and by you

The Modest Inquisitor was launched with 64 books, and collects more books from the community daily. What books do you want to preserve for generations to come?

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