What is a good book for someone who has never studied philosophy before?

What book should I start with philosophy?

The Best Philosophy Books for Beginners

• Plato: Five Dialogues by Plato.
• The Emperor’s New Mind by Roger Penrose.
• Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries translated by Bryan W. …
• Meno by Plato.
• Republic by Plato.
• Discourse on Method by Rene Descartes.
• Symposium by Plato.
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.

What should I read before my philosophy degree?

• The Presocratics and the Sophists. …
• Socrates and Plato. …
• Aristotle. …
• Stoicism. …
• Medieval Philosophy. …
• The Origin of Modern Philosophy and Continental Rationalism. …
• Modern Philosophy: British Empiricism. …
• Kant’s Epistemology and Transcendental Idealism.

What books should I read to learn about philosophy?

These philosophy books should paint a picture of the culture.

• Meditations. One that you’ll find on many of these types of lists is Meditations and for good reason. …
• Letters From a Stoic. …
• Nicomachean Ethics. …
• Beyond Good & Evil. …
• Meditations on First Philosophy. …
• Ethics. …
• Critique of Pure Reason. …
• On the Genealogy of Morals.

How should a beginner study philosophy?

How to Learn Philosophy Without Going to Class

1. Read the books “A History of Western Philosophy” by Bertrand Russell or “The Story of Philosophy” by Will Durant. …
2. Listen to bite-sized audio courses on Listenable. …
3. Take bite-sized courses on philosophy on Highbrow. …
4. Use Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

What are the easiest philosophy books to read?

10 easy & must-read Philosophy Books

• Apology of Socrates by Plato.
• Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.
• The discourse on method by Descartes.
• Candide or Optimism by Voltaire.
• Beyond good and evil by Nietzsche.
• Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky.
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera.

What is the most widely read book on philosophy?

Below, we’ve collected her suggestions—dive into the best philosophy books now.

• The Republic. By Plato. …
• The Prince. By Niccolò Machiavelli. …
• Discourse on Method. By René Descartes. …
• Classics in Chinese Philosophy. By Wade Baskin. …
• The Problems of Philosophy. …
• The Emotions. …
• Great Philosophers Volume One. …
• Great Philosophers Volume Two.

Why is philosophy so hard?

Philosophy is Hard Because of Intangibility



The subject matter of philosophy, as far as we are concerned, revolves around something intangible. Thought cannot be touched nor smelt, seen nor grasped.

How do I start reading philosophers?

But you want to start with kind of a wide swathe of the landscape of Western literature I highly recommend will directs the story of philosophy. This is actually where I started back in 2011. When I


Where can I get started with philosophy?

Another great book is the consolations of philosophy by Alain de Botton.


What age should you start reading philosophy?

This book would make a great gift for teachers, students and anyone interested in some of the big eternal questions. I would recommend it for ages 12+ given its clear writing style that illuminates and contextualises some of the most important ideas in philosophy.

Can I learn philosophy on my own?

Sure, you can learn a lot by yourself, reading classic philosophical texts and trying to grapple with them. That would be one way. (You can start by looking at Section 3 of the Pathways Introductory Book List.)

What is the best way to get into philosophy?

Philosophy can feel like one of the most daunting subjects to take on. It is so hard to know where to start.



I hope these tips will help you start on your journey of understanding your own philosophy.

1. Start simple. …
2. Find what you’re interested in. …
3. Go to the source. …
4. Read the classics. …
5. Read broadly. …
6. Read those you disagree with.




Is studying philosophy hard?

Readings for philosophy courses are generally not long, but they are difficult and challenging. You cannot expect to go through an assigned reading once and have an adequate grasp of it. Some students seem to thrive on the painstaking study required, while others simply don’t have the patience for it.

Should you read philosophy books?

Why You Should Read Philosophy? Since logic and reason are the cornerstones of philosophy, taking the time out to read books on the subject can help you become a better thinker and evolve your ability to reason.

How long does it take to learn philosophy?

Generally speaking, it takes about four years to earn a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, two years to earn a master’s degree and six to eight years to earn a doctorate.

What are the 4 types of philosophy?

There are four pillars of philosophy: theoretical philosophy (metaphysics and epistemology), practical philosophy (ethics, social and political philosophy, aesthetics), logic, and history of philosophy.

What are the 4 branches of philosophy?

The four main branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that considers the physical universe and the nature of ultimate reality.

What are the 3 philosophical theories?

THREE MAJOR AREAS OF PHILOSOPHY. Theory of Reality : Ontology & Metaphysics. Theory of Knowledge: Epistemology–from episteme and logos. Theory of Value: Axiology–from the Greek axios (worth, value) and logos.

What are the 8 schools of philosophy?

Some of them are commonly misunderstood, and we correct that problem here.

• Nihilism.
• Existentialism.
• Stoicism.
• Hedonism.
• Marxism.
• Logical Positivism.
• Taoism.
• Rationalism.

Who is the father of philosophy?

Socrates of Athens

Socrates of Athens (l. c. 470/469-399 BCE) is among the most famous figures in world history for his contributions to the development of ancient Greek philosophy which provided the foundation for all of Western Philosophy. He is, in fact, known as the “Father of Western Philosophy” for this reason.

Related posts:

How is Saul Kripke said to have revive metaphysics again? Why analogies work? Can one not know if they are lying to themselves? Express the multiple choice question symbolically? The preconditions of being? What does it mean for Kant for someone to lie? What is the proof for the Reductio (in a derivation)? Evaluating between seemingly logical, yet contradicting, arguments? Is meditation valid to study consciousness scientifically? Why isn’t differentia just quality in Aristotle?