5 Interesting Philosophy Books - Continental Edition

[@hiphopatitis]

1:20 - Lovers of Philosophy, Warren Ward 3:06 - Wittgenstein's Antiphilosophy, Alain Badiou 4:39 - At the Existentialist Cafe, Sarah Bakewell / Albert Camus and the Human Crisis, Robert Meagher 6:23 - An Event Perhaps, Peter Salmon 7:59 - What is Philosophy, Félix Guattari and Gilles Deleuze

[@nonono5661]

Thank you!

[@noneisbetter2927]

Oh thanks ❤️

[@otomeauthor]

As a philosophy major, I recommend: 1 - Philosophy 101 by Paul Klienman 2 - Philosophy of the Mind: A Beginner's Guide by Ian Ravenscroft 3 - First Meditations by Descartes 4 - Epistemology by Fumerton 5 - The Analects by Confucius Online, use the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Crash Course Philosophy. Both are great for ultra beginners.

[@vinix333]

😬😬😬

[@fridaserrano6611]

Thank you so much! I'll add it to my philosophy notes!

[@is300backs8]

"What Does It All Mean?" by Thomas Nagel is very good too

[@pupg9345]

Suggest something for Bergson and Karl Popper, please.

[@lobsterdescendant5692]

"As a philosophy major, I recommend:" Clearly you skipped the lectures on logical fallacies.

[@PoemsAreHistory]

PLATO is actually a great start. His ‘books’ are really just conversations between characters. So easy to get caught up into, and he lays out all the questions that philosophers, even up to today, grapple with. Cheers :)

[@fuzzydunlop4513]

Agreed, his dialogues are quite accessible and predate much of the technical jargon

[@OsvaldoBayerista]

Yeah! Plato is the best to start, such a enjoyable reading.

[@mensiuscho]

Much better than all the books above.

[@PoemsAreHistory]

@Anam Dar I would recommend a shorter work first, like the symposium. It’s only about 20 pages so you can finish it in a day. It’s one of the most sublime works, on the perennial topic: love. Context is helpful, but ultimately secondary when reading Plato. His thought is timeless. Most footnotes in any edition you read should be enough. The republic is considered the real masterpiece, so you can definitely read that if you’d like. Just be prepared to revisit it many times. :)

[@rizalinojuliano3702]

@Anam Dar The Republic, in my opinion, offers a comprehensive work on Plato's thought, and yes, it is meant to be read many times. The Last Days of Socrates is also a good place to start. I agree that Symposium is as well.

[@sophiaisabelle027]

We appreciate the consistency and dedication you’ve invested into all of your videos. May God bless you.

[@JoeAdams]

History of Philosophy by Frederick Copleston is a fundamental read so that you know where philosophical thinking came from and how it changed over 1000's of years. - 11 volumes and very comprehensive that ends around the 1960's. You'll get all of the major thinkers.

[@mensiuscho]

Extremely good recommendation, Agree 100 percent. thanks

[@lucasrinaldi9909]

It's unbelievable how a single guy can write a History of Philosophy of this dimension.

[@JoeAdams]

@@lucasrinaldi9909 Right? Such a massive project. I'm guessing not having the internet was probably allowed for a bit more free time ;)

[@starmorpheus]

@@lucasrinaldi9909 Well...not to be pedantic, but he didn't *technically* do it all by his lonesome. Still impressive.

[@neomontag]

Copleston’s good on Kant, but not on Hegel. Read Charles Taylor’s book on Hegel instead.

[@folgee7368]

Republic and the last days of Socrates (both by Plato) is what got me into philosophy

[@mariamachida7571]

You can't do this to me I just bought 60 dollars worth of books Waldun, I can't justify another purchase like this lol.

[@RCWaldun]

Sorry not sorry. 😂

[@demonhunter962]

Now give those books to ur mom so she will read them for u while sleep

[@merszy]

I'm a newbie in philosophy, but I decided to just pick whatever I find interesting and read it, while reading the historical background beforehand, great video :)

[@motivemystic]

Wow, what a fantastic video! As someone who loves philosophy, I found your recommendations extremely helpful. I've actually read a few of these books myself, and they truly opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking. Thank you so much for sharing this insightful list with us! Can't wait to dive into the ones I haven't read yet, especially with a cup of coffee by my side!

[@hawctalks9882]

recently read At the Existentialist Cafe for my philosophy degree and can attest to how great of a book it was. Definitley adding some of these to my 'to be read' list. Great content!

[@Bookademy]

Just came across your channel. Great job, Robin! Thank you

[@joellak5860]

I read Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (at like 17). It was a very gentle and engaging intro to philosophy for me. Now that I'm a bit 'older' I like reading the 'actual' philosophy books now, too. Thanks for the recs!

[@tropamediocre]

For spanish speakers I recommend "Lecciones preliminares de filosofía" by Emanuel García Morente. That book does a good job tackling most modern philosophical currents. The only problem is that it was made in the late 1930s so it does not contain that much about existentialism and nothing about postmodernism. I still recommend it tho...

[@juanchovilla485]

I just finished it today. What a wonderful book

[@jaidermosqueraperez4660]

Gracias.

[@adamsmith275]

...NOOOOO! I cannot believe that anybody would recommend that book!... But of course the commenter defines himself: TROP MEDIOCRE...

[@shabalaogrreeetzel.4418]

If one is opposed to reading books, or if they don't have the time to read, try looking up video summaries on the history of Philosophy. Start off with how Philosophy came to be, what its problems are, how it evolved n' all that. It's a pretty great introductory to Philosophy and is how I got started on it myself. I don't really agree with the notion that Philosophy is hard to undertake or "get right." since it's a really mashed-up subject in general. Cuz the thing is, there isn't a way of getting Philosophy right, there are only ways you can get Philosophy wrong, which leaves room for different Philosophical interpretations. Hence, so long as one chooses a suitable material for themselves, Philosophy should be a nice undertaking.

[@EddyMerlyBorja]

i'm currently writing my debut philosophical/psychological novel and this has been extremely helpful! thank you so much and more power to your channel

[@rizalinojuliano3702]

Plato - The Republic, or The Last Days of Socrates Bertrand Russel - The Problems of Philosophy Simon Blackburn - Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy Thomas Nagel - What Does it all Mean, a very short introduction to Philosophy Confucius- Analects Marcus Aurelius - Meditations Roger Penrose - The Emperor's New Mind

[@martinbennett2228]

But you are interested in philosophy that can be taken seriously, the guy presenting this video is interested in something else.

[@rizalinojuliano3702]

@@martinbennett2228 Fair point. Was just offering up my own recommendations for beginners. The one presenting the video is giving us his "must" list on the Continental tradition, which is fine..

[@martinbennett2228]

@@rizalinojuliano3702 You have some decent suggestions and a couple I do not know (the Penrose and Confucius). I am less tolerant of the so called Continental tradition and of the opinion that whilst it is OK (sort of) to be a solipsist, it is something best kept to oneself.

[@rizalinojuliano3702]

@@martinbennett2228 Thank you. I am, myself, not that familiar with the Continental school. When I encountered it in grad school, I struggled with the language and what I felt was its lack of clarity. I only meant that it was ok for the videos author to share his list. I'll take a look a few of the books. .

[@PedroKrick]

Thomas Aquinas commentaries on aristotle's Metaphysics is a great one too, it has basically the full original text of metaphysics and after each section there's like 3 times more text of Aquinas explaining the passages, it was a great book to help me understand the basics of ontology, and since the original Metaphysics wasn't meant to be "published" it isn't the most friendly book to read so all the commentaries are almost essential (at least read the 1st and 4th books, alpha and gamma)

[@jamestiburon443]

Oh yeah, that will teach me how to live in the 21st century with Climate horror upcoming and Nuclear War. Thanks, I will check out what he thought.

[@rachelb9713]

I wasn’t really interested in philosophy at first. But after following you for quite a while, it made me want to start! Will definitely check this list out… Thanks Robin!

[@marcusmcabee9800]

Would recommend reading Camus' work before reading a book about him. Most of his books are pretty short but profound nonetheless, and would probably convey his ideas better than any biography.

[@xman9087]

Sophie's world is a good introduction to the history of philosophy. Highly recommended

[@Sazad101]

Recommended books; 1: Lovers of philosophy. 2: Anti-philosophy. 3: At the existentialist cafe +Albert Camus and human crisis. 4: An event perhaps. 5: what is philosophy?

[@nightowl334]

Thank you so much!

[@marianhreads]

This is helpful! I find these more recent philosophers intimidating to tackle... saving this video for future reference.

[@BrandonsBookshelf]

Wonderful list! I love the recs, have read 3 of them and will check out the other two!

[@sylviaowega3839]

I personally think that starting with the pre-Socratics is a good start. I took a formal university course on ancient philosophy and NEBR regretted it

[@rosiearasa9818]

At the existentialist cafe got it for me this summer! Am now working my way through Beauvoir

[@hittheinfallible-si6ov]

Republic and Theatetus by plato are the books that give one a insight through the time and wisdom of ancient times. The dialogue between Socrares and Plato is the most fascinating, every word is valuable❤

[@SomethingToThinkAboutwithWJ]

Exceptional production value. Kudos.

[@chokingbutterfly4796]

i do agree with start with learning the history, it would have helped a ton when i started. But in my opinion the best way is honestly just dive in and read what you want, i started from marxism and that got me into philosophy in general and first thing i did was just delve into Phenomenology of Spirit i got to the reason chapter and gave up but it was probably the best thing i could have done just diving into one of the hardest books and just challenging myself, even if i didnt finish it i learned a ton and got much better at reading where i feel like reading other philosophers isnt as hard cause of the concrete wall i hit my head against of hegel

[@Noemi.mlb3]

Oh, I had the chance to attend a lecture by Alain Badiou when I was studying for my master degree in Philosophy in Paris, it was so special 🥰 Ive never read any of his books though, I might start with the one you mentioned here ☺️

[@RCWaldun]

Badiou is one of the most important thinkers of our time! I attended a workshop hosted by my University on his work and now I can't stop reading him. If you interested in his work, start with his seminars on Nicolas Malebranche titled: Theological Figures, Being 2. It sets up the foundation for you to tackle books like: Being and Event, Logic of Worlds and Immanence of Truths (his famous trilogy).

[@tuvsho2076]

great set up and lighting

[@chy8697]

i am wanting to minor in philosophy next to major in psych, and needed some good recs :) the existentialist cafe sounds like a good place to start.

[@johnfinbarr1160]

Incidentally, I remember the introduction was historically put at the beginning of Greek philosophy and taught under the title From Myth to Logos pointing out the transition from an imagery based narrative account to explain the world to a one based on critical thinking characterised by the use of Logic. In turn the sophists and Socrates were the next phase of learning, progressing to Plato and Aristotle.

[@Laidback_616]

Thanks for the list. Been listening to War and peace at work which is 60 hours 😐, when im done there I'll start with one of these or something from Plato. Watched a few vids about guys like Nietzsche and Baruch spinoza and i gotta admit those guys are hard to follow at times, but i enjoy being open minded when it comes to perspectives and learning stuff.

[@c__fragments]

Thank you for this wonderful list, I'll probably start with the first which I find is a new perspective!

[@RCWaldun]

Warren Ward completely flipped that idea of “isolated geniuses” on its head. Definitely worth checking out!

[@TiuBramburel]

I think it`s not bad reading about this in chronological order. I got some books by Ion Banu, 4 volumes of 2000 something pages named ``Greek philosophy before Plato``. It`s a romanian books but maybe something like it exists in english... it`s also old so it`s not printed anymore. I think it`s good chronological because so many writes quote the older ones.

[@PhilosophyWithLilly]

A fellow philosophy channel! Keep on doing the good work.

[@BINSNEWS]

Really liked your video. I will try & read some of these books.

[@davidbockoven161]

It looks like there are already quite a few good alternative recommendations, but I thought I would throw in my two cents into the conversation. In terms of secondary literature (most of the books recommended in the video) related to the continental branch of philosophy, I would recommend David West's Introduction to Continental Philosophy and John McCumber's Time and Philosophy. I would actually recommend that people do try to read more primary texts, however, because when you read secondary texts you're just getting someone else's interpretation, and it's better to try to grapple with the originals more. Might help to start on the smaller scale such as individual essays by Foucault or Derrida. (For Foucault, I like "What Is an Author?"; for Derrida, "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourses of the Human Sciences.") A very meaningful book to me was Delezue and Guattari's Thousand Plateaus. It made a big impact on me. I'm also a big fan of Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno. They also wrote some essay-length pieces that might be somewhat more user-friendly (for Benjamin, "On the Concept of History" and "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"; for Adorno, "Cultural Criticism" and others in the collection Notes on Literature). I also second the recommendation for Stanford's online philosophy encyclopedia.

[@brandonadams3914]

I found Gary Gutting's book "French Philosophy in the 20th Century" quite helpful. Perhaps a good place to go after reading "An Event, Perhaps."

[@jamestiburon443]

Hi. Great to see a true young philosopher. Am a 60 high school teacher, but got the B.A. in philosophy and, once a philosopher, always one, as you will see. Just wanted to pass on 2 books after 45 years of searching that have most helped. 1. When I was young (13) I was constantly wrestling with Atheism /Nihilism until 26 when I discovered Dr. Hans Kung's "DOES GOD EXIST?". Best analysis of atheism. Had I discovered that book earlier, I would have saved much reading. Though I do not agree with any religious dogma, that book started my search of reincarnation. I have come to see only 3 possible truths. 1. There is no God and we are random evolutionary flux on this planet, Our consciousness erased at death. 2. We are created by a higher Being to have 1(ONE) life, and have a judgement placed on that. 3. Take the Eastern approach that we are given life to grow, pay off bad karma, enjoy the blessings of good karma. If you are struggling with Nihilism, as I was, read the Kung book. Most of my anger was at being born to an uneducated single mother in the Bronx in in 1960's. In 1969 my mother, on a date, had a drunken car crash that forced me and my 2 sisters to suddenly leave NY and go to Long Island to a stepmother who resented us. I was an atheist trying to find why I had such a hard life, and my conclusion was Nihilism, and, of course, SARTRE fit perfectly. Studied him deeply. The Kung book helped me understand that you have to make a GUT choice that reality (Life) has a hidden purpose, or is just Chaos. Kung put it as "Trust in Reality", or "No Trust". No thinker, as Kung states, can prove a God exists, or does not exist. Anywhoo, to not bore you, the 2nd most important book I have found is by Dr. Michael Newton, "Journey of Souls". Best description of what I think is the human condition. Those 2 books: Does God Exist, Journey of Souls. My 2 wisest. Hope they help.

[@RoyLovins]

Ban me sooner rather than later please

[@jamestiburon443]

Hope they help. My reading. Good luck

[@Erok9]

Always wanted to try Camus, now I know where I'm starting.

[@Nietzsche_K_Gote]

Start with the stranger

[@neomontag]

As someone who has a PhD in critical theory/philosophy, I’d like to make a few recommendations in the replies to this comment. I prefer to recommend texts by philosophers (“primary texts”) rather than texts about philosophers (“secondary texts”) which this video largely recommends. Also, I mostly recommend essays and short books, not large tomes. That’s largely what separates analytic from continental philosophy anyway, essayist vs logical writing style. On top of that, continentals are more interested in dealing with contemporary problems and not truth in the abstract.

[@neomontag]

First, if you’re interested in what contemporary philosophy can do, here’s two short books that are really fun and easy to read: Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman, and Mythologies, by Roland Barthes. Postman analyzes TV culture and how it’s basically rotting our brains and ruining our politics, and he uses many contemporary ideas to do so. He’s also very compelling and accessible to read. Barthes, especially that first short chapter on wrestling, looks at lots of pop culture and tries to figure out how we deceive ourselves in problematic and yet beautiful ways. These two books can show you how philosophy can deal with contemporary problems, which is an important reason to read philosophy in my opinion. These other recommendations below are very relevant to contemporary problems and philosophy, but are not as much ABOUT current culture as they are about rethinking traditional society and trying to change it. They are all reasonably accessible to read (no Hegel, Heidegger, Adorno, Lacan, or Derrida here), but I’d recommend reading them in the order below. Nietzsche is probably the hardest, but reading it slowly and with a good dictionary on hand will get you through. Most of these are easily accessible for free on the internet. 1. Montaigne, Essays: Don’t read this entire collection. Just pick a few who’s titles pop out at you and you’ll get an idea of what I mean by “essay.” 2. Kant, What is Enlightenment? Absolutely foundational and a super short essay, and the root of a lot of “free speech” ideas today. 3. The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. This doesn’t need any introduction or justification. Doesn’t take long to read either. 4. Mass/Group Psychology and The Analysis of the Ego, Sigmund Freud. Freud was quite easy to read, and this short book or long essay makes a very influential case for irrationality in public behavior. 5. The Public and Its Problems, John Dewey. Dewey is mostly known for his views on education. He is a much better philosopher than an educator IMO, but he’s always been easy to read. This book shows the clear overlaps between contemporary philosophy and politics. Less than 200 pages I believe. 6. On Truth and Lies in a Non-Moral Sense, Friedrich Nietzsche. This is probably the hardest text on this list, but it’s very short (about 10 pages) and he influences basically everyone in continental philosophy from the 20th century to today. He’s often very right and very wrong, but never boring. 7. The Death of the Author, Roland Barthes. Super short and influential, here is where literature overlaps a lot with contemporary thought. 8. The Human Condition, Hannah Arendt. Trained by the most influential (and among the most difficult to read) philosopher in the 20th century, Martin Heidegger, Arendt is wildly more accessible than her teacher. She’s also just brilliant when it comes to thinking about how contemporary society makes us less human. Her bigger book, The Origins of Totalitarianism, is probably the best and most influential book on the subject (and, ya know, fascism). 9. What is an Author? Michel Foucault. Short essay in dialogue with Barthes. Many are afraid to jump into Foucault since he’s very important and intimidating. But if you’ve read the stuff before this, congratulations, you’re ready. His larger books, like Discipline and Punish, are considered “classics” for lack of a better term. The single most cited person in the humanities and social sciences right here for about the last 30 years. 10. The Government of Self and Others, 1st and 2nd lectures, Michel Foucault. This is from Foucault’s lectures, so it’s easier to read than his books. It’s directly in dialogue with Kant and specifically defines what Foucault thinks critical/modern theory is in contrast with analytic and traditional philosophy.

[@huugosorsselsson4122]

Agreed on primary vs. secondary texts, and that's a good list you provided, actually suitable for beginners -- though I wouldn't have included Freud. One recommendation I might make is Benjamin's famous essay on reproduction: despite having some denser sections and tempting the reader with an overly simple interpretation, it is overall relatively reader-friendly. (In any case, I can't imagine it being more difficult than Barthes.)

[@neomontag]

@@huugosorsselsson4122 I think Mythologies is more accessible than Benjamin’s essay (though a good pick nonetheless), but reading difficulty is dependent on people’s background to a large extent. Yeah, I included Freud because either people in critical theory outright steal from him (Lacan, Althusser, Derrida, etc) or they react against him (Foucault especially). He’s also influenced quite a bit by Nietzsche. That plus his transparent writing style makes him essential for a list like this.

[@Altus2001]

Ancient to Modern : Socrates to Sarte - Stumpf & - - - Existentionalism Basic Writings - Guignon and Pereboom

[@ludwigvanderbiltmyers-brig1392]

loving the readings bookmark!

[@mrhandexists20]

The thing is i really wanna get into Nietzsche, partly because his philosophies of will to power have been really enlightening. Any beginner books similar to his?

[@knowbli584]

I first read Beyond Good & Evil and then immediately read Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Also, if your interested, look into philosophers who were influenced by Nietzsche. Examples are Camus, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, even Jung

[@jamestiburon443]

DOES GOD EXIST , by Dr. Hans Kung.

[@jonathanross8882]

Plato the republic is a great place to start, which also is the cornerstone of western philosophy. One of my personal favourites would have to be Thomas Reid. His response to the sceptic who doesn’t think there are such things as external objects is quite comical yet Interesting. He says the sceptic will believe material objects do not exist yet he will avoid running into a pole. Reid is definitely a great read.

[@StopFear]

I don't know whether RC Waldun is reading these comments, but I want to suggest that when there is a last name, or some other exclusively French word that needs to be pronounced it is not a good idea to be pronouncing them the way people in French say it. Since the main presentation is in English language then our hearing is attuned to hearing the sounds that can be heard in English speech. When someone pronounces a French last name or a term using the French guttural "r" it just does not make sense to hear that sound, and most hearers simply won't understand what the word is.

[@thesarangflair3412]

Republic, Meditations, Symposium are the books that changed my perspective on philosophy.

[@arguellescisnerosmovies2442]

Can you do a video why Alain is one of the most important living philosopher of today?

[@RCWaldun]

Sure thing :)

[@mikevanoverbeek]

“When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to fill them with wisdom.” ❤️

[@yakovpetrovich7682]

I appreciate your earnestness. Curiously, though, most of your recommendations for "beginners" contained the description of being "difficult" to read. Hmm? Perhaps recommend books that are "somewhat challenging" for those new to philosophy? Keep up the good work.👍🏽

[@huugosorsselsson4122]

The only reason to recommend Deleuze and Guattari for beginners is because a) you haven't read Deleuze and Guattari, b) you have, but forgot its contents, c) you don't know what 'beginner' means, d) you're showing off. The most charitable interpretation here is b, the second most charitable is c. And yet I suspect d.

[@Mr09Dot]

​@@huugosorsselsson4122 nothing but "facts" fam. Plus, your Adorno quote 🔥

[@eskybakzu712]

@@huugosorsselsson4122 Have you looked at his content? He isn't showing of having read Deleuze ... He's showing of just knowing his name

[@neomontag]

I wrote a list in my comment with accessible, short, primarily text recommendations, and a little explanation for each text. I think that’s what this video should have done.

[@jamestiburon443]

The book that really hooked me was "Irrational Man", by William Barrett Good place to begin if are young and are pissed off as what passes for "Truth" for most people. Do study reincarnation after. Luck.

[@turntablesrockmyworld9315]

If I was to start philosophy now, I might recommend starting on analytic side, so when you read a lot of the continental stuff you can see most of it is jibberish. In general, analytical philosophy is much more rigorous than continental in its writings and approach. Continental stuff is what you see girls who walk around with Starbuck's coffee and pretension read; analytical philosophy is more akin to what a scientist may choose to study. Continental is to faith-healing as analytic is to evidence-based medicine.

[@mahaswa8550]

I will recommend to my student soon.. good introduction

[@Krossceeper1234]

Great video, are you planning on doing a video recommendation for 5 analytic books?

[@BrittanyBWrites]

I might start reading one of these soon-might start with Lovers of Philosophy (since I did take Philosophy once upon a time). Thank you so much for the recommendations!

[@lakshyasingh1527]

Love your videos. You've gained a new subscriber. Thank You!

[@waterunder3718]

DO A DAY IN THE LIFE PLEASE!!!

[@johnfinbarr1160]

It’s over 40 years since I did my degree in philosophy but the very sweet gentlemen that taught me were always plugging Bernard Lonergan’s “Insight » which was a very practical epistemology. I wonder is this taught anymore? Happy days cycling my bicycle on wet mornings going in for my philosophy classes.

[@HoangNguyen-lc4bj]

Thanks for the list! I recently read a book titled "Meandering Sobriety." This is a great book with a collection of 40 stories concerning the philosophy of life and work, a bit humorous and still thought-provoking. Maybe you like it

[@casualstone920]

Thank you for great recommendations. I wonder if there’s a “beginner’s guide” for Kant’s philosophy 😅. What do you think? Is Kant good for beginners?

[@thomaswest4033]

It's possible to do but there's a lot of background work that would be beneficial

[@noahmurray9229]

What recommendations do you have for books that discuss the idea of freedom? Any help would be appreciated.

[@MrjackStar]

Having not actually read Wittgenstein’s Antiphilosophy, but having read Being and Event, my knee jerk reaction to see a Badiou book in the beginner list cracked me up. Will have to check out Wittgensteins Antiphilosophy!

[@nai6703]

What I want to know is why and how philosophy. Why do we as humans find it so interesting, yet so tough to grasp. And how did we get to so many different types of philosophy. There's a lot of history behind it and I would love to understand this whole concept much better. But thank you for the video!

[@kuensedn1529]

1. At the Existentialist Cafe, Sarah Bakewell 2. An Event Perhaps, Peter Salmon 3. What is Philosophy, Félix Guattari and Gilles Deleuze Gonna go buy these books soon! ^_^ I'm currently reading a book by Dolores Canon - Hidden Sacred Knowledge. So much of the things in this book I am able to correlate with Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy!

[@AskAScreenwriter]

Have you read Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder? I know it's more of a novel, but was wondering what you thought of it, if you've read it.

[@sylviaowega3839]

I actually never winded up reading it. I started with the pre-Socratics, then onto Socrates and Plato and Aristotle

[@jordantsimopoulos2233]

Thanks for the recommendations! Always wanted to get into philosophy but never know where to start or what to start with. Love your content ❤️

[@invisibleleader896]

For beginners, I would recommend reading "A primer of philosophy" by A.S.Rappopert. A great guide to learn more about the history of philosophy, to adress misconceptions while answering our most asked questions about life .

[@RobertLarsonjr]

Nice video thank. You could change the word choice "answers" to "ideas" in this video

[@nicholasrandazzo3510]

I know that some philosophy majors have already spoken on some books that they have enjoyed but I want to issue a word of warning: I believe that you shouldn't just learn philosophy broadly. I think that instead, you should order your studies from perspectives on epistemology then perspectives on metaphysics/ontology, then perspectives on ethics. That ordering is important because you should be able to understand how we make sense of the world, which leads you into understanding actual facts about the world itself, and lastly how those facts affect what we ought to do.

[@thomaswest4033]

What about metaphysics?

[@vasugupta7519]

Which book would you refer to a newbie in order get used to understand common philosophical terms like metaphysics etc.

[@robertfranklin8704]

Try, The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James. The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley, and The Abolition of Man, by C S Lewis. Lastly, F Copleston, The History of Philosophy.

[@skatefastreadmarx5564]

Just a point: Im pretty sure the general idea of who wrote "What is Philosophy" is that it was written by Deleuze, but still had the "Deleuze-Guattari mind-meld" from Capitalism and Schizophrenia.

[@himalayan3716]

Bro have considered wearing a watch .. I think it ll make a statement to your already unique and impressive style..

[@RCWaldun]

I know what to get for Christmas now. 👌🏻

[@glogang4445]

If you could put a number on it, or a range, how many books have you read your entire life, I’m curious because you’re practically a wordsmith and I admire that!

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

I really am interested in learning philosophy. My issue is just I can’t get through reading the books. It’s not about me thinking they’re boring or whatever because I’m actually interested in learning philosophy and it’s something I wanna dive more into. It’s just the books don’t keep my interest and then I stopped reading. Do any of you guys have any a little bit of a short a book recommendation that can get me hooked on philosophy with and longer books just become more second nature for me to read rather than like a boring thing. I recently just discovered myself being interested in philosophy two weeks ago and I’ve tried to read about three different books that were all recommended for beginners. If anybody takes it is rude or offensive I really apologize I’m trying to add this in the nicest way possible but I really want to dive into philosophy more and I think a great way for me to do that in the books thank you guys so much I hope I can find a good book

[@PoemsAreHistory]

Plato is great! Each of his “books” is really just a dialogue between characters. They’re stories. The symposium is a great start, 20 pages long. Find a translation that’s easy for you. And enjoy :) it’s about answering: What is love?

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

@@PoemsAreHistory you hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much. I like how you mentioned one that was short as well so it wouldn’t be that long and I’d be able to dive into philosophy you know fairly quickly if you know what I’m saying anyway thank you so much again happy holidays

[@leonas9843]

don't expect an indefinite answer for your questions in philosophy.

[@lillysummeroriginals1213]

@@leonas9843 I appreciate you letting me know that before I start reading philosophy and get super confused. Thanks

[@adeola1919]

@@PoemsAreHistory which book do you recommend of his that is ethics philosophy

[@yawnathanlin7080]

Would recommend “Philosophy in the present” by Badiou and Zizek to beginners

[@etcetera3282]

Just reading through the comments, one immediately realizes the quality of minds of the people who follow this channel. Indeed it's true that like attracts like! But I've nothing much to contribute...just surfing through your comments, ladies and gentlemen.

[@amnnahalbeeju5768]

Thank you for this information💜

[@JamesJoyce12]

You should always start with the Primary Literature and then work outward - staring with someone's interpretation of a primary source is like going immediately to Wikipedia for your essay. Amazon has a great collection of Plato for $10-Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo. An excellent intro to many of the themes that still dominate modern philosophy.

[@bluessoul1286]

What do you think Aristotle and Ayn Rand?

[@SomethingToThinkAboutwithWJ]

Hello, Robin. Long time. How's tricks? Are you in a program? Me, I'm finding myself, fixing cars, writing non-fiction. We should catch up.

[@johnruplinger3133]

Plato....... short dialogues are a good start (Pangle has a translation of them). Of course, the Apology is less dialogue than others, and is an easy start. It's all in Plato, already. Alcibiades I used to be a starter. ...But a good teacher is necessary imo. Two other books: "Leisure, the Basis of Culture and the Philosophic Act" by Pieper or better perhaps Jacob Klein's "Lectures and Essays" are an excellent beginning.

[@vbvb8450]

Amazing content! Thank you!

[@MuhammadAlEmran]

Hello! I seen your video first time. I hobe your recommended book will be very great.

[@TheKilljoke]

st augustine? chesterton? plato? Aristotle?

[@tristanbellair4068]

Verry goog job ! I also recomande to derectly read greats or famous philosopher. - Platon, Le banquet - Epictete : Le Manuel - Sénèque : Letters - Sartre : existentialisme is humanisme - Bergson : The soul and the body - Camus : The myth of sisyphus - Desacrtes : First meditation - I know I put a lot of french philosopher but i'm french so ^^' :) Good Luck ! !

[@ageofjeremy]

I think some of the books that got me going were the History of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell and Philosophy 101 text book would do good. From those you get a good basis, and then can decided to read the ones that interest you. Just my 17 cents (2 cents has gotten out of hand with inflation)

[@MadnessDrumProject]

Great video, great list.

[@Seal-hs5il]

Although not a book as such, I think Marx's thesis on Feuerbach is worth a mention. It sets the foundation for the Philosophy of Praxis and inspired humanist Western Marxism and thinkers such as Lukacs, Korsch Marcuse and the Frankfurt School.

[@ozzymandias8265]

This is a very interesting video, thank you for making this. I wasn't aware of some of these books. Although, as someone currently studying philosophy, I do kind of disagree with how you characterize parts of the history of philosophy. The analytic-continental divide, from my experience, seems to be sustained mostly through institutional hostility these days and not primarily through philosophical differences, and the divide gets fuzzier when you look at its roots. For instance, the logical positivists, who you mentioned as being influenced by Wittgenstein, and who were precursors to analytic philosophy, were close readers of Nietzsche (for odd, interesting reasons), which conflicts with the common view that Nietzsche is a firmly continental philosopher. Similarly, Deleuze (very continental) was a reader of Anglo-American philosophy (aka analytic philosophy) and some of his books explicitly respond to work by Frege and Russell (both very analytic). Also, I have a big personal gripe with the way "postmodern philosophy" is often talked about because the term "postmodernism" and the grouping of those philosophers together was something done to them by other people (including people who really didn't like them), and it can lead to the easy misunderstanding that they had a common project or doctrine, which is definitely not the case. Probably the two most famous "postmodernists", Derrida and Foucault, consistently disagreed and criticized each other throughout their careers on basic, foundational things because while Foucault was greatly influenced by Nietzsche and French philosophy of science, Derrida was (in his own words) a "strict phenomenologist" and was influenced significantly by Husserl and Heidegger. All that being said, this simply shows that the history of philosophy is tangled and difficult and it doesn't fit nicely into boxes due to it only being reconstructed and canonized in retrospect, which, ultimately, can make working through it more fun and fruitful. Again: great video. Thank you so much for making it, and thank you especially for the Deleuze and Guattari recommendation.

[@huugosorsselsson4122]

In addition to what you mentioned, there are of course many further examples of continental thinkers referring to figures in the analytic tradition: Heidegger refers to Wittgenstein's Tractatus in his last texts; Blanchot also refers to Wittgenstein; Derrida briefly acknowledges Peirce's semiotics in 'Of Grammatology'. Zizek uses Kripke's notion of a rigid designator in 'Sublime Object of Ideology'. And then there is of course Derrida on Austin. Also, e.g., Badiou in 'Being and Event': "with analytic philosophy, we will maintain that the mathematical and logical revolution of Frege-Cantor establishes new orientations to thought." Still, I don't think logical positivists reading Nietzsche conflicts with the established view of the latter. And against the thrust of your argument, many of the examples of acknowledgement we have are hostile and dismissive in nature: the Derrida-Searle debate is one (in)famous example, Carnap's dismissal of Heidegger's "das Nichts nichtet" another. Heidegger's reference to Wittgenstein is dismissive. Also, didn't Deleuze explicitly criticize the analytic tradition while elevating Whitehead as the positive exception? It seems to me that we largely have somewhat lesser-known figures -- commentators, researchers, etc. -- to thank for attempts to properly engage with both traditions and/or bring them closer together. Ray Brassier is a good contemporary example, and then there's the exegetic tradition of reading Heidegger through a pragmatist lens, starting from Hubert Dreyfus. (A tradition that I find largely misleading btw.)

[@rivierjojo]

Do you have goodreads? I'd love to add you!

[@leonardgoffe7159]

Hi, can you list down all the books so I could find them on amazon or another *used) book store site?

[@bunbun7242]

I think Cicero is a good start to.

[@sylviaowega3839]

I find it interesting his so many people find philosophy so difficult, because it came so natural to me. I even winded up getting a B+ on my philosophy courses, albeit I skipped philosophy 100.

[@thomaswest4033]

It depends on the class

[@afrosamourai400]

Are you telling me heidegger or hegel are easy? Wtf?

[@philipshapiro4587]

Why is Logical Positivism "a dead movement"?

[@agucci]

I love philosophy books, but I am very very good at philosophy. I'm not a beginner at all.

[@fuzzydunlop4513]

agreed. Being and Nothingness and Ecrties are a great introductory point

[@joaquinarribas8702]

What camera do you use to record?

[@StrudleCutie227]

what do you guys think about seneca?