The First 5 Philosophy Books You Should Read

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If you want to get started with philosophy, read these five books. This is a nice survey, including ethics, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and political philosophy. Philosophers mentioned include Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Elisabeth of Bohemia, Thomas Nagel, and Elizabeth Anderson.
The video that convinced me to add Elisabeth of Bohemia: • The first 7 philosophy...
I hope you enjoy!
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[@_jared]

Learn more than ever from important non-fiction books at shortform.com/jared and receive 5-days of unlimited access and an additional 25% discount on the annual subscription.

[@ayoolukoga9829]

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. Acts 17:18

[@user-bp7xm8kn8t]

May I offer a suggestion for those of us wanting to learn philosophy but are struggling a bit. Offer a video walk through of one of the beginner works you recommended. Show how to approach it, how to form good questions and whatever else might help a beginner. Mention a piece and give it a few weeks or so for people to read it and then do the walk through. That would be super helpful. Thank you for all your work. I enjoy your channel.

[@cat_pb]

this is a great suggestion~

[@chillnacho]

As a beginner, I wanted to suggest this same thing. I'm glad to see it was the top comment.

[@bakait3414]

That’s exactly what I want to watch. Thanks for articulating it for me.

[@jujijiju6929]

Great idea!

[@Justaummatii]

💯

[@brunokrzyzowski1959]

Jared going 1900 years forward from Plato and Aristotle to Descartes: *Doesn't address it* Jared going 350 years forward from Descartes to Nagel: "We're going quite forward in history at this point"

[@_jared]

I didn’t catch this - but this comment made me laugh. That’s what I get for improvising instead of checking my script!

[@cthoadmin7458]

We may have gone forward in history, and philosophy might have developed over that period, human understanding has advanced greatly, but are we still any closer to answering or even understanding the questions asked by Plato?

[@drarsen33]

I think that people have several layers when it comes to understanding history. First, the most instinctive one is dichotomy modern vs historical. Modern, in this sense, extends as far in the past as person in question finds world to be similar to world that he grew up in. Instinctually, for us WW1 is almost ancient happening and to extent even WW2 is something from "ages past". I remember that I was shocked in early 2000ies to see interview with very old man who remembered first Balkan War and final expulsion of Turks from Serbia - for me, on certain level, it was basically ancient history but in reality it wasn't even one full lifetime. So, our first reaction is to make clearer distinction between modern and historic than between various degrees of historic.

[@trbrtk]

The books: - Plato: Five Dialogues. Emphasis on Euthyprho for its dilemma on whether something is good because the gods approve of it or do the gods approve of it becayse it is good. It's a good example of the difficulty of defining definitions and the Soceatic method for teaching. - Nichomachaen Ethics. How to be a good person, how to measure actions by goals rather than causes and consequences (teleology) and virtue (courage). - Descartes Meditations of First Philosophy. What can we know and what is knowing (epistemology)? Cartesian Dualism, the mind is separate from the body. Letter from Elizabeth of Bavaria on the link between mind and body. - Thomas Nagel - Mortal Questions. The Absurb, why does life feel Absurb and what to do about it? What is it Like to Be a Bat, phenomenonology, philosophy of mind. - Elizabeth Anderson - Private Government. Ethics of employee/employer relations. Overview of political philosophy towards work. Contains extended replies to objections.

[@robertoinzunzamorales1844]

For me Aristotle "On the soul" is the best book to begin with this philosopher

[@cheese.strings.for.breakfast]

thanks for the comment!

[@cheese.strings.for.breakfast]

@@robertoinzunzamorales1844why is that?

[@blandingscastle3729]

The last two are not classics.

[@danielaterra3271]

In Uruguay, philosophy is taught in high school as a mandatory subject. I myself am a philosophy teacher and I teach almost all the books that you show to teenagers from 15 to 18 years old. It's a great list for beginners

[@Andreas10012]

Philosophy seems to me as the one subject that has had the most impact on how i view and understand the world. Everyone should learn some philosophy

[@kstoeb]

I know virtually nothing about Uruguay. But every time I hear something about your country, I like it 😊 Greetings from Germany

[@lucasBarjas]

americans don't learn philosophy in high school?

[@danielaterra3271]

@@lucasBarjas I don't know. My only references about that are movies and series and it seems philosophy Is only taught in college

[@dianem.6118]

@@lucasBarjas no :/ its not even required in college

[@DannySabraArt]

Having never read a philosophy text I read Euthyphro on a whim earlier this year and it blew my mind and I was constantly mulling over the dialogue and thinking it over ever since. Very fascinating and fun. I’ve since added the Aristotle and Descartes to my tbr for this year in addition to the other four dialogues.

[@jamesbalentine8490]

Thank you, Jared. A well-done essay! I feel inspired to read these books after watching it.

[@HamsterHahaha]

Thank you greatly for your work. I'm a new student of philosophy, and your first two titles were marked already as my starting place. I appreciate giving me spots to land afterwards.

[@dkhosh7380]

Thank you for another revision of this topic

[@tompribyl2884]

I am new to read philosophy and so glad that I chanced upon this video today. It is inspiring me to begin a transformative learning journey. Thank you so much.

[@milmillington1709]

Hi Jared, i had a tiny dib in philophopy when I had to study for IB Diploma. I came across Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder - I love how modern imaginary and combining these complicated school of thoughts and seeing it in fun ways. It's like Alice in Wonderland of Philosophy World. It's creative nonfiction (?). Its might came across as a juvenile read for those who consider themselves as a scholar, but the approach to a difficult subject is very interesting. And sometimes, reading a fun subject matter without realising that you've briefly dived into the world pf philosophy albeit it's only on the surface level.

[@nerd26373]

Amazing content as always. We will always support you and your channel.

[@charliegarza228]

This is perfect, thank you 🙏

[@melanieannplans2666]

Jared, thank you SO MUCH for putting this list together! I appreciate that you've taken what seem to be "big topics" and explained them in a way that non-philosophy students can understand. I'm definitely going to invest in these texts to see what I can take away from them. The most exposure I've ever had to philosophy as an undergrad was a Philosophy of Film class that I took, and I remember Nietzsche's works were alluded to quite often. Do you have any recommendations for 'simple' works of his we can look into as well?

[@brettcody76]

Excellent video, brother!

[@7nortonable]

Senaca letters from a stoic is a great introduction and easily digestible, certainly got me into the subject. Thankyou for the recommendations for further reading.

[@beckyalcorn9753]

This exactly what I have been looking for. Your video made it more approachable and less intimidating to get started. Thank you!

[@coleonlinebusiness586]

I found your videos through the interview Parker Setecase did on KZbin. I wanted to give him a shout out because of bringing your channel to my attention, and this video in particular.

[@starfish.426]

hey jared. I know it’s kinda difficult but it would be a great idea if you do a series on some famous philosophers like Descartes or Heidegger and Kant and discuss their philosophy.

[@ohhhSmooth]

I am studying philosophy. And I did not expect that I actually read at least parts of every mentioned book, which is super uplifting! Thank you. (Private government being the exception)

[@DejanOfRadic]

Excellent presentation.

[@Sung-ho9]

Thank you, sir!

[@troopernate8046]

This was interesting. Thank you.

[@ReynaSingh]

Great channel. Keep it up

[@JoelNeild]

Fantastic. I have not read anything by Elizabeth Anderson yet and I have not read Nagel's essay on the absurd. What is it like to be a bat was a philosophical grounding for things I've thought about for a long time. I took as many courses about philosophy of mind as I could. Thanks for the video & book recommendations.

[@penggunasepertinyatidakdik4374]

- The Republic by Plato - Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - The Analects by Confusius - The Harmony beetween Religion and Philosophy by Ibn Rushd

[@hollieshuler8024]

Thank-you Jared. I am beginning to make a reading list for myself for next year. I want to include reading philosophy, and these suggestions will help me know a good starting point.

[@resteric230]

i would advise you to not start with these works, these recommendations are really bad for people who are interested in the actual philosophy and not just the history of philosophy. You will not be able to engage in any discussion on ethics after having read Aristoteles book on it. Same goes for the rest.... only exceptions is nagel since hes contemporary. If you have specific domains of philosophy youre interested in, i can give you recommendations relevant to current discourse .

[@crypto_yes]

I read Think by Simon Blackburn based on one of your other videos to see how much I enjoyed philosophy. It was a great suggestion! Been enjoying the Great courses dive into metaphysics for my 2nd round of study. Wish I’d started years ago, I really enjoy the effort to comprehend & explore philosophy. I’d felt that way about mathematics before… can’t believe I didn’t know this existed.

[@user-ue3rx6xs6o]

좋은 내용 감사합니다.❤

[@maristarwars]

this video has to be on my top fav of your chanel! ☺Great insights. Can we say that the history of philosophy, is one giant dialogue illustrative of the socratic method??

[@pirfaisal7156]

Just downloaded all the books from Libgen. Great platform for beginners of philosophy. Sir 💚

[@kurtsalm2155]

Long ago, I took an introductory philosphy course as an elective. I was completely underwhelmed and unimpressed. Some of that was my lack of intellectual maturity at the time. If I had your guidance at the time, I'm sure my outlook would be entirely different. Thanks for a great video!

[@tamascs3010]

Thanks. Very interesting.

[@matteoenricocattaneo]

Said that your channel is amazing, and I like a lot your content and how you speak to the audience, I'm wondering (maybe I missed it) if you could do a video about Eastern philosophy. I was recently reading Taking Back Philosophy by Van Norden and he is saying that in our Western university, we study the "history of philosophy" but in the end is just Western philosophy we read most in our universities.

[@WisdomisPower-10inminute-dn5no]

Your video's quality and creativity are beyond what I've managed to achieve.

[@nnzrmn]

Good video!

[@deanodog3667]

Incomprehensible answers to insoluble questions!

[@DragonFlame135]

I just graduated high school and will be attending college in the fall. Currently I plan on majoring in Physics, but I am considering a minor in Philosophy and Religion. I read and wrote a paper (just a book review nothing fancy) on the Art of War as my english final and am currently reading The prince, but besides that have no experience in philosophy. I find the whole idea of better understanding how we obtain information, and the ethic application of innovation both fascinating and important to consider as a person in science, and was wondering if anyone who feels to be in a similar situation has any tips or help in finding a start in this field. Advice such as what books to read, how to take notes, and even just explaining your own personal experiences is welcome and appreciated.

[@deadlocktin7293]

I wish I saw this specific video when I started reading philosophy during my undergrad days. Instead i had the naive thought of reading some of the tougher works without understanding the mere basics of philosophical ideas. I still remember reading The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus and being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of symbolism and metaphors in every sentence, it was a lot to unpack and I’m surprised I made it halfway though the book before giving up. I find it funny that I was so content and determined to understand this book on absurdity and then giving up, would that prove the core belief system Camus was trying to convey?

[@goodmorningu.s.a3595]

Man really updates his list after I already bought from the other ones

[@artofmusic303]

Sometimes what one really wants is not philosophy per se, but wisdom. The two overlap but are not necessarily the same. My daily wisdom guides are: Dhammapada - sayings of Buddha De Oficiis by Cicero Roman stoics - take your pick - Seneca's Letters to Lucilius, Epictetus's Enchiridion, or Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. In addition, Montaigne's Essays are remarkable for their wide-ranging thought and cultural observations, written at a time when Europe was just starting to open its eyes to the wider world. If you want to get straight to a particular philosophical idea without having to wade through the original texts, I recommend Russell's History of Western Philosophy. Readable, comprehensive, and gives some historical perspective as well.

[@auggiemarsh8682]

Say Jared! Excellent recommendations. I’m curious. Would you care to explicate a bit on your process in choosing the five? Was it challenging or easy or in between?

[@teckyify]

Good selection. I'd also probably put something from the British enlightenment on the list. Theory of moral sentiment, for example.

[@conforzo]

The socratic method is the Dialectic. It's the best method for reason, and it goes to being extremely abstract in Hegel.

[@danielroberts1012]

I think Peter Kreeft’s Shorter Summa is a good intro to medieval philosophy

[@PrimeTimePaulyRat]

I would also recommend The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, which reads more like a novel, and I recommend reading the rest of the books that lead up to the death of Socrates (Apology, Crito, and Phaedo). Interestingly enough, both men (Boethius and Socrates) are unjustly sentenced to death.

[@domingo-osabel]

I have been waiting for this content for so long. Thank you for these book recommendations. In 2024, I will fill my TBR bucket list with philosophy and psychology books. May I quickly ask, in reading philosophical books, would you recommend reading a summary of philosophers' works in one book rather than their books? For example, reading Bertrand Russel's A History Of Western Philosophy instead of reading individual books by Plato, Aristole, and others?

[@_jared]

I would recommend sticking with primary texts. This allows you to better develop your thinking and reading skills.

[@eskybakzu712]

No point in studying philosophy if you don't plan on reading philosophy. But alas, you will find a history of philosophy on every philosophy major's bookshelf. Get one if you want to initially connect superficial dots, but please not Russell's: he was a notorious analytical philosopher and I doubt he ever read a single page out of Nietzsche or Marx. Not to mention it is too old.

[@samuelstephens6904]

A general history of philosophy book is a good introduction to the field, but you will probably want to read primary texts and/or academic textbooks afterwards. Russell’s history is fine. Russell was a great philosophy and writer (he didn’t win the Nobel Prize in literature for nothing), but he had axes to grind and wasn’t always accurate about what historical philosophers thought. A. C. Grayling’s _The History of Philosophy_ is a good choice. It’s more recent, less biased, and has sections on Indian and Chinese philosophy, albeit brief.

[@1polonium210]

I think "The Myth of Sisyphus" is a good starting point from which to address many of the problems of modern philosophy, especially questions related to one's existence. There is nothing like questioning your "raison d'être" to make you wonder why you choose to be who you are. Life sucks, and if you are unprepared to question how and why it sucks, you'll never be anything other than a miserable failure.

[@vampgee8006]

I’ve been looking around for something to download onto my kindle as an introduction and I’ve started with this after seeing this comment, thanks for the recommendation!

[@kevinobrien5293]

Ha!

[@atheistsince1210]

1) Machiavelli - The Prince 2) David Hume - Dialogues on Natural Religion 3) Aristotle- Politics 4) Henry David Thoreau - Walden and 5) Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged

[@ma93haj]

Thanks so much for this video Jared! Could you suggest which versions/translations of the books you recommend (and which maybe should be avoided, especially by beginners)? From my brief google research it seems - Grube/Cooper translation of 5 dialogues might be best to start with, while Jowett's might be good as a next step, when someone already know's a bit more what they are doing. Would you agree? - not sure about "Nicomachean Ethics" - what you're showing in your video is by Robert C. Bartlett and Susan D. Collins, but you mention the difficult prose. On Amazon I've found a few more (e.g. 2 by Chase (one has 247 pages, the other 400); by Irwin (which supposedly offers "more aids to the reader than are found in any modern English translation" etc.)). - other titles - haven't investigated that far ahead yet. Would love to get your take on what might be better or worse (in your opinion).

[@ideasmatterpod]

Ordinarily I don't have much time for philosophy youtube channels, but this was very good.

[@stephenpowstinger733]

Years ago, I was a philosophy major. I started with Ayn Rand, who is not even highly regarded in academia. Anyway, I continue to delve into philosophy, even if I never seem to get to the bottom of it. Thomas Nagel sounds like a good read.

[@dandelves]

For those not wanting to study Philosophy at a University I would suggest Susan Stebbing- Thinking to Some Purpose followed by A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. After that, just pick up that which interests you.

[@user-vs9sd9vj1o]

Excellent 👏

[@klegios]

i highly recommend Being you form Anil Seth if anyone is interest in the philosopy of mind, just finished and i found it fascinating

[@nicojara1]

I would include"Problems in Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell too

[@AndNowIJustSitInSilence]

I studied Philosophy for 3 years 17 years ago (wow I'm old) and all I can remember is the text by Thomas Nagel about How it is like to be a bat. I actually use this reference now in my archaeological papers ;)

[@jwylde2]

I really like Plato and have given copies of some dialogs to friends but they, for whatever reason, started reading them but didn't enjoy them. Euthyprho was different. It seems to be much more available to people who have never read Plato.

[@dhruvpatki2169]

I was exposed to Plato’s Republic in my English Honors class. Since then I’ve gone down quite the rabbit hole, and my current read is Dostoevsky ‘crime and punishment’ (I’m 16 btw)

[@uwumommy323]

Yeah that’s pretty good for someone like you. I was reading Dostoyevsky when I was around 13( around there). I really had to dive into the Brothers Karamoz. I remeber when I got home from middle school I HAD to reread the grand insquisitor multiple times I just thought it was so profund. I recommend Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling. I remember reading about Abrahams dilemma in Hyperion by Dan Simmons when I was twelve quit vividily. I even wrote it out in my journal what I thought about it, and it led me to engage in Kierkegaard’s fear and trembling (pretty easy read for me but you might want to start with some easier stuff like The Myth of Sisyphus). Overall quite an impressive reading list Dhruvith! Not as good as me but you know, I’m quite smart.

[@threeblindchickens]

@@uwumommy323 are you trolling?

[@ellebi2]

Jared how about a philosophy book club? I’m looking for one and you would be perfect for it

[@dakotadalton2536]

A couple more contemporary essays that are accessible (and perhaps even interesting) for ordinary people: “Philosophy of games” by C. Thi Nguyen is an approachable modern essay that’s a great read if you have any interest in whether games are art, if so how, etc etc. “Burnout society” by Byung Chul Han is a bit longer but still a good read for those who’d like a take on our current condition.

[@josephbarrett9563]

I can report from my own experience that getting much out of the great philosophers requires good instructors, which requires a lot of luck these days, and classroom discussion. And staying with it for years. With the Greeks and later philosophy was a way of life. The examined life. Someone said that.

[@Merione]

Question: with beginners in mind, what do you feel about starting not by studying philosophy itself, but history of philosophy? That's the approach that I followed back in the day at school: our teacher would very rarely let us read full philosophy books, but rather gave us a more or less broad view of the historical context in which different ideas were developed, in chronological order. Only then we would start reading books or passages by philosophers. In my experience, this approach worked very well in creating the general framework that you need in order to put all the different subjects and topics in their place and to appreciate connections the between them. It also makes the books themselves easier to understand because you can contextualize the ideas in their own time and place and avoid the mistake of reading your own meanings into them that were never intended by the authors. What do you think?

[@cthoadmin7458]

That's probably is the best overall strategy, given the history of philosophy is the study of philosophy itself, or how philosophical ideas developed over time. I think what Jarad's trying to do is give us tasters, to whet our appetites, spark our interest, and encourage us to go deeper. But I think you are right. I dived straight into Karl Popper because I have a particular interest in the philosophy of science, and what divides science from non-science. I'm struggling, it's heavy going because I don't have an understanding of many of the basic philosophical concepts that drove the scientific revolution, and how they arose. Maybe beginning at the beginning would have been better.

[@framestomind7548]

what books to read for adults! books for middle-age people with university backgrounds? May we ask you for a list when you as an adult got a basic knowledge from your years in university and in life itself in understanding life, but want to be challenged and deepen this hobby now... thanks! :)

[@thebarefootyeti912]

I found it much easier to start at pre-Socratics and work forward. These folks in the earlier times wonder just as much as you going in new, so it makes better sense. Moreover, it forms a timeline and you can get a gist of what changed and why - making a very expansive topic mor linear. Second tip; audiobooks are great way to absorb the information. The eureka moments come to you!

[@vjhardy100]

@thebarefootyeti912 can you name a few Book then? Never read a philosophy book

[@thebarefootyeti912]

@@vjhardy100 It's a hobby for me, not a profession. However, the podcast "History of Philosophy without any gaps" is an easy free way to dip a toe in the pool.

[@thetriumphofthethrill2457]

Will Durant - "The Story of Philosophy" Satishchandra Chaterjee, Dhirendramohan Datta - "An Introduction to Indian Philosophy" Philip J. Ivanhoe, Bryan W. Van Norden - "Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy" (3rd Edition) Happy reading. :-)

[@rproductions7346]

My start was kinda messy, I got into phylosophy with Love, Women and Death by Arthur Schopenhauer abd the Anti-Christ by Nietzsche. Now, after three years I've read many philosophers and I am still in love with the existentialists. I am making a career as a philosopher and about to publish and I can say that, thugh I've read the classics, I cherish my existential formation and I still have in great place also Sartre and Camus and I try to use that acidness to teach a rough optimism in realism.

[@myrawells5691]

I like Camus,too. Very endearing. Can’t help it. Your introduction to the subject via Schopenhauer and that suprademon poet know it all Nietzsche is hilarious! Oh man…what a swim for beginners…just wanted to say I appreciate that comment very much. You began with the blessings of curmudgeons; congratulations!

[@vKarl71]

My suggestion for a beginning reader of philosophy would be "Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks" by Nietzsche. It's short and it's full of Nietzsche's poetic enthusiasm for the explorations of the pre-Socratics, who, after all, got Greek philosophy started. Very non-academic & inspiring.

[@67daltonknox]

Where to start? Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy.

[@robertgerrity878]

See Morrison article, Animism , on Cartesian straight-jacket re perception.

[@WhiteArgus]

Howdy, Jared! Do you have any strong opinions on the Hackett publishing of the Nicomachean Ethics (tr. Terence Irwin) vs. the Chicago Press publishing (tr. Robert Bartlett & Susan Collins)? I happened upon a copy of the Hackett for very cheap but would be able to grab the Chicago Press very easily as well if it's a better edition/translation. I know in the past you have advocated for specific translations of certain works (such as Plato's Complete Works) and wanted to see if the Ethics was one such work.

[@_jared]

I haven't read the Hackett. I assume it is good, and it may even be great. I just have the most experience with the Chicago edition and so I recommend it in videos.

[@WhiteArgus]

@@_jared Thanks for weighing in! I very recently finished both Think and The Problems of Philosophy and am about to start diving into these foundational primary texts. Your work has sparked an interest in philosophy that I wasn't expecting to find at this point in my life, so thank you!

[@philipswain4122]

I first read The Republic but then deviated into The Bhagavad Gita then The Upanishads. After this Epicurus and Lucretius. These all resonated with me. I’m at a crossroads now. Do I read Aristotle and then delve into the Stoics? I know this seems a bit fractured, but so far it’s worked well for me

[@KizetteandTotoro]

I just wanted to see if I agreed with you. (3 out of five,) Btw, don’t they teach philosophy at secondary school in the US? At least the basics?

[@godfreycarmichael]

I am a Cartesian Newtonian and proud of it.

[@lucasBarjas]

i think the Organon is the first collection of books one should read from Aristotle. i didn't read Neomachian Ethics yet but i can't picture how a book about ethics should come before a books about the intelectual tools you need in order to understand anything. wouldn't you be better off reading Neomachian Ethics only after you get a grasp on Aristotle's logic?

[@alwaysgreatusa223]

Number One is an excellent choice, but Apology is the most important of the five dialogues in that group because it is an attempt by the 'Hero of Philosophy' -- namely, Socrates -- to justify the entire practice of philosophy while defending himself against the false accusations of those who oppose philosophical investigation. It is not just Socrates that is on trial, it is philosophy itself ! Of course, 'Euthyphro' also clarifies the practice of philosophy and shows why it is important, so I would put it second only to Apology. Number Two is not the best choice for beginning students. Aristotle comes off as being very dry. Even while much of what he says has practical merit, his prose is likely to discourage the reader who is just starting to develop an appetite for philosophy. Instead, I would recommend Clifford's 'Ethics of Belief'. This is because, like Plato, Clifford uses entertaining imagery to make his points -- the miserly ship-owner who sent his ship and its doomed passengers to the bottom of the sea with a clear conscience, for example. Thus, like Plato, Clifford is an easy read. More importantly, however, he picks up on the theme of justifying rational investigation-- and gives the moral justification for why we must always seek-out the fundamental causes of things and ultimate grounds for our beliefs, and thereby attempt to make them as rational and evidence-based as possible. In this way, I believe, Clifford is actually clarifying to a large extent what Socrates was all about with his constant questioning and continually awakening us from our dogmatic slumbers, like some intellectual gadfly. Number Three is another excellent choice. For it also picks-up on the theme of rational investigation as a means for discovering certain truth -- something that both Socrates and Clifford were both about in their own philosophical investigations. Descartes' twist is that he employs our skeptical ability to doubt in order to reach an ultimate point in which our doubt is logically absurd, and thereby attaining a certain truth that cannot logically be doubted. Of course, the reader himself must be the final judge and jury of whether or not Descartes actually achieves the certain knowledge that he seeks. But, again, Descartes' 'Meditations' are an entertaining and easy read, and it further helps to clarify the practice of philosophical investigation for a beginning student. What do philosophers do ? They reason in order to discover certainty and truth -- thereby opposing both dogmatism and skepticism alike. (Btw, a reply to Princess Elizabeth: How does a cause bring about its effect ? How does one material object bring into existence another material object ? Soon, you will have to bring into the picture something immaterial -- something that itself cannot be seen, heard, touched, tasted, or smelled -- like a law of nature, or a habit of mind.) Number Four is a good choice. Nagel is a straight-forward writer and philosopher, and so is relatively easy to follow. Some alternatives, however, are Russell's 'The Problems of Philosophy' and/or James' 'Will to Believe'. Russell clarifies the problems that concerned Descartes in his attempt to overcome skepticism and establish certain knowledge. James, on the other hand, argues against both Clifford and Descartes for taking an overly rationalistic stance, and in arguing that at some point it is simply necessary to adopt a pragmatic kind of faith and empirical mind-set over a completely rationalistic accounting of all the facts based on some a'priori principles. Together, James and Russell present an empirical and pragmatic view of philosophy opposed to the Rationalism of Descartes, Clifford, and Plato. The student might also consider reading Locke and Hume to get the same flavor of empirical philosophy at this point. Number Five is probably good. Haven't read it myself, but it sounds good. However, at this point, I would ask the beginning to student to question the value of philosophy himself from a philosophical perspective. This might sound strange, but there are actually philosophers who have questioned the value of philosophy itself. To some extent, this criticism of philosophy by philosophers already comes out in the empiricist thinkers -- Locke, Hume, James, Russell. They are obviously not altogether against philosophy, only an overly rationalistic methodology in philosophy. But already an undercurrent to rational philosophy -- e.g., Plato, Descartes, Clifford -- is present in their writings. More radical attacks on philosophy are Rousseau's 'Discourse on the Arts and Sciences', Nietzsche's 'Beyond Good and Evil', and Wittgenstein's 'Philosophical Investigations'. Again, these men are philosophers themselves, and so they do not reject philosophy wholesale, but they certainly do a good job of degrading it in status and importance in the real affairs of life. A student interested in spending hours reading philosophy might want to consider some perspectives that appear to degrade the value of such a time-consuming activity.

[@flavius_pisapia_sculpture]

The Philosophy of Freedom by Rudolf Steiner is the most pertinent philosophy for our age.

[@bianchialex]

What do you think about doing a master degree in philosophy for fun? For someone with disposable income and time, like a early 20’s software engineer. Someone not worrying about an ROI just wants a rigorous education and the opportunity to write grades essays.

[@_jared]

If you have the money and time, it can be very good. I just wouldn’t recommend going into debt for it.

[@turntablesrockmyworld9315]

My first attempt at philosophy was Russell/Whitehead Principai Mathematica. Not recommended. lol

[@jensenjason7806]

my recommendations for anyone who cares: the republic nicomachean ethics meditations - aurelius discourse on method abolition of man

[@havenbastion]

The best starting book for a philosopher is Demon-haunted World (Carl Sagan) followed by A History of Western Philosophy (Bertrand Russell).

[@eskybakzu712]

No 💀

[@ananya1291]

The best philosophy book is Vedant, upnishad and bhagvat gita.read it with complete devotion you will leave this material world and stat to live like a life of Yogi and monks.😊

[@frankmasih5367]

Is albert camus a good start?

[@paokman]

Great suggestions! Albert Camus' work could also be suggested Keep up the good work!

[@treeleaf2089]

can i start with nietsche, is he even a philospher

[@cbbcbb6803]

What if I want to start with non western philosophy?

[@Vgallo]

I wish I found this channel 5 years ago

[@deesplayworldtv]

What does it all mean? Thomas Nagel. Read it thirty years ago. Still applies. The Rock says You’re Welcome!

[@percivalyracanth1528]

Of course reading Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus is a nice jump-off point for the beginner :)

[@Techfollowme]

Kindly write western philosophy in the title. As there are other philosophies too.

[@manofthefuture1841]

And where is Marcus Aurelius "meditation"? Stoicism is like the soul of philosophy!)))

[@scottscottsdale7868]

So now Descartes and Elizabeth would have 5 min on Twitter yelling at each other.

[@proteusblack8913]

Stop recommending books that don't actually explain the basics of what philosophy is, why it exists, and how it works. These are the kinds of things that people new to philosophy need to read first. Not deep diving into Plato. They're not going to understand what they're reading or why they should care. I'd recommend "A Critical History of Greek Philosophy" by W. T. Stace. He breaks down the point of Philosophy and gives us a run down of those who founded philosophy and how their work has become a foundation to the way we think about reality and society to this day.

[@eskybakzu712]

Ain't no one trying to read a modern interpretation of what philosophy "is".

[@Toilet_Destroyer]

So my first philosophical texts were Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. Then I read Plato's 4 early dialogues about Socrates' death cuz everybody seems to recommend them and found Socrates to be an absolutely obnoxious prat. Luckily it wasn't my first philosophical read, otherwise I probably would've bounced off and never read philosophy again. So my personal opinion is that you shouldn't read Plato first, but that's probably just me.

[@Charvack]

This guy: the first 5 skills a baby should learn: 1. Flying a Boeing 737 2. Bullfighting 3. Making a 3 course dinner 4. Juggling 3 balls while giving a speech 5. Become president of Honduras

[@Zackinator97]

No Augustine or Aquinas? They were giants of Western philosophy and would bridge the gap between the Greeks and the moderns.

[@Johnnydazguy]

Everything you need to know about philosophy can be gleaned from Monty Python's "Philosophers Song".

[@scottscottsdale7868]

Studies .I Eral arts and went to law school. Socratic method is incredibly important. Read Plato Aristotle Aquino’s Descartes Marx Nietzche etc etc. My father in law is an old commie. When I first met him he asked me what I thought of the Marxist dialectic. I was able to at least babble a bit. He taught Marxist philosophy in Madagascar. Interesting man. Is capitalism better than Marxism?

[@andrewashdown3541]

The Ladybird book of Philosophy shld be sufficient for most

[@myrawells5691]

Haaahaa!!

[@kengilliland727]

What ! no Bertrand Russell ?