The philosophy of the good life the gifford lectures. Introduction to philosophy, 3e is the most comprehensive topically organized collection of classical and contemporary philosophy available. A very short introduction to philosophy by thomas nagel. Ideal for introductory philosophy courses, the third edition of this classic text now includes a general introduction and features eighteen selections new to this volume and an expanded glossary of philosophical terms. This page contains a list of the best introductory books on ethics. Stunningly just given how good this book is, and how deep it goes into the. John russons human experience is a work that offers a unique pedagogical opportunity. What are some good books that introduce aesthetics. The best books on metaphysics five books expert recommendations. If you wish to read a helpful introduction online before you get a book, see. The best philosophy books for beginners the reading lists. There are dozens of superb, up to date books on various aspects of relativity theory. Gore also considers the function of faith in all knowledge and the special function of faith in the moral life. Depending on ones taste or natural ability, any one of these would be suitable for someone who had never encountered a philosophy book before.
The eight best introductory books on philosophy the pig that wants to be eaten. Perhaps a good introduction to philosophy textbook would be a good place to start. Introductory readings and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Just to be clear, there is no single best book on political philosophy. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for. The bibliographies give a good of idea of what is going on in modern analytical philosophy. An introductory anthology is a uniquely accessible and engaging introduction to philosophy. What is clear is that philosophy is, in some sense, thinking about thinking.
What are some good introductory books on philosophy. This is, of course, no substitute for more substantive books on the philosophy of science, but it sure counts as a very good short introduction. Large selection and many more categories to choose from. The 10 best philosophy books for beginners gregory. Basic readings in philosophy by rachels is a good option as well. Ive included some of the classic works by the big names that you should know, while also including some lesser known introductions and guides that i think are particularly good. The republic by plato, sophies world by jostein gaarder, the big questions.
I am focussing on the case of philosophy professors who are writing a book that is explicitly aimed at a broader audience, and who may or may not also have written scholarly articles on the topic of their popularphilosophy book. Rota is, to me at least, quite interesting as his book not only gives lots of nice. Philosophy is a subject that fascinates many of us. A collection of essays by fifteen philosophers presenting a thoughtful, introductory guide to choosing a philosophy for living an examined and meaningful life. In the introduction to the book, nagel writes, there isnt much you can assume or take for granted. Read online or download philosophy ebooks for free. Most introductory philosophy textbooks today are not great books histories but anthologies of recent articles about systematic, logical issues, most of which are. How to live a good life by massimo pigliucci, skye cleary. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the daily idea. If you only want one id start with either, mastering philosophy is more like a course book though. I have used the book in an undergraduate course on existentialism to great advantage, and again in an introductory course to draw together diverse threads of a yearlong study of the goals and varied expressions of a philosophical education. I have only a one term course in epistemology the study of knowledge under my belt but one day i would dearly like to study the philosophy of science.
In the early days of history, almost all human knowledge could fit into a single academic discipline, and that was philosophy. So philosophy is a somewhat dizzying activity, and few of its. One needs to read the books and thinkers in order thats one common. He is best known for his introductory philosophy books and for his podcast series philosophy bites.
John marenbons top 10 books on philosophy books the guardian. What are the best introductory and mustread books on. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these. All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. Feb 23, 2008 i also own a book called mastering philosophy, it basically tries to cover everything and gives list of books to read further if you want on any sectione. Here is a selection of just few of the many books available for the student starting out in philosophy. May 11, 2018 what is often lurking behind this question is a concern about getting it right when it comes to studying philosophy. This is one of the great works of philosophy, descartes meditations on first philosophy, published in 1641.
The only list of best philosophy books you will ever need. The best book for you will depend on your preferred learning style and the amount of time that you want to spend reading about ethics. Online shopping for introduction to philosophy from a great selection at books store. Jul 15, 20 ive lately been contemplating the question of what makes a popular philosophy book a good book. Philosophy for everyone 20 by matthew chrisman, duncan pritchard, et al. A novel about the history of philosophy jostein gaarder. Cahn brings together exceptionally clear recent essays by noted philosophers and supplements them with influential historical sources. This page contains a list of the best introductory books on political philosophy. Some of the writings of robinson can be found online, e. Just to be clear, there is no single best book on ethics. Below is a list of the best philosophy books for beginners, that are both easy to read and explain the basics of philosophy. A compelling introduction to philosophy simon blackburn.
The best introductions to philosophy five books expert. Chapter six, on sample problems in the philosophy of physics, biology and psychology, gives the reader a flavor of what actual philosophical investigation looks like. What are some good books about the philosophy of mind. The ten best introductory political philosophy books the. And the chaotic condition of philosophy goes far to justify this attitude. Others have suggested very good books for the history and the foundations part of your question, so i will just mention one which i think is a great fun read and addresses some of the meta discussions you asked about. In addition, several classic books have recently come back. Well, bertrand russell once said that science is what you know, philosophy is what you dont know, and when it comes to philosophy i dont know nearly enough. The best philosophy books of all time updated for 2020. Plato, the last days of socrates this includes four dialogues. This reading list contains the best general introductions to philosophy. A sequel, philosophy 2, extends the scope of coverage. Nigel warburton is a freelance philosopher, writer and podcaster, and our philosophy editor here at five books.
Each book discusses the enduring questions philosophers have tackled throughout. An introductory anthology and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Ive put together this as a guide to some of the best philosophy books. Introduction to philosophywhat is philosophy wikibooks. Browse through our ebooks while discovering great authors and. What is philosophy, is itself a philosophical question. Featuring short interviews with the worlds best philosophers on bitesize topics, the podcast has been downloaded more than 35.
The eight best introductory books on philosophy the. It was a like scepticism about the value of current philosophizing which led to socrates successful attempt to bring philosophy down from the clouds into the common life of man and to lead it to become moral philosophythe enquiry into the good life and into its. An 800page scholarly overview is unlikely to be best for someone looking for a short. Hellenistic philosophy introductory readings abebooks. Including quick summaries for beginners of modern philosophy books. A vintage original socrates famously said the unexamined life is not worth living, but what does it mean to truly live philosophically. The 10 best philosophy books for beginners gregory sadler. Lets move onto the second book, which is a classic of philosophy, and often the book which is recommended to people beginning philosophy, descartes meditations. This is actually a difficult question which philosophical texts are best for.
Why created a reading list of the best philosophy books for beginners. The best book for you will depend on your preferred learning style and the amount of time that you want to spend reading about political philosophy. Samuen enoch stumpf socrates to sartre and beyond and robert solomon a short history of philosophy have both produced good onevolume histories of western philosophy. Extensively revised and updated in its fifth edition, exploring philosophy. In the philosophy of the good life, gore examines the concept of the good life as it is entertained by the famous moral leaders of humankindzarathustra, the buddha, confucius, muhammad, socrates, plato and the stoics, the jewish prophets and, finally, jesus christ. So, to sum up, i would like to hear your opinions on what are some books generally regarded as good for a general introduction on philosophy. The eight best introductory books on ethics the daily idea. The appiah, nagel, and russell books cover fewer topics basically, they hit some things that appiah, nagel, and russell find interesting and plato can be tough to read on your own, which is why these are not my top recommendations, but they can serve as good introductions to the field of philosophy if youre starting from zero. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. One of my favorite approaches in the learning process is to encourage students to oscillate mentally between the abstract theoretical science, pure mathematics, rationalism philosophy.
An introduction to philosophy the top 4 books to read. John marenbons top 10 books on philosophy books the. An introduction to ethics by ruwen ogien is a great book to get started on with ethics presents arguments that most people would understand and has a glossary at the back with a short paragraph explaining each of the philosophical terms. Bertrand russels a history of western philosophy has held a position of reverence since its first publication in 1945. Best philosophy introductions this list is for works of philosophy for the common people, not specialists, all the ones who are just starting out. The main way to dip your toes into philosophy is by reading. I have always liked the introductory texts put together by james and stuart rachels they created my favorite intro level ethics text, the elements of moral philosophy. Nigel warburton has written 4 exordia 37 below, all which you should read. This guide includes the best philosophy books from throughout history. May 07, 2015 10 lifechanging books that will stay with you forever head to the library or fire up your kindle its time to get inspired with this list of best books to read. The best philosophy books for beginners at the existentialist cafe by sarah bakewell skye cleary. When i teach introduction to philosophy i use, not one of those maddeningly bitty anthologies with which publishers bombard us.