Any recommendations for philosophy books for beginners?

[moon777light]

I know about meditations of marcus aurelius and seneca, but i thats about it. And when i read meditations, i understand some thoughts, and others make no sense to me. I want to learn about philosophy as a whole, any suggestion would be much appreciated  

[Joseph Maynor]

'From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest' by T.Z. Lavine

https://www.amazon.com/Socrates-Sartre-Philosophic-Quest/dp/0553251619

'What Does it all Mean' by Thomas Nagel

https://www.amazon.com/What-Does-All-Mean-Introduction/dp/0195052161/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532540670&sr=1-3&keywords=thomas+nagel

'The Story of Philosophy' by Will Durant

https://www.amazon.com/Story-Philosophy-Opinions-Greatest-Philosophers/dp/0671739166/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532540731&sr=1-3&keywords=the+story+of+philosophy

''Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius' by Ray Monk

https://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Wittgenstein-Genius-Ray-Monk/dp/0140159959/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1532540951&sr=1-1&keywords=duty+of+genius

Edited July 25, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Joseph Maynor]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Durant

[ChimpBrain]

A history of western philosophy by Bertrand Russell if you're brave enough undertake that beast.

If you want something shorter and more useful I really enjoyed A Guide to the Good Life, but it focuses on Stoicism only, not philosophy as a whole.

[moon777light]

thank you guys  <3 

[MisterMan]

Alan Watts-The wisdom of insecurity

[RichardY]

@moon777light

Aristotle or Aquinas if particularly religious. Ayn Rand instead of Descartes, if you are looking at rationalism. Although she would say Objectivism. 

David Hume instead of Nietzsche. While similar in someway, but radically different in writing style, Hume has a greater level of certainty that Nietzsche lacks.

Early Socratic Dialogues.

The History of Philosophy Bertrand Russel is long, and it doesn't go into any depth, about any philosophers. Also it was written pre and during world war 2. So misses any more modern American Philosophers. He does favourably mention Bishop Berkeley, which I recommend. Criticises Hegel and the German Continental school. Leibniz, Hegel, Kant. " While British Empiricism like a broad based pyramid maybe be partially right, the German apriori as narrow based pyramid maybe wholly wrong." Hegel also advocates for war, which is the result of imo a coherence based theory of truth, Hegel's Absolute Idealism. How did that work out. Utilitarians like John Stuart Mill, also fall into the same category, though through Determinism instead.

Having listened to Walden by Henry David Thoreau recently, a fairly light book but good in it's wisdom. If looking for something more concentrated, Dostoevsky has a similar writing style.

[Joseph Maynor]

On 7/25/2018 at 11:47 AM, ChimpBrain said:

A history of western philosophy by Bertrand Russell if you're brave enough undertake that beast.

If you want something shorter and more useful I really enjoyed A Guide to the Good Life, but it focuses on Stoicism only, not philosophy as a whole.

The problem with Russell’s ‘History of Western Philosophy’ is it’s a bit biased.  That’s why I didn’t recommend that one.  Russell puts his own Materialist spin on the History of Philosophy.  I would avoid his book as a noob to Philosophy.  But he gave a good college try for sure.  It’s like the History of Western Philosophy through the eyes of a 1950’s Materialist and Logical Positivist.  Russell had a dog in the fight in Philosophy and kinda defined his book in terms of what he thought Philosophy should be.  There’s a quote in there where he claims that there was no genuine Roman Philosophy — which basically implies that the Romans stole all their Philosophy from Greece.  That’s just not true!  

Edited July 27, 2018 by Joseph Maynor