<p>I was wondering if anyone here has read any good books about Philosophy. This may be even more off topic than usual, but I'm just getting interested in Philosophy randomly and I wanted to read a few books on it now to find out if it's worth taking any classes on it in college. I know of a few famous philosophers from way back when, but I'm not really interested in reading anything that's too old. I'd prefer something that's more modern, something that's thought provoking, but also something I can read at the beach.</p>
<p>Letters from a Stoic by Seneca is a fantastic intro to Stoic philosophy. Anything by Jiddu Krishnamurti will do a good job of putting you into a “higher” state of mind.</p>
<p>EDIT: After thinking it over a bit more, if you’re interested in ethical philosophy, work by James Rachels, Judith Jarvis Thomson, Kant and Eli Hirsch (specifically The Rational Physician) is great reading.</p>
<p>If you’re talking about thought-provoking works, Candide is definitely one of them. Though it is a bit old (it’s by Voltaire), it provides a great insight into optimism. It’s not a book ABOUT philosophy, per se, but it is a book that, in and of itself, is philosophy. It’s written in the form of a satirical story and the reader has to pick out the parts of philosophy entwined within.</p>
<p>Check out the Prince, the Brothers Karamazov and Anna Karenina. My favorites :)</p>
<p>If you just want a brief intro, I highly encourage you to check out Sandell’s talks on youtube. Free and they raise a ton of fascinating questions!</p>
<p>Perhaps look for an IB Theory of Knowledge study guide. That class is so amazing and thought-provoking, and not exactly old philosophy but more applicable epistomology (I think it’s called)</p>
<p>Well then. Definitely look up Immanuel Kant! Find a book on utilitarianism and deontological ethics. Those two are pretty important. Another philosophy that I’ve examined is Aristotle’s works. Hope this helps!</p>
<p>Utilitarianism is a fun branch of philosophy, especially when you dive into the various sub-branches of utilitarianism and the deontological beliefs that try to challenge it. I personally have found myself to be an act utilitarian as a result of some of the ethical philosophy I’ve gone over (+ some of Jeremy Bentham’s work on the topic).</p>
<p>Also, if you want to dive into political philosophy, I’d recommend reading John Rawl’s “A Theory of Justice” (an egalitarian book) and Robert Nozick’s “Anarchy, State, and Utopia”, a libertarian response. Both captivating, though I find Nozick’s libertarian stance hard to agree with in some cases. Rawls’ and Nozick’s works have also been applied to areas of ethical philosophy that cover distribution of healthcare, a rather apt topic to go into seeing the recent political climate.</p>
<p>Kinda neat. I’m reading it now. It’s short, kinda recent, and thought-provoking. He’s not by any means a major philosopher, but it’s a good book.</p>
<p>So I’ve heard! I’ve been meaning to read Russian literature for a while now (Tolstoy sounds fun), but I haven’t had the time. Do you have any other specific recommendations (besides the ones you’ve already listed) for that genre, ecouter?</p>
<p>Thanks for the great suggestions, especially grammernazi. After a little research some of the oldies I’ve found that I really like are Hume and Betham. It’s really confusing trying to separate what’s philosophy from what’s ethics, and what’s psychology. A lot of the time I guess there’s kind of a grey area.</p>
<p>As I do more research I’m finding out that a lot of it is essays, and not books, so maybe I’ll just read some essays online. I guess that just makes it hard for me to bring it with me though.</p>
<p>p.s. for any LOST fans, all these philosophers are bringing back memories :)</p>
<p>Atlas Shrugged is huge though! (just FYI for the OP).</p>
<p>@GrammarNazi, I’ve mostly read Tolstoy and Dostovetsky, but they are kind of lengthy and difficult to decipher at points ( no trouble for you, I’m sure though ).</p>
<p>Try Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostovetsky. It’s relatively short and very powerful. “The Idiot” is also a great one too.</p>
<p>The first Russian lit I ever read was Anna Karenina by Tolstoy and it was excellent, though there is quite a bit of romance in it. </p>
<p>There’s some darker literature that my friends have recommended to me that I can also list if you’d like, though you really can’t go wrong with this genre unless you hate detailed descriptions ;). The ideas are beautifully communicated and I find the POV of the authors rather fascinating.</p>
<p>The above course, michael sandel’s “Justice” is a nice intro to normative ethics. </p>
<p>For a book you can read anywhere, that will teach you how to <em>do</em> philosophical research in the modern day, try Jay Rosenberg’s <em>The Practice of Philosophy</em>. </p>
<p>For a book that will show you the ins and outs of today’s philosophical research, and not just how to do it, try <em>Think</em> by Simon Blackburn, or the oxford very short introductions to philosophers.</p>
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