One needs to read the books and thinkers in order thats one common. Leibniz thought it reassuring to say that although our world contains much that is evil, it is nonetheless the best of all possible worlds. Of course, this is just an outline at the moment, but the journey of a thousand m. An introduction to philosophy of education 4th edition by. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for. For those interested in philosophy, you wont want to miss our collection of free online philosophy courses. It shows, first and foremost, the importance of philosophy in educational debate and as a background to. Leaves you thinking more about life and family and the things that matter most. But of course, everyone has their own problems and are dealing with the difficulties of life in some way or another. A concise introduction to logic is an introduction to formal logic suitable for undergraduates taking a general education course in logic or critical thinking, and is accessible and useful to any interested in gaining a basic understanding of logic. An 800page scholarly overview is unlikely to be best for someone looking for a short beginnerfriendly introduction, for example. The specific concept of narrative in african philosophy and its value for crosscultural understanding will surface often and be developed in several ways throughout the book.
The eight best introductory books on philosophy the pig that wants to be eaten. Since then, this book has stood the test of time as a clear guide to what philosophy is and how to philosophize. Chapter ii common thought, science, and reflective. Brian davies considers these questions and many others, sometimes offering provocative answers of his own, but more often giving readers room to. So philosophy is a somewhat dizzying activity, and few of its. When i began writing introductory philosophy books in the late 1980s, the only introductions that were readily available were the problems of philosophy by bertrand russell, which was published in 1912, and a book called philosophy made simple which was actually a good book, but people found the title offputting because it sounded like it. Introduction to philosophyauthorsmk wikibooks, open. The best approach is to pick any area of philosophy which sounds interesting to you and then delve into that.
Of course there are introductory books, but im trying to get a sense of what primary texts have proven the most useful, whether in providing inspiration to students at the undergraduate level or just in terms of providing a stronger sociohistorical understanding of the role of philosophy and the various recent movements and so on. The philosophy book by dk, 9781405353298, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Highly recommended, especially for public and college libraries, and as a. In a humble continuation of that tradition, id like this post to serve as a quick introduction to the world of practical philosophyphilosophy you can actually read and use in your own life. The goal of this text is to present philosophy to newcomers as a living discipline with historical roots.
An intro philosophy professor would be the best person to ask for this kind of thing, as they typically read many introductory books in fact, they are often given books to evaluate so they have a much larger basis of comparison, whereas any individual student will have read 1, maybe 2 intro books ever and before they moved on to more specific. Poems of love, 1994 the illusion of immortality, fifth edition, 1990 freedom of choice affirmed, third edition, 1990 freedom is as freedom does. These include philosophy of science and philosophy of mind, areas where. A novel about the history of philosophy jostein gaarder. John marenbons top 10 books on philosophy books the guardian. Online library of liberty downloadable out of works including philosophy texts.
It began, nearly three hundred years ago, within philosophical theology. Introduction to philosophy wikibooks, open books for an. John marenbon is a fellow of trinity college, cambridge and teaches the history of philosophy. The author basically attempts to give a very brief overview of every possible area of philosophy being studied today. Large selection and many more categories to choose from. The philosophy of humanism, eighth edition, 1997 posthumous lovers credo. This reading list contains the best general introductions to philosophy.
Highly recommended, especially for public and college libraries, and as a textbook for philosophy 101 courses. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks. After the best biographies, memoirs, and history books of 20, the seasons subjective selection of bestof reading lists continue with the most stimulating psychology and philosophy books published this year. The project gutenberg ebook, an introduction to philosophy. Speculative philosophy, general philosophical works. A compelling introduction to philosophy by blackburn, simon isbn. While a few early chapters are historically organized, the goal in the historical chapters is to trace a developmental progression of thought that introduces basic philosophical methods and frames issues that remain relevant today. Medieval online texts huge collection of digitised philosophy texts from antiquity to the 18th century. Perhaps a good introduction to philosophy textbook would be a good place to start. Siddhartha by hermann hesse, the stranger by albert camus, sophies world by jostein gaarder, the alchemist by paulo. Of course, this is just an outline at the moment, but the journey of a. An introduction to philosophy and ethics access for students price.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Right now, you will find 110 classic works on the new list foundational texts written by aristotle, descartes, hegel and kant, not to mention kierkegaard, wittgenstein and nietzsche, too. Philosophy is the study of wisdom, and can emerge in our conversations in social media, in school, around the family dinner table, and even in the car. Whizz to wisdom in 100 hilarious, short mental workouts perfect for commutes, bathroom breaks, and lazy afternoons on the couch. Just wanted to give you a quick heads up that weve recently spun out a collection of free philosophy ebooks from our larger, more diverse collection of 600 free ebooks. I cant really recommend any greek intro booksim sure others will. The world according to jack 30 rock and philosophy. The 10 best philosophy books for beginners gregory sadler. His books include early medieval philosophy 4801150. Talk of possible worlds is now a commonplace within philosophy.
Choose from used and new textbooks or get instant access with etextbooks and digital materials. We want to go to there alice in wonderland and philosophy. The problems of philosophy and history of western philosophy not only are they introductions to timeless problems, the purpose and methods of philosophy, but they also present philosophical perspectives of their very own. This introductory text, now in its fourth edition, is a classic in its field. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at.
A thoughtful, exhaustively researched, and wellgrounded primer, what is philosophy. Is the best manhattan bookstore for nietzsche lovers east village books slogan. Find introduction to philosophy textbooks at up to 90% off. Pages in category philosophy books the following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 391 total. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the. In the introduction to the book, nagel writes, there isnt much you can assume or take for granted.
Here is a selection of just few of the many books available for the student starting out in philosophy. All formats available for pc, mac, ebook readers and other mobile devices. The books the blackwell philosophy and pop culture series. An introduction to philosophy the top 4 books to read. The text uses materials that are 2,500 years old, and materials that were in the news this year. Full series list in alphabetical order 24 and philosophy. But there are great philosophers who are also great writers. In a humble continuation of that tradition, id like this post to serve as a quick introduction to the world of practical philosophy philosophy you can actually read and use in your own life. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. I infest therefore i am arrested development and philosophy. Philosophy is traditionally defined as the love of wisdom, the ability to think well about the foundations of human action, the nature of reality, and the purposes and priorities of life. Very few people wake up and think i need philosophy.
Few philosophers today find this statement very plausible. Online shopping for introduction to philosophy from a great selection at books store. An introduction lives up to its title a more difficult task than one might first guess, considering the complexities of the subject. The bias is of course towards western and analytic philosophy but russell is a remarkably lucid writer and thinker and his. Thomas aquinas to shape a philosophy that, far from sectarian theology in disguise, is driven by. It was practical and it was applicable and it made life better. John marenbons top 10 books on philosophy books the. Civil liberties in america, fourth edition, 1990 yes to life. Very short introductions has a range of books on different areas but im not quite sure how good they are. Ideal for introductory philosophy courses, the text includes sections on god and evil, knowledge and reality, the philosophy of science, the mindbody problem, freedom of will, consciousness, ethics. Each book discusses the enduring questions philosophers have tackled throughout history. Many readers think fun philosophy books dont exist. Eleven walks with expert eyes how we spend our days, annie dillard wrote in her timelessly beautiful. This book, introduction to philosophy, was initiated by rmk who also plans to complete it.
An introduction to philosophy george stuart fullerton on. Wikimedia commons has media related to books about philosophy. Benjamin, walter the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. The republic by plato, sophies world by jostein gaarder, the big questions. I took an american philosophy class that covered some of his philosophical work and he definitely had a novel theory of epistemology how we come to know things. It is probably best to go for specific works like nietzsche once youve pinned down what area you want to explore. It shows, first and foremost, the importance of philosophy in educational debate and as a background to any practical activity such as teaching. A compelling introduction to philosophy simon blackburn. An introduction to philosophy of education 4th edition. Mar 03, 2016 is the best manhattan bookstore for nietzsche lovers east village books slogan. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these.
When i began writing introductory philosophy books in the late 1980s, the only introductions that were readily available were the problems of philosophy by bertrand russell, which was published in 1912, and a book called philosophy made simple which was actually a good book, but people found the title offputting because it sounded like it was dumbing the subject down. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the daily idea. Thats what stephanie kotsikonas, a journalism student at cuny reports in a post at her class blog, journalistic blogging, along with information about other bookstores in manhattan with good philosophy sections. The best introductions to philosophy five books expert.
Medieval online texts huge collection of digitised philosophy texts from antiquity to the 18th century online library of liberty downloadable out of works including philosophy texts. The authors opinion however really gets in the way of any kind of objective treatment of the topics. The original version of the book was begun on october 22, 2003, making it the first wikibook about philosophy. Aug 01, 2005 an introduction to philosophy language. What is here called crosscultural understanding is itself a kind of compara. Classical and contemporary readings, fifth edition, is the most comprehensive topically organized collection of classical and contemporary philosophy available. Though regarding your thoreau question, he actually would be considered a philosopher by most strict definitions. An introduction to philosophy open textbook library. An introduction to philosophy by george stuart fullerton. Explore philosophy from different cultures and various schools of thought from great thinkers like plato, c. Inspired by the thomistic revival called for by leo xiii, maritain relies heavily on aristotle and st. Part 1 the persian wars and the rise of athens part 2 the peloponnesian wars and the fall of athens platos apology philosophy vs.
Sure, some are so technical they require a lot of background knowledge, and others are written so poorly that even sympathetic readers give up. Jacques maritains an introduction to philosophy was first published in 1931. The third edition of an introduction to the philosophy of religion provides a critical examination of some fundamental questions posed by religious belief. The irony is this is actually what ancient philosophy was intended to ameliorate. Download 100 free philosophy courses and start living the examined life. Introduction to philosophyauthorsmk wikibooks, open books. Philosophy, evolution, memes, darwin, dawkins, love. Open book publishers open access academic books in the humanities and social sciences. Depending on ones taste or natural ability, any one of these would be suitable for someone who had never encountered a philosophy book before. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original.
422 764 381 1140 581 1081 1173 1126 1138 1412 35 222 1393 151 475 137 520 854 919 332 1350 1506 692 1276 214 1118 1226 769 1139 1339 1023 294 1223 896 1498 412