When people ask where they ought to begin in reading philosophy I always suggest starting with
Plato
. And given how important his teacher, Socrates, was in Plato's own philosophical development, why not begin with these dialogues that set out the drama of Socrates' trial, conviction, imprisonment, and execution?
Which Greek philosopher should I read first?
Thales
(c. 624-c. 545 B.C.E.), traditionally considered to be the “first philosopher,” proposed a first principle (arche) of the cosmos: water. Aristotle offers some conjectures as to why Thales might have believed this (Graham 29).
Do you need to read philosophy in order?
That said, it is suggested that
readers read the books in the order presented
if they'd like to follow along and understand subsequent books/philosophers. …
How do I start philosophy?
- Start from a position of ignorance.
- Expect to go slowly.
- Read when you are most alert.
- Pick whatever interests you the most.
- Get a philosophical dictionary.
Which philosopher is easiest to read?
- Apology of Socrates by Plato. …
- Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. …
- The discourse on method by Descartes. …
- Candide or Optimism by Voltaire. …
- Beyond good and evil by Nietzsche. …
- Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. …
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera. …
- Existentialism and Humanism by Sartre.
Is Plato difficult to read?
Plato's books are in dialogues and actually are in a sense very poetic. Plato was one of the best writers (in a sense artist) that ever existed. It is easy to start reading Plato due to this format and know the basic concepts. Once you get into it, going to Aristotle,
his difficulty will not be discouraging
.
What is the best order to read Plato?
According to Iamblichus, for example, the First Alcibiades should be read first, then Gorgias,
Phaedo
, then Cratylus, Theaetetus, Sophist, Statesman, Phaedrus, Symposium, Philebus, and finally Timaeus and Parmenides.
What is the best introduction to philosophy?
- Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.
- A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.
- Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton.
- The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant.
What do philosophy majors read?
- J L Ackrill, Aristotle the Philosopher . …
- A J Ayer Language, Truth, and Logic . …
- George Berkeley Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (many editions)
- Simon Blackburn Think . …
- Simon Blackburn Being Good . …
- Tim Crane The Mechanical Mind . …
- Rene Descartes Meditations .(many editions)
What is the best way to study philosophy?
- Read the books “A History of Western Philosophy” by Bertrand Russell or “The Story of Philosophy” by Will Durant. …
- Listen to bite-sized audio courses on Listenable. …
- Take bite-sized courses on philosophy on Highbrow. …
- Use Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
What are the 10 branches of philosophy?
- Aesthetics.
- Epistemology.
- Ethics.
- Logic.
- Metaphysics.
- Philosophy of mind.
- Philosophy of science.
- Other.
What is Plato's philosophy?
In metaphysics Plato envisioned
a systematic, rational treatment of the forms and their interrelations
, starting with the most fundamental among them (the Good, or the One); in ethics and moral psychology he developed the view that the good life requires not just a certain kind of knowledge (as Socrates had suggested) …
Who is a modern day philosopher?
- Martha Nussbaum (b. 1947)
- Cornel West (b. 1952)
- Slavoj Žižek (b. 1949)
- Gayatri Spivak (b. 1942)
- Judith Butler (b. 1956)
- Gu Su (b. 1955)
- Thomas Nagel (b. 1937)
- John McDowell (b. 1942)
What books do philosophers read?
- Meditations. One that you'll find on many of these types of lists is Meditations and for good reason. …
- Letters From a Stoic. …
- Nicomachean Ethics. …
- Beyond Good & Evil. …
- Meditations on First Philosophy. …
- Ethics. …
- Critique of Pure Reason. …
- On the Genealogy of Morals.
Is philosophy easy to read?
A comprehensive guide to tackling complex texts.
Philosophy is a difficult practice
. … But just because you or I can't understand these on first attempt, doesn't mean these texts should be forgotten. This style of reading just takes practice, and when accustomed to it; you will be able to understand them with ease.
