An excellent book to stimulate debate in an introduction to philosophy class, or to work through on ones own. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Online shopping for introduction to philosophy from a great selection at books store. Aristotle was born of a welltodo family in the macedonian town of stagira in 384 bce. Two good places to start are simon blackburns book think and julian bagginis the pig that wants to be eaten. The book of psalms contains some of the most beautiful poetry ever written, but many people find that these verses describe human problems so well that they make excellent prayers. I wish i took this class during the regular semester, it moves really fast we covered 5 presocratic philosophers, plato. An introduction to philosophy goodreads share book. John marenbon is a fellow of trinity college, cambridge and teaches the history of philosophy. Its primary purpose is to present the elements of philosophy with simplicity and clarity in order to arouse that sense of wonder which aristotle says is the beginning of the love of wisdom. The 10 best philosophy books for beginners gregory sadler. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for.
Which of nietzsche writing would be a good introduction to his work. The plague by albert camus now, this book is very good but it is hardly an original work of existentialism. The art of strategy by avinash dixit and barry nalebuff. Plato, the last days of socrates this includes four dialogues. Introduction to political philosophy a libertarianism. Philosophy is about, or at least what people think its about. Class notes index textbook pdf complete introduction what is philosophy. If i had to choose just one philosophical book, this would be it. Oxfords very short introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects from islam to sociology, politics to classics, and literary theory to history. Compact but hugely readable, this delightful book would be an excellent basis for an introductory course, as a text or as preliminary reading. Christina hendricks series editor is a professor of teaching in philosophy at the university of british columbia in vancouver, bc, canada, where she often teaches introduction to philosophy courses. An introduction to philosophy paul joseph glenn snippet view 1944. Im taking a introduction to philosophy minimester course3weeks long and i really enjoy it.
The 10 best philosophy books for beginners gregory. The book of psalms is the place to go when youre hurting. Philosophical ethics is the critical examination of these and other concepts central to how we evaluate our own and each others behavior and choices. An introduction to philosophy the top 4 books to read. Very expensive in hardback, and no ebook version i can find. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. Introduction to philosophydeontology wikibooks, open. Philosophy is a subject that fascinates many of us. It forms an introduction to the kind of green philosophy now developing in europe. Introduction to german philosophy is the only book in english to provide a comprehensive account of the key ideas and arguments of modern german philosophy from kant to the present. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these. General introduction philosophy as an academic discipline unit one introduction pdf. The project gutenberg ebook, an introduction to philosophy. The book examines the problems concerning the aims and guiding ideals of education.
The best book for you will depend on your preferred learning style and the amount of time that you want to spend reading about philosophy. This reading list contains the best general introductions to philosophy. Peter edidin wrote in the new york times that think found a sizable audience, noting that more than 30,000 hardcover copies had been sold and that oxford has asked mr. An introduction to stoicism, stoic philosophy and the stoics. You could also give it to family and friends, and all those annoying people who ask you what philosophers do. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the pig that wants to be eaten. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume provides trenchant and provocative yet always balanced discussions of the central issues in a given. The basic tenets of stoicism say that everyone has a part. Russ paynes an introduction to philosophy takes this approach and does a good job at it. Perhaps a good introduction to philosophy textbook would be a good place to start. Ive been planning to read some of nietzsches work for a while, but have no idea where to start. This book also features an excellent and concise introduction to exterior forms and a good discussion of the rather vexed terms contravariant and covariant they way they are used in older gr books is exactly opposite to their modern meaning in mathematics. She is also the and also the academic director of the centre for.
The collaborators would be grateful for corrections or other suggestions to this preliminary draft. Classical and contemporary readings paperback john perry author, michael bratman author, john martin fischer author. It is a great introduction to philosophy, especially ethics and epistemology. The best philosophy books for beginners the reading lists. Written by wellknown modern philosopher roger scrunton, this slim book is the perfect introduction to one of the most important, most influential. Lowes book by itself, however, provides readers a good introduction to the philosophy of mind and likely will create a desire to read more. Nigel warburton has released a few books as an introduction to philosophy, philosophy. An introduction to philosophy open textbook library.
His books include early medieval philosophy 4801150. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the. The only list of best philosophy books you will ever need. Depending on ones taste or natural ability, any one of these would be suitable for someone who. Ive put together this as a guide to some of the best philosophy books.
An introduction to the key thinkers and theories you need to know 9. The philosophers toolkit also seems to be a good introduction regarding how to do philosophy, rather than to its history and ideals this also interests me, but id rather learn about the philosophers and their theories first. But i think their use in older books makes much more sense. While consequentialism determines right actions from good ends, deontology asserts that the end and the means by which it is arrived upon are intrinsically linked. This introductory article explains the coverage of this book, which is about the philosophical aspects of education. General introduction philosophy as an academic discipline unit one introduction pdf how philosophy began. The best introductions to philosophy five books expert. It is, however, a very good introduction into the school of thought. It introduces all of the major themes around major philosophical discussions and it suggests further reading in each section.
There are different ways of introducing philosophy to newcomers, one is to present it as a living discipline defined by problems made more intelligible and relevant by tracing their historical roots. The republic by plato, sophies world by jostein gaarder, the big questions. The goal of political philosophy is to determine the standards by which we judge different institutions good or bad, just or unjust. Mary warnocks top 10 philosophy books books the guardian. Sullivan is intended for the general reader as well as for the student. Which of nietzsche writing would be a good introduction to.
It is also important to point out that i have little notions or none at all on philosophy. So i have chosen three books that werent written as introductions to philosophy, but even so will inevitably make their readers start thinking. Including quick summaries for beginners of modern philosophy books. 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. The best philosophy books of all time updated for 2020. A compelling introduction to philosophy simon blackburn. Unfortunately i wont be taking any more philosophy courses in college. Best philosophy books for selfimprovement meditations by marcus aurelius. Introductions and conclusions play a special role in the academic essay, and they frequently demand much of your attention as a writer. By this i mean good books that can introduce you to philosophy in general and throughout the times, not to some philosophy or period in.
The project gutenberg ebook an introduction to philosophy by george stuart fullerton this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. 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. It explains that the philosophy of education is the branch of philosophy that addresses philosophical questions concerning the nature, aims, and problems of education. This book serves as an introduction to some of the major theories of justice, to the arguments philosophers have made for and against these theories, and, ultimately, to how to be more thoughtful and rigorous in your own thinking. A novel about the history of philosophy jostein gaarder. But more specifically, we can divide philosophy into major groups of questions that we can call the subdisciplines of. Think is by far the best introduction to philosophy that i know. A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context, and indicate your particular focus in the essay.
This is actually a difficult question which philosophical texts are best for. 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. Nigel warburton recommends the best introductions to philosophy. Similar to which of kants writings would be a good introduction to his work. There are several good books that can introduce you to philosophy on a rather serious level. It is an anthology with commentary, explanation, and glossary. Stoicism is a school of philosophy that hails from ancient greece and rome in the early parts of the 3rd century, bc. An introduction to the philosophy of mind cambridge introductions to philosophy. We often make judgments about good and bad, right and wrong.
Deontology is a set of moral theories which place themselves opposite consequentialism. The eight best introductory books on philosophy the daily idea. This guide includes the best philosophy books from throughout history. Andrew bowie offers an accessible introduction to the work, among others, of kant, herder, fichte, the romantics, schelling, hegel, marx, nietzsche, frege. Reading for philosophical inquiry a brief introduction to philosophical thinking ver. Each book discusses the enduring questions philosophers have tackled throughout. John marenbons top 10 books on philosophy books the. One of the big highlights of last weekends defending the faith conference was meeting dr. A beginners guide 2nd edition, blackwell the biggest book in this section and very comprehensive, included here because a number of students have commented that it is very userfriendly. I would also recommend owen andersons the clarity of gods existence. 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.