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7 Philosophy Books for Beginners
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7 Philosophy Books for Beginners

How to Start Studying Philosophy for Beginners

In this video, the speaker provides a guide on how beginners can start studying philosophy. The speaker recommends that beginners should first identify the philosophical questions they are most interested in and then find books or articles related to those topics. The speaker also suggests two introductory books for beginners: "The Problems of Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell and "Think" by Simon Blackburn.

Identifying Your Interests

  • It's important to figure out what philosophical questions you're most interested in before starting your studies.
  • This will help guide you towards the types of books or articles you should read.

Recommended Introductory Books

  • "The Problems of Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell is a great book for non-philosophers and provides an introduction to various philosophical topics.
  • The last chapter of Russell's book is particularly noteworthy as it discusses how philosophy can increase one's sense of wonder and lead to self-improvement.
  • "Think" by Simon Blackburn is another recommended introductory book that covers a wide range of philosophical topics.

Reading Primary Texts

  • While big historical surveys or fictionalized introductions may not be useful, reading primary texts as soon as possible is recommended.
  • Although primary texts can be difficult, there are many great works in the history of philosophy that beginners can benefit from reading.

Philosophy as a Way of Life

In this section, the speaker discusses how philosophy is a journey or way of life rather than a checklist. They recommend five primary texts to read and benefit from, including The Complete Works of Plato, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Confessions by Saint Augustine, and Meditations by Renee.

Recommended Primary Texts

  • The Complete Works of Plato: Many dialogues are short and cover almost every topic in the history of philosophy.
  • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: A great example of philosophy as a way of life.
  • Confessions by Saint Augustine: Discusses the nature of time, motivation and willpower, existence of God, metaphysics of evil wrapped up in Augustine's autobiography.
  • Meditations by Renee: Not discussed in detail.

Tips for Reading Primary Texts

  • Be cautious when looking at translations on the internet since there are problems with quality.
  • Treat recommended editions as strong recommendations but not necessary to buy exact editions.
  • Plato's dialogues are easy to read since they almost read like plays.

Skepticism in Philosophy

The speaker discusses the concept of skepticism in philosophy, which has been a recurring theme throughout history. He mentions ancient Greek Skeptics, as well as modern philosophers such as Descartes and Hume who represent skepticism.

Descartes' "I think therefore I am"

  • Descartes believed that knowledge was possible and identified a foundation for all knowledge.
  • He argued that the one thing he could not doubt was the fact that he is thinking, which implies his existence.
  • This idea is famously summarized by the phrase "I think therefore I am."

Reading Philosophy

  • The speaker notes that reading philosophy can be challenging, even for experienced readers.
  • However, he believes that anyone can read philosophy and find it fulfilling.
  • It takes time to develop the skills necessary to understand philosophical texts.

John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty"

The speaker recommends John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty" as a good introduction to political philosophy. He notes that Mill was influential in shaping contemporary ideas about freedom and liberty.

About John Stuart Mill

  • Mill was a genius who began reading Latin and Greek at a young age.
  • He wrote several works on political philosophy, including "On Liberty" and "Utilitarianism."
  • Historians have suggested that his wife played a significant role in the formation of some of these texts.

Why Read "On Liberty"?

  • The speaker recommends reading "On Liberty" because it is short and clear.
  • It provides insight into where contemporary ideas about freedom and liberty came from.

Conclusion: A Beginner's Guide to Philosophy

The speaker concludes by inviting viewers to suggest other works for beginners to read and to ask questions about philosophy. He also suggests that he may create more topical videos in the future.

Further Reading

  • The speaker invites viewers to suggest other works for beginners to read.
  • He notes that there are many other philosophical topics that he did not cover in this video.
  • He suggests that he may create more topical videos in the future.

Asking Questions

  • The speaker encourages viewers to ask questions about philosophy in the comments section.
  • He notes that a beginner's guide is a general topic, and going deeper into specific areas of philosophy could be helpful.
Video description

You don't need to go to college to study philosophy — anybody can do it if they are willing to dedicate themselves to the work of deep, difficult reading. But I want to make it a little bit easier for you. So I'm suggesting 7 books for philosophy beginners. 2 books are introductions, written specifically with beginners in mind. But the other 5 are classic primary texts from the history of philosophy. All of these will prove to be immensely rewarding for anybody willing to put in the work. → Chapters Begin at the Beginning 00:00 Problems of Philosophy 02:02 Think 03:13 Plato 05:25 Marcus Aurelius 07:25 St. Augustine 08:15 René Descartes 09:42 John Stuart Mill 11:49 → Book Links Problems of Philosophy: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5827/5827-h/5827-h.htm Think: https://amzn.to/3BqOs19 Plato: https://amzn.to/3PlRJEO Marcus Aurelius: https://amzn.to/3HsqHK8 St. Augustine: https://amzn.to/3W58yX2 René Descartes: https://amzn.to/3Buvp6u John Stuart Mill: https://amzn.to/3uJ83pF → Video Gear Mic: https://amzn.to/3Uw7ZVw Recorder: https://amzn.to/3Tz1uQp Camera: https://amzn.to/3Ust3MT Lens: https://amzn.to/3WXbAhd These are affiliate links with Amazon. The channel earns a commission from each purchase — but it doesn't cost you anything.