Intro to Philosophy

[Cole5250]

Hey, wanted to get into philosophy and was wondering if anyone had any good titles in mind that weren't bias (or as little as possible), is The Complete Idiots Guide to Philosophy any good?

[Roller]

Yeah I'd reccomend going to the nearest bookstore and looking through the philosophy section... just look for something simple, maybe something that runs over a few basic philosphical ideas in a way that will enable you to get an idea about the whole lot. When I was at school our library had an awesome philosophy section and had lots of these kind of books, I loved it. I would advise you not to get anything too complicated - because when you're jsut getting into the whole thing they only serve to confuse you more than elnighten. Other than that, just have a bit of a read around and anything that catches your eye and interests you will probably be good, but a basic, general guide like the Idiot's Guide is probably a good thing too.

[Ex Nine]

Man is the Measure, by Reuben Abel, was taught at my high school, and is perhaps the single most boring book on philosophy I've ever not read. It looks like it's taught at a number of high schools as part of their advanced programs. I recommend it because it may be interesting outside of a school context (or if you are in a school that is not like a traditional school and subsequently allows you to find things interesting outside of a traditional school context).

[Scruffy]

I'd recomend taking a look at some of Socrates' teachings. He was one of the early greek philosiphers, which is where a lot of philosiphy stems from. He's fairly easy to read, and though not the deepest, its a good introduction. That's where I started, and I really liked him.

[Ex Nine]

Here's a WSJ review of a book about Leibniz and Spinoza that looks interesting. You could get a very healthy grounding in Enlightenment era philosophy by looking at these two together, for they both introduced knew thoughts at nearly opposite ends of the spectrum on how the scientific revolution should deal with religion. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1134598350...5049222671.html Incidentally the author of that review is also the author of an introductory book you might want to look at called "The Dream of Reason," which explores 2,000 years of philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039304951...=books&v=glance Of course, the Renaissance ends right when the Enlightenment begins, so these two books might go well together. But I have to be honest, I haven't read either of them. Just trying to help.

[Sortilegio]

Look for "sophies world", Its very easy to read and storie like, it takes you through the history of philosophy, I don't remember the name of the author though. Its the best, from reading it you can later do your on research on who you want since you allready Know.

[DoctorNick]

Philosophy is a funny thing because it encompasses so much work. It really depends on what you'd like to get out of it. You remember that quote from (Alice in Wonderland?). It goes something like this: Q:Which way should I go? A:That depends entirely on where you want to end up? Such is the case with philosophy. I had no aim in philosophy except that I love it when I can identify my ungrounded assumptions. I believe that we all have these assumptions and that we often don't even know it. I am a philosophy major and, needless to say, I love it! If I were you, I would start with fundamental logic. Logic may seem boring at first, but after you understand it, you will never think the same again. You read differently, you write differently, and you can destroy others' arguments in the drop of a hat. I look at logic as the foundation of all philosophy because it gets rid of any assumptions. Countless people are persuaded by arguments from lies and moot points because they simply don't understand logic. Logic will also change the way your mind diagrams what you are reading. For the most part, remember that philosophers are posing arguments for the way things are. Accordingly, most of the best philosophers are the ones whose arguments haven't been beaten or discredited. Here is my suggestion to you if anything I have just said sounds appealing or makes sense. Buy a logic textbook or take a class in logic. Study hard and learn logic. Next, read something like Friedrich Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals or Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism is a Humanism. These have groundshattering well-defended claims that will rock the way you think about life. Existentialism (the movement from which these two writers are associated) is a fascinating genre that attracts many to philosophy. After you read some of this, and understand logic, I would suggest moving on to the Classics, particularly Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Once you read The Republic well, you cannot help but change the way you examine your actions. Philosophy is a beautiful field. While most claim it to be an impractical field, it is quite the opposite. I mean Aristotle is examining happiness and how to go about being happy! What more could you want than happiness? Well the existentialists have a different way to happiness and both make sense to me! Take it slow and get as much help from people who have already read the works (i.e. Sparknotes, books extra help and summarization, etc.), because some of these are very tough reads. In fact, trying to dive into Nietzsche right off the bat may turn you off of philosophy forever! But if you take time to examine the importance and meaning of what these guys are trying to say, you will often find the questions you had ought to be asking

[wombing]

"The history of Western Philosophy" by Betrand Russel. sure, he's a little biased (especially against the existentialists), but its always clear when he's adding his own spin. on the whole, an excellent oveview of the subject by one of the most articulate, clean-speaking modern philosophers. the historical context helps put the various philosophers in perspective.