What are the greatest philosophy books?

wolfpassion,

Welcome to a2k,

Your ambitions for understanding are commendable, but philosophers might warn you will learn more from analysing your questions than from the expectancy of answers.

As for books, you might start with general compendia like Bertrand Russells "History of Western Philosophy" (or even the DK Guide !). These will provide an understanding of the evolving vocabulary and contingent relationship of ideas in the evolution of philosophical analysis. We all have our pet classical texts and opinions of the "Greats" (Kant's "Critque of Pure Reason" likely to be popular), but at this stage I would simply say read anything you can understand. (Plato's Symposium is quite good for getting a "feel" for philosophical analysis because of its "discussion format". This format is entertainingly parodied by Casti's "The Cambridge Quintet" in which AI is "theoretically" discussed by some modern "Greats" ).

You should understand that "straight philosophy" is unlikely to provide you with an "anchor" or "direction for your life". For that you might turn to "esoteric philosophy" such as that of Krishnamurti.

Good luck !

By all means begin with the Greeks, particularly Plato's Dialogs. We are told that one of the great Grecian oracles named Socrates the Wisest Man in the World of that time. He is still arguably in the top echelon. Other Greek philosophers shouldn't be neglected because they collectively pretty much defined what we call philosophy ever since.

The Roman Stoics are important. The works of the slave Epictetus and the Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius are very accessible and fundamental to many modern Western values. Now might also be a good time to take a look at the foundations of Eastern Philosophy. In China you will want to read the Analects of Confucius, the various Taoist works. The Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu, and the works of Chuan-Tzu, should give you a bare acquaintance with Taoist philosophy. Sun Tzu's book on War is much more than a military treatise. Out of India and the Hindu tradition was born both Jainism and Buddhism. Strictly speaking both are religions, yet they've had a profound effect on Eastern thought and culture.

"The Consolations of Philosophy" by Baetheus and St. Augustine's "Confessions" are useful introductions to Medieval European thought. By the 15th century writers like Niccolo Machiavelli began writing "practical" works dealing with political philosophy as the temporal world began to overshadow the collapsing otherworldly Age of Faith.

The Reformation and Counter-Reformation gave rise to mostly religious tracts and polemics by various religious factions. People of the time took their religion seriously enough to kill their dearest relatives for a tiny breaches in doctrine or ritual. It was a chaotic period as national governments struggled to impose monarchical Will over the aristocrats of realm and church. Some nuggets shine through, like the works of Spinoza. By the mid 17th century, the scientific method was being crafted and inspired the writers to attempt cataloging all of human knowledge (see Diderot). From there, it was only a baby step to the Enlightenment.

Read the 18th and early 19th century philosophers: Voltaire, Montaigne, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Locke, Hobbes, Adam Smith, Bentham, and Mills. Each of these philosophers and others like them set the stage for the modern world. As the Industrial Revolution swept away traditional ways writers like Marx, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Niche defined the Individual and Corporate Will. Their "scientific" approach to philosophy became popular creeds to modern mass movements. As a counter-balance to those philosophers there are the Existentialists; Sartre, Camus, Kierkegaard, and others.

These, taken together make up a reasonable syllabus for an undergraduate survey course in the Foundations of Philosophy. Philosophy in the later 20th century has tended to become rather obtuse and so specialized that it is the hobby of tenured philosophy professors. To be a philosopher, in many of these folk's minds you need a PhD and a chair at some prestigious University, or to write books indecipherable to anyone outside those ranks. Nonsense of course. The real and most fundamental questions of philosophy were framed before the current era, and everything else is just embroidery around the edges. To be a philosopher, all one needs are the tools of rational and rigorous thought. Honesty and a willingness to look deep into the dark recesses of the human condition doesn't require a University education, though it might help. The results of personal thought and examination will be evident in a person's life, and the quality of that life will reveal just how successful the philosopher's efforts were.

and if you don't know where to start, i'll endorse plato, voltaire, and the tao te ching from the above list. you can read the tao in a day or two, i'd recommend deliberately spacing it out about 7 times that, unless you can read it more slowly.