Philosophy novice

I suggest you start with either Sophie's World or Russell's History of Western Philosophy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie's_World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Western_Philosophy

Less pretentiousness.

I would also recommend Russell's History. Not familiar with Sophie's World. Sounds intriguing.

The term "philosophy" is a pretty loose one, and the best entry points kind of depend on your own interests. Google is probably your friend in this area.

Just to qualify some previous remarks, by most measures, Nietzsche is a philosopher. And in my opinion, Bertrand Russel's "History of Western Philosophy" is not a particularly good place to start -- while it is pretty comprehensive, it is also extremely partisan in its presentation.

If you want a more traditional approach, a better place to start, also IMO, is by reading modern editions of classical philosophers, like "Plato: Complete Works" from Hackett Publishing Co., along with modern commentary. Tracing the roots of philosophy up to modern day can be, if you are enthusiastic in your commitment, very rewarding and informative.

I don't know who told you this, but they're dead wrong. Nietzsche's work is definitely philosophy.




To answer the first question, I'll take from Rand. She has a pretty succinct definition of philosophy:

"Philosophy is the science that studies the fundamental aspects of the nature of existence. The task of philosophy is to provide man with a comprehensive view of life. This view serves as a base, a frame of reference, for all his actions, mental or physical, psychological or existential. This view tells him the nature of the universe with which he has to deal (metaphysics); the means by which he is to deal with it, i.e., the means of acquiring knowledge (epistemology); the standards by which he is to choose his goals and values, in regard to his own life and character (ethics)—and in regard to society (politics); the means of concretizing this view is given to him by esthetics."
(Philosophy: Who Needs It, 2)

To answer the second question, I encourage you to read the Greeks, particularly Plato. Aristotle is a bit tough to get into, so I would put him off for later. Presocratics are also a good place to start.

As for more modern philosophy, Descartes' Discourse on Method is a good place to start. Almost everything written after him, philosophically speaking, is a critique of his position, so he's pretty damn important. The book is a bit tough, so you'll probably need sparknotes or something for a better explanation.

If you're in college, take some philosophy classes as well. It'll help. I think MIT and some other schools also offer online lectures, so that is always a potential source of learning material.

Hope this helps.