The universe’s questions appear to be endless and unanswerable. Fortunately, we have access to some of history’s finest philosophers and their work. This reading list of the top philosophy books of all time includes works by Plato and Nietzsche as well as many other philosophers who have had a great impact on Western thinking.
Though nothing in philosophy is absolute, one thing is certain: these books will keep you thinking long beyond the last page. Descriptions from publishers are given. These finest philosophy books of all time include must-read ancient and current classics by Ancient Greek philosophers and 20th-century thought leaders.
Contents
Being and nothingness: Jean-Paul Sartre
When it comes to the existentialist school of thinking, Sartre’s name cannot go unnoticed, for he had a crucial impact on the development of existentialist ideas of life. Being and Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre’s masterpiece, was published in 1943, establishing his legacy as one of the greatest twentieth-century philosophers. Being and Nothingness is a remarkable and daring examination of the human predicament that delves into what gives our life meaning.
This seminal classic, in a new, more accessible translation, contends that we alone construct our values and that our existence is defined by freedom and the inevitability of choice. The human consciousness, far from being an internal, inert container for our thoughts and experiences, is continually projecting itself into the outside world and imbuing it with meaning.
The complete essays of Michel De Montaigne
Michel de Montaigne initially published his Essays in 1580, with the purpose of completely depicting man and utilizing himself as the most frequent example. This collection of 107 chapters covers a wide range of topics, motivated initially by his study of Latin classics and later by the lives of notable personalities of his time.
Michel de Montaigne considered diversity and unpredictability as the most essential components of man, and this idea pervades the entire work, even as he tackles a wide range of themes such as theology, philosophy, law, celebrity, memory, mortality, and his own daily itinerary. ‘Apology for Raymond Sebond,’ his longest essay, has his most famous quote: “What do I know?” This may encapsulate the spirit of the entire book.
Beyond good and evil: Nietzsche
Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher whose work is a critical response to metaphysical books that attempt to define good and evil. Nietzsche promotes an individualized method of thinking that focuses on life’s reality while rejecting old moral standards such as religion, free will, and self-consciousness.
Beyond Good and Evil was written in a polemical way in 296 short portions and divided into nine subject areas. Beyond Good and Evil, published shortly after Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, develops on and adds to the themes of the prior work.
The dialogues of Plato
Being one of the earliest philosophers, Plato’s Dialogues remain the core of a thoughtful person’s education. This magnificent collection includes great contemporary translations chosen for their clarity and accessibility to today’s reader, as well as an insightful introduction by Erich Segal that uncovers Plato’s life and clarifies the philosophical topics addressed in each debate.
The first four dialogues describe Socrates’ trial and execution, an incredible tragedy that changed Plato’s life and permanently affected the direction of Western philosophy. Other dialogues paint a vivid picture of intellectual life in Athens in the fourth century B. C., delving into timeless — and relevant — topics like the nature of virtue and love, knowledge and truth, and society and the individual.
Meditations on the first philosophy: Rene Descartes
Meditations on First Philosophy, in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated (Latin: Meditationes de Prima Philosophia, in qua Dei existential et animae immortalitas demonstratur) is a philosophical treatise written by philosopher René Descartes and first published in Latin in 1641.
René Descartes, the father of Western philosophy, establishes the concept of the dichotomy – the separation of mind and body — in Meditations on First Philosophy by determining, “I think, therefore I am.”
Man’s search for meaning: Victor Frankl
Viktor Frankl’s memoir has captivated generations of readers with its depictions of life in Nazi death camps and spiritual survival skills. Frankl, the philosopher worked in four separate camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife were all killed.
Frankl says that we cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to live with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose, based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice. According to Frankl’s idea, known as logotherapy after the Greek term logos (“meaning”), our major motivation in life is not pleasure, as Freud believed, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find important.
The Second Sex: Simone De Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir’s seminal work is a scathing critique of the Western concept of “woman,” as well as a groundbreaking examination of inequity and otherness. For the first time in English, this long-awaited volume restores major chunks of the original French text that were removed in the first English translation. Beauvoir’s pioneering philosophical text and magnificent text is as relevant today as it was when it was originally published, and it will continue to provoke and inspire future generations of men and women.
A treatise of human nature: David Hume
Hume’s Treatise, one of the most important works of Western philosophy, was published in 1739-40 before he was 30 years old. It is a comprehensive attempt to apply scientific methods of observation to a study of human nature, as well as a robust attack on the assumptions of traditional metaphysical philosophy.
Hume, in masterful language, dismisses the immortality of the soul and the actuality of space; explores how we construct notions of identity, cause, and effect; and speculates on the nature of freedom, morality, and passion. Hume’s philosophy of informed skepticism, which opposes both metaphysics and rationality, sees man as a creature controlled by sentiment, passion, and appetite, rather than a religious creation or a machine.
Letters from a stoic: Seneca
Seneca was a well-known Roman philosopher and playwright who wrote numerous important works on Stoicism. He is regarded as one of the three major Stoic thinkers (together with Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus), advised Emperor Nero, and is frequently credited with making Stoicism more accessible to a wider audience than his contemporaries. Letters from a Stoic is apparently a compilation of 124 letters Seneca wrote to his friend Lucilius, who was then procurator of Sicily (basically an official in Ancient Rome), counseling him on how to become a better Stoic.
“Presumably” because many academics believe Seneca’s letters were “essays disguised” – there is no evidence of Lucilius writing back to Seneca, and the style of the letters implies that they were intended to be published rather than read by a friend.
Phenomenology of spirit
Hegel outlines his methodology and philosophical position. He develops his idealistic ideas but contends that knowledge of the world, and even absolute (all-encompassing truth), is conceivable. He believes that he can show that it is possible since the history of human cognition shows that it is possible. This ascension, however, can only be seen in retrospect. His work aims to give the reader just such a perspective.
Consciousness, according to Hegel, is the first stage of human thought. The element of consciousness that deals with the earliest and simplest level of thought—the simple, passive absorption of sensory facts about the world—is known as sense certainty. Hegel demonstrates how sense-certainty transforms into perception, the active activity of thinking about the world. Truth cannot be grasped by sense certainty or perception.
Conclusion
Philosophy attempts an all-encompassing knowledge of reality. At the moment, the Western philosophical tradition is separated into two distinct streams of thought: the analytical (mostly Anglophone) tradition and the Continental (phenomenological, hermeneutic) school. Although some differences between English empiricist and Continental rationalist traditions can be traced back to the early modern period, the final split occurred in the early twentieth century. Both strands, however, spring from the same ultimate source: ancient Greek and medieval Arabic philosophy, as well as Jewish and Latin Scholastic philosophy. As a result, the history of philosophy looms far larger in current philosophy than in any other academic discipline.
Also Read:
