You can use our reading lists below to find the best philosophy books ever written, recommended by philosophers such as Peter Singer, Simon Blackburn, Mary Warnock, and many more.
Our coverage reaches back to the dawn of the subject, with the best books on the Presocratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Aiming to challenge the western bias, we also have book recommendations for ancient Chinese philosophy, Islamic philosophy, and world philosophy. Our philosophy book recommendations continue from the ancient world up to the most thriving areas of philosophy today. These include the philosophy of science, political philosophy, and philosophy of mind.
Or you might be interested in reading about a particular philosopher. We provide engaging reading recommendations for many great philosophers (Such as Hume, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Beauvoir and Wittgenstein).
We tried to maintain the ancient tradition of philosophy not only as an academic subject, but as a way to lead your life (see our interviews on the art of living, the meaning of life, and the philosophy of everyday living).
We also have a select list of the best new philosophy books as they come out. They give a taste of the excellent popular philosophy books that are being published these days, making philosophy available to a much broader audience.
If you're new to the subject, you can start with our 'Introductions to Philosophy,' with recommendations of books that introduce you to philosophical ways of thinking. Our philosophy interviews are edited by British philosopher, Nigel Warburton. Whether you're a seasoned philosopher or just starting out, we have the books for you.
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The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton -
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The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
by Emily Thomas -
3
Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
by Cheryl Misak -
4
The Murder of Professor Schlick: The Rise and Fall of the Vienna Circle
by David Edmonds -
5
Metazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind
by Peter Godfrey-Smith
The Best Philosophy Books of 2020, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The Best Philosophy Books of 2020, recommended by Nigel Warburton
2020 has been a great year for popular philosophy with many excellent books published. Here, Nigel Warburton, our philosophy editor and co-host of the Philosophy Bites podcast, picks his favourites and explains what he likes about them.
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Plato's Republic: A Ladybird Expert Book
by Angela Hobbs -
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The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton -
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What Does It All Mean?
by Thomas Nagel -
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The Life You Can Save
by Peter Singer -
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Justice
by Michael Sandel -
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Causing Death and Saving Lives
by Jonathan Glover
The Best Introductions to Philosophy, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The Best Introductions to Philosophy, recommended by Nigel Warburton
How should we live? What is the nature of reality? Should pro golfers be allowed to use carts? British philosopher Nigel Warburton sets us off down the road of philosophical enquiry with an intriguing list of introductory philosophy books.
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Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography
by Rüdiger Safranski & translator Shelley Frisch -
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Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy
by Maudemarie Clark -
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Nietzsche’s System
by John Richardson -
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Beyond Good and Evil
by Friedrich Nietzsche & translated by Walter Kaufmann -
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On the Genealogy of Morality
by Friedrich Nietzsche
The Best Nietzsche Books, recommended by Brian Leiter
The Best Nietzsche Books, recommended by Brian Leiter
Relativist, atheist, existentialist, Nazi. All have been said of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, some with more reason than others. In 2011, we asked Nietzsche expert Brian Leiter to explain the appeal of the controversial philosopher and to recommend books by and about him. This September (2020) our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, asked Brian about some of the latest Nietzsche books, notable works that have come out in the decade since we first spoke to him.
The Best Chinese Philosophy Books, recommended by Michael Puett
What do the sages of ancient China have to teach us about living in the 21st century? The Harvard professor and author of The Path, Michael Puett, recommends the texts you need to read to find out. He picks the best Chinese philosophy books.
The Best Plato Books, recommended by Melissa Lane
Plato came from a politically active family, but renounced politics to become a philosopher. Or did he? Professor Melissa Lane of Princeton University recommends the best books to get a better understanding of the Greek philosopher Plato, including his most famous work, the Republic.
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The Collected Works of Spinoza (Volume I)
by Baruch Spinoza & Edwin Curley -
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Behind the Geometrical Method: A Reading of Spinoza's Ethics
by Edwin Curley -
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A Study of Spinoza's Ethics
by Jonathan Bennett -
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The Explainability of Experience: Realism and Subjectivity in Spinoza's Theory of the Human Mind
by Ursula Renz -
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Spinoza on Philosophy, Religion, and Politics: The Theologico-Political Treatise
by Susan James
The best books on Spinoza, recommended by Steven Nadler
The best books on Spinoza, recommended by Steven Nadler
In 1656 Baruch Spinoza was thrown out by Amsterdam’s Portuguese-Jewish congregation for ‘abominable heresies’ and ‘monstrous deeds’, ensuring he would be forever remembered as a radical thinker. Here Steven Nadler, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of a number of books on Spinoza, talks us through the life and work of the 17th century philosopher whose worldview remains, in many ways, remarkably modern.
The best books on Hannah Arendt, recommended by Samantha Rose Hill
Unimpressed by the response of philosophers to the rise of Nazism in her native Germany, Hannah Arendt rejected the notion of being a philosopher and said she was a political theorist. Samantha Rose Hill of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College talks us through Hannah Arendt’s life and work—and suggests which books to read if we want to learn more about her and her ideas.
Life-Changing Philosophy Books, recommended by Eric Weiner
Can philosophy change your life? Yes, says bestselling author Eric Weiner, though partly by making it more complicated. Here, he picks five works of life-changing philosophy, from Epictetus to Jacob Needleman, a professor (emeritus) at San Francisco State University.
The best books on World Philosophy, recommended by Bryan Van Norden
The study of philosophy in the Western world is often parochial, and limited to the study of the Anglo-European tradition. It’s time to widen our focus, advises the author and philosopher Bryan Van Norden. Here he selects five foundational texts of philosophical traditions worldwide.
The best books on Logic, recommended by Tom Stoneham
Logic is an excellent form of mind-training because it involves a very particular way of thinking and focus on truth. But how does it work and what are its limitations? Tom Stoneham, a professor of philosophy at the University of York, picks some great books for anyone who wants to learn more about logic.
The Best Books by Albert Camus, recommended by Jamie Lombardi
Albert Camus was born in northern Algeria in extreme poverty, but went on to become one of the best-known French philosophers of the 20th century. In 1957, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for illuminating “the problems of the human conscience in our times.” Here, Camus expert Jamie Lombardi talks us through the books that best capture his work and the moral dilemmas he sought to explore.
The Best Philosophy Books by Women, recommended by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton
When it comes to the big names in philosophy, very few people think of women and the books that make the canon have, traditionally, almost always been written by European or American men. Here, Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting, editors of The Philosopher Queens, a book that collects together articles about the most important women philosophers, talk through their selection of the best philosophy books written by women.
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Language, Truth and Logic
by AJ Ayer -
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The World of Yesterday
by Stefan Zweig & Anthea Bell (translator) -
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The Vienna Circle
by Friedrich Stadler -
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Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
by Cheryl Misak -
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Exact Thinking in Demented Times: The Vienna Circle and the Epic Quest for the Foundations of Science
by Karl Sigmund
The best books on The Vienna Circle, recommended by David Edmonds
The best books on The Vienna Circle, recommended by David Edmonds
Members of ‘the Vienna Circle’ had strong views on what can and cannot be meaningfully said. They’ve had an enormous impact on modern philosophy, partly because the arrival of fascist rule in Austria scattered them around the world. Here, philosopher David Edmonds, author of The Murder of Professor Schlick, introduces us to their ideas, their milieu and the poignant background to their lives and thinking.
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Greek Thought, Arabic Culture
by Dimitri Gutas -
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Great Medieval Thinkers: Avicenna
by Jon McGinnis -
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Avicenna's 'De Anima' in the Latin West
by Dag Nikolaus Hasse -
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Maimonides in His World: Portrait of a Mediterranean Thinker
by Sarah Stroumsa -
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The Teleological Ethics of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī
by Ayman Shihadeh
The best books on Philosophy in the Islamic World, recommended by Peter Adamson
The best books on Philosophy in the Islamic World, recommended by Peter Adamson
Arabic philosophy was hugely influential during the Islamic Golden Age; at one point, the Persian polymath Avicenna’s influence outstripped that of Aristotle. But a strong tradition has continued in the centuries since, explains Professor Peter Adamson, as he selects five of the best books on the subject.
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Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World
by Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West -
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Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman -
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Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World — And Why Things Are Better Than You Think
by Hans Rosling -
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Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success
by Matthew Syed -
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The Art of Thinking Clearly
by Rolf Dobelli -
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Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study
by Tom Chatfield
The best books on Critical Thinking, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The best books on Critical Thinking, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton, Five Books philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects some of the best books on critical thinking—and explains how they will help us make better informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.
The Best Simone de Beauvoir Books, recommended by Kate Kirkpatrick
Simone de Beauvoir is remembered today as the pioneering feminist author of The Second Sex and a close companion of Jean Paul Sartre. But the scope of her intellectual contribution has long been underestimated, argues her latest biographer Kate Kirkpatrick, who offers an introduction to the landscape of Beauvoir’s works, from fiction to philosophy to life writing.
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Discourses on Livy
by Niccolo Machiavelli, trans. Harvey Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov -
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The New Science of Giambattista Vico: Unabridged Translation of the Third Edition (1744)
by Giambattista Vico, trans. Max Harold Fisch and Thomas Goddard Bergin -
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The History of European Liberalism
by Guido De Ruggiero, trans. R. G. Collingwood -
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Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci, trans. Joseph A. Buttigieg and Antonio Callari -
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Liberalism and Democracy
by Norberto Bobbio, trans. Martin Ryle and Kate Soper
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
The best books on Italian Political Philosophy, recommended by Guglielmo Verdirame
Italy has a rich tradition of political philosophy, producing a number of thinkers with both practical experience and a cosmopolitan outlook. Here Guglielmo Verdirame, Professor of International Law at King’s College London, talks us through the five most important Italian political philosophers, and the best books to read to understand their work.
The best books on Arthur Schopenhauer, recommended by David Bather Woods
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher who held a deeply pessimistic view of the world. He was also, among other things, a misogynist. And yet, he made important contributions to a number of areas of philosophy and had a deep influence on other philosophers. He wrote in a clear style that gained him a wide readership among non-philosophers as well. David Bather Woods, a Schopenhauer expert at the University of Warwick, talks us through his choice of books on the life and work of this remarkable thinker.
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Of Grammatology
by Jacques Derrida & translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak -
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The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays
by Mikhail Bakhtin & translated by Michael Holquist and Caryl Emerson -
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Jacques Derrida Circumfession
by Geoffrey Bennington & Jacques Derrida -
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The Newly Born Woman
by Catherine Clément, Hélène Cixous & translated by Betsy Wing -
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"53 Days"
by Georges Perec, translated by David Bellos
The best books on Deconstruction, recommended by Peter Salmon
The best books on Deconstruction, recommended by Peter Salmon
For the general reader deconstruction has a bad reputation. It is seen as over-complicating, arcane and wilfully obscure—but as its founding genius Jacques Derrida pointed out, “If things were simple, word would have gotten around.” Here Peter Salmon, author of an excellent new biography of Derrida, chooses five books to get you started on the text and everything inside it.
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Mountain Gloom And Mountain Glory: The Development of the Aesthetics of the Infinite
by Marjorie Hope Nicolson -
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Letters written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
by Mary Wollstonecraft -
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Walden
by Henry David Thoreau -
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The Art of Travel
by Alain de Botton -
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How to Talk About Places You've Never Been: On the Importance of Armchair Travel
by Michele Hutchison (translator) & Pierre Bayard
The Best Books on the Philosophy of Travel, recommended by Emily Thomas
The Best Books on the Philosophy of Travel, recommended by Emily Thomas
At its best, travel broadens our minds, expands our horizons and allows us to see the world we live in differently. But it has also played an important role in the history of philosophy. Emily Thomas, author of The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad, explores the connections between her two passions—philosophy and travel—at a moment when most of us are unable to leave our houses: perhaps the perfect moment to reflect on travel’s significance for human beings.
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The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
by Emily Thomas -
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Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed
by Lisa Duggan -
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How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary -
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Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World
by Timothy Garton Ash -
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The Plague
by Albert Camus
Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Summer Reading 2020: Philosophy Books, recommended by Nigel Warburton
From reflections on travel and searching for a personal philosophy to live by, to books on important aspects of democracy and contagious diseases, here’s British philosopher Nigel Warburton’s 2020 summer reading list. All the books you need to keep you thinking over the summer, whatever it may hold and wherever you may be.
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Becoming Beauvoir: A Life
by Kate Kirkpatrick -
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Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher
by Armand D'Angour -
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A Theory of Jerks and Other Philosophical Misadventures
by Eric Schwitzgebel -
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Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness
by Philip Goff -
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A Theory of the Aphorism: From Confucius to Twitter
by Andrew Hui
The Best Philosophy Books of 2019, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The Best Philosophy Books of 2019, recommended by Nigel Warburton
We live in a golden age for philosophy books that are accessible to a wide audience. In the pages of even quite short books, we can find new ways of reflecting on who we are and how we should conduct ourselves in the world, as well as learn more about the brilliant thinkers who trod these paths before us. Our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton talks us through some of the best philosophy books that came out in 2019.
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The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry -
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The Annotated Alice
by Lewis Carroll and Martin Gardner -
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Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H Papadimitriou -
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The Way of Nature (The Illustrated Library of Chinese Classics)
by Zhuangzi (aka Chuang Tzu), C. C. Tsai (illustrator) and Brian Bruya (translator) -
5
The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton
The Best Illustrated Philosophy Books, recommended by Helen De Cruz
The Best Illustrated Philosophy Books, recommended by Helen De Cruz
Philosophy is a very verbal discipline with much effort made to express meaning through the very precise use of language. You might think that pictures wouldn’t get much of a look in, but you’d be wrong, as philosopher Helen de Cruz explains. She chooses five books where the philosophical meaning of the subjects under investigation are given greater depth and clarity with the use of illustrations, from ancient Chinese philosophy through to the philosopher queens of the 21st century.
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Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius (ed. James Miller, trans. Pamela Mensch) -
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On the Nature of the Universe
Lucretius (trans. Ronald Melville) -
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The Library of the Villa Dei Papiri at Herculaneum
by David Sider -
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Epicureanism
by Tim O'Keefe -
5
The Morality of Happiness
by Julia Annas
The best books on The Epicureans, recommended by James Warren
The best books on The Epicureans, recommended by James Warren
For most of us, an Epicurean means someone devoted to pleasure and enjoying themselves. But the real Epicureans had a very different philosophy of how to live. Cambridge University professor James Warren talks us through the philosophy of Epicurus and explains how it’s still relevant today—particularly when it comes to facing death.
The best books on Aphorisms, recommended by Andrew Hui
The unexamined life is not worth living; nature loves to hide; you can’t step in the same river twice. No doubt we’ve all grown up hearing aphorisms, but perhaps we take their importance for granted. Andrew Hui, the author of the first full book on the theory of the aphorism, guides us through the history of the short philosophical saying from Heraclitus to Nietzsche and beyond.
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The Veil of Isis: An Essay on the History of the Idea of Nature
by Pierre Hadot -
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The Way and the Word: Science and Medicine in Early China and Greece
by Geoffrey Lloyd & Nathan Sivin -
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The Lost Age of Reason: Philosophy in Early Modern India, 1450–1700
by Jonardon Ganeri -
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Atoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific Revolution
by William Newman -
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Native Pragmatism: Rethinking the Roots of American Philosophy
by Scott L. Pratt
The best books on The History of Philosophy, recommended by Justin E. H. Smith
The best books on The History of Philosophy, recommended by Justin E. H. Smith
Today, we think of scientists and philosophers as distinct, but it wasn’t always this way. Back when the Royal Society was founded in the 1660s, figures like Newton, Descartes and Boyle all thought of themselves as ‘natural philosophers’. Justin E. H. Smith, professor of philosophy at the Université de Paris, introduces us to what he sees as the real history of philosophy.
The Best Augustine Books, recommended by Catherine Conybeare
Christianity has been profoundly influenced by Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE), but the fifth-century North African bishop has impacted almost every area of western thought: philosophy, theology, political theory, linguistics, and rhetoric. His Confessions is one of the most recommended titles on Five Books, but is it really the first autobiography? Professor Catherine Conybeare introduces us to the life, thought, and personality of this controversial yet brilliant figure. She picks the best books to learn more about St. Augustine and explores how he has been unfairly maligned.
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Consciousness Explained
by Daniel C Dennett -
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Principles of Psychology
by William James -
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The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes -
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The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul
by Douglas R Hofstadter & Daniel C Dennett -
5
Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life
by Peter Godfrey-Smith
The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore
The best books on Consciousness, recommended by Susan Blackmore
The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness – of how the physical matter of the brain produces the psychological phenomenon of consciousness – has dogged psychologists and neuroscientists for decades. But what if we’ve been posing the question incorrectly all this time? The psychologist Susan Blackmore discusses five key texts that tackle this quicksilver concept.
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Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher
by Armand D'Angour -
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How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
by Sarah Bakewell -
3
The Complete Philosophy Files
by Stephen Law -
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The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli -
5
The Path: A New Way to Think About Everything
by Christine Gross-Loh & Michael Puett
Summer Reading: Philosophy Books to Take On Holiday, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Summer Reading: Philosophy Books to Take On Holiday, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Sea, sun and Socrates: what more could you want for the perfect holiday? Our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton, whose own book has had considerable success as a beach read, unveils his philosophy book holiday reading list.
The best books on Philosophical Wonder, recommended by Eric Schwitzgebel
We think of philosophy as a discipline that interrogates complex dilemmas—the nature of will, right and wrong, human freedom—with logic, reasoned thought and argument. But what do the moments in philosophy that make us stop and look outside ourselves have to teach us? According to Eric Schwitzgebel, philosopher at the University of California Riverside, they can open up worlds of fresh possibility. Here he recommends five books of philosophical wonder.
The Best Philosophy Books of 2018, recommended by Nigel Warburton
What can Nietzsche and Aristotle teach us about how to live? Should everyone read Being and Nothingness? From a philosophical approach to misogyny to an interrogation of whether it’s morally acceptable to have a Facebook account, philosopher Nigel Warburton introduces us to the best philosophy books of 2018.
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The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought
by Dennis Rasmussen -
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The Meaning of Belief: Religion from an Atheist’s Point of View
by Tim Crane -
3
Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
by Robert Wright -
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How To Be A Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living
by Massimo Pigliucci -
5
Utilitarianism: A Very Short Introduction
by Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer
The Best Philosophy Books of 2017, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The best books on Political Philosophy, recommended by Jonathan Wolff
British philosopher Jonathan Wolff chooses five books by thinkers who have shaped the field of political philosophy. He explores the experiences that influenced each writer, saying ‘it’s very rare for philosophers to say very much about their history and what brought them to the views they have’.
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Violence and the Word
by Robert Cover -
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The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander -
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Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party
by Joshua Bloom & Waldo E. Martin Jr. -
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Critique of Violence
by Walter Benjamin -
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The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978–1979
by Michel Foucault
The best books on State, Power and Violence, recommended by Geoffroy de Lagasnerie
The best books on State, Power and Violence, recommended by Geoffroy de Lagasnerie
French philosopher and sociologist Geoffroy de Lagasnerie argues for a more realist political theory, one that fully acknowledges that state violence is the one thing in your life that you can never escape. His selection includes works by Michel Foucault and Walter Benjamin, as well as a history of the Black Panther Party.
The best books on Stoicism, recommended by Massimo Pigliucci
The Stoics offer us valuable strategies of thinking about and dealing with hardships that remain relevant for modern society, Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and practising Stoic, told us in 2016. We were interviewing him about the best books to read to get a better idea of what Stoicism is all about and why some people find the ancient philosophy, famously practised by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, comforting today. This week our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, caught up with Massimo and asked him about new Stoicism books that have come out since they first spoke–and why the philosophy remains so popular in 2020.
The best books on Existentialism, recommended by Sarah Bakewell
Existentialist philosophy isn’t about bringing despair and angst into our lives, it’s about discovering our inner freedom, explains Sarah Bakewell, the author of At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails. She recommends books to learn more about existentialism.
The best books on Wittgenstein, recommended by Peter Hacker
A pioneering figure in analytic philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) is a clear example of philosophical genius. A profoundly intense, tortured, and solitary man, he produced two masterpieces of philosophy with fundamentally opposed views of language — both of which have been wildly influential. Peter Hacker introduces us to perhaps the most important philosopher since Kant, and explains why Wittgenstein would be horrified by Noam Chomsky.
The Best Philosophy of Science Books, recommended by Stathis Psillos
Science is often held to give us the best insight into the nature of reality, with a prestige unmatched in other disciplines. But what is the scientific method and how does it operate? Does it give us objective knowledge or does it just 'work'? And if an electron is an “unobservable entity”, why should we believe that they exist? Professor Stathis Psillos gives a detailed look at the philosophy of science
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Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom
by Roger Pearson -
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A Pocket Philosophical Dictionary
by John Fletcher (translator) & Voltaire -
3
The Newton Wars and the Beginning of the French Enlightenment
by J. B. Shank -
4
Candide
by Roger Pearson (translator) & Voltaire -
5
Reinventing Voltaire: The Politics of Commemoration in Nineteenth-Century France
by Stephen Bird
The Best Voltaire Books, recommended by Nicholas Cronk
The Best Voltaire Books, recommended by Nicholas Cronk
The eighteenth-century philosopher wielded his powers of ridicule and witticism against religious fanatics—but always championed free speech and religious toleration. He was also a historian, scientist, poet, playwright, and political activist. Nicholas Cronk, General Editor of the Complete Works of Voltaire gives a detailed look at the polymathic philosophe.
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A Materialist Theory of the Mind
by D M Armstrong -
2
Consciousness Explained
by Daniel C Dennett -
3
Varieties of Meaning: The 2002 Jean Nicod Lectures
by Ruth Garrett Millikan -
4
The Architecture of the Mind
by Peter Carruthers -
5
Supersizing the Mind: Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension
by Andy Clark
The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish
The best books on Philosophy of Mind, recommended by Keith Frankish
The experimental investigation of the mind is now the province of psychology and neuroscience – but many conceptual and metaphysical questions remain. Philosophy of mind deals with these fundamental questions, says Keith Frankish, as he selects five of the best books in the field.
The best books on Immanuel Kant, recommended by Adrian Moore
Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg, lived in Königsberg, and never travelled very far from Königsberg—but his mind ranged across vast territories, says Oxford philosophy professor, Adrian Moore. He selects five key texts for coming to grips with the work of “the greatest philosopher of all time.”
The best books on Marx and Marxism, recommended by Terrell Carver
Few people have had their ideas reinvented as many times as the German intellectual and political activist, Karl Marx. Professor of political theory, Terrell Carver, takes us through the most influential books, in English, about Marx, Marxism and his friend, publicist and financial backer, Friedrich Engels.
The best books on Socrates, recommended by M M McCabe
The classical Greek philosopher is credited with laying the foundation of Western philosophy – without ever having written a word. Here, the eminent scholar M M McCabe recommends the best books to read to understand Socrates and engage with the eternal question: How best to live?
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Phenomenology of Spirit
by A. V. Miller & G. W. F. Hegel -
2
Science of Logic
by A. V. Miller & G. W. F. Hegel -
3
On Hegel's Logic
by John Burbidge -
4
Hegel's Idealism: The Satisfactions of Self-Consciousness
by Robert B. Pippin -
5
Aesthetics: Lectures on Fine Art Vol. II
by G. W. F. Hegel & transl. Tom Knox
The Best Hegel Books, recommended by Stephen Houlgate
The Best Hegel Books, recommended by Stephen Houlgate
G W F Hegel is one of the most divisive figures in western philosophy. He influenced Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Adorno and countless others. And yet, he is seen as perhaps the most obscure and inaccessible philosopher to read. Is he worth engaging with? How should we read him? Stephen Houlgate, a philosopher at Warwick University, gives us an in-depth look at Hegel.
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The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air
Søren Kierkegaard (trans. by Bruce H. Kirmmse) -
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The Sickness unto Death
by Søren Kierkegaard -
3
Stages on Life’s Way
Søren Kierkegaard (trans. by Edna V. Hong and Howard H. Hong) -
4
Kierkegaard, Pietism and Holiness
by Christopher Barnett -
5
Written Images
Søren Kierkegaard (ed. by Niels Jørgen Cappelørn, Joakim Garff, Johnny Kondrup)
The best books on Søren Kierkegaard, recommended by Clare Carlisle
The best books on Søren Kierkegaard, recommended by Clare Carlisle
“It’s not surprising that he died at forty-two, because he burned himself out restlessly, relentlessly pursuing this question of how to be a human being.” Søren Kierkegaard’s latest biographer Clare Carlisle recommends five books for understanding the Danish philosopher’s life and work—and shows how his work often bears witness to the complex, fraught experience of being alive.