Every year a slew of new philosophy books are published, works by or about everyone from Aristotle to Žižek, and covering subjects from aesthetics to Zen. But which ones are actually worth reading? Below we keep track of new philosophy books coming out, and try to pick out ones that we like the look of. In his interviews with philosophers, our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton asks them to recommend books by others. The list below also helps us to highlight books they've written themselves.
(Lower down the list, we've also included older books that are available in paperback for the first time).
Looking for Theophrastus: Travels in Search of a Lost Philosopher
by Laura Beatty
Looking for Theophrastus is a charming, meditative travel/philosophy book by Laura Beatty, a British writer of fiction and literary nonfiction. Theophrastus attended Plato’s academy and worked closely with Aristotle but has all but been forgotten. In this book, he comes to life across the millennia. “Once, when asked who his friends were, Theophrastus answered quickly, How would I know? I am rich.”
On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times
by Michael Ignatieff
In On Consolation Michael Ignatieff, historian, writer and former Canadian politician, looks at what we can learn from each across the millennia about how to deal with grief and pain. An atheist, Ignatieff nonetheless starts off with the Bible's Book of Job and the Psalms, before turning to Albert Camus, Anna Akhmatova, and Primo Levi.
Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy
by David Chalmers
A book of 'technophilosophy' by David Chalmers, University Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at NYU and co-director of its Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. Chalmers is famous for coining the phrase ‘the hard problem’ to describe the difficulty of explaining how matter gives rise to an experiencing mind, but this book is very much for the general reader and requires no prior knowledge of philosophy of mind (with lots of references to The Matrix, the opening lines of "Bohemian Rhapsody" etc.).
The Life Inside: A Memoir of Prison, Family and Philosophy
by Andy West
This is a very personal memoir by Andy West, about growing up with a father who spent time in prison and his experiences teaching philosophy in prisons as an adult. The accounts of his lessons–one of the first is on 'freedom'—and how the men he is teaching respond to them are really thought-provoking.
Philosophy Illustrated
by Helen De Cruz
Philosopher Helen De Cruz is a big believer in the power of pictures to make philosophy more accessible. In this book, she lays out 42 thought experiments with her own illustrations.
“Cherry’s argument is that the energy and the possibility of collective channelled action, inspired by rage, justifies this approach, and makes it superior to a more neutral response to something as outrageous as the cold-faced racism in Charlottesville, for instance.” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
“It’s mostly a memoir about growing up in Albania. But that doesn’t adequately describe the book, because, as its title suggests, it’s really about different conceptions of freedom, told through experience and reflection on that experience. It’s very different from my other choices here. It’s a really fascinating and wonderful book, and beautifully written too. You won’t regret buying this one, for sure.” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian self-help columnist and author of the The Antidote, draws on the insights of ancient and contemporary philosophers and spiritual teachers in this entertaining and gently profound book that calls on the reader to accept that life is inherently short, and that we must learn to prioritise what is most important to us.
Oliver Burkeman previously spoke to Five Books about the best self-help books of 2020 and 2019.
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
by Anil Seth
In Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, brings the findings of neuroscience to bear on one of the hardest problems of philosophy: how we experience consciousness and perceive our own reality. This is likely to be one of the most important books of 2021, so keep an eye out of it: it's due to be published in the UK at the beginning of September and the US at the beginning of October.
What Mental Illness Really Is… (and what it isn’t)
by Lucy Foulkes
Out in paperback and with a new title, What Mental Illness Really Is (and what it isn't), is by academic psychologist Lucy Foulkes. It's an important look at what we know about mental illness and what we don't, and a call to increase public understanding of mental health so that we're all better equipped to help people.
“This book is brilliant. It’s written by Samantha Rose Hill, who must know as much as anyone about Hannah Arendt. She’s dived into Arendt’s surviving papers, notebooks, and even poetry, spending many hours in the archive. And what’s so great about this as a biography is that Hill has done something that biographers rarely do—she’s been highly selective in what she’s included. As a result, we don’t get the feeling of being overwhelmed by details of an individual life but rather get to understand what really mattered.” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
The Great Guide: What Hume Can Teach Us about Being Human and Living Well
by Julian Baggini
The Great Guide by Julian Baggini is a wonderful introduction to David Hume, the 18th century Scottish philosopher, and blends in his precepts and views with travelling in his footsteps and learning about his life. "Hume didn't just write about how to live," writes Baggini. "He modelled the good life."
How to Keep an Open Mind: An Ancient Guide to Thinking Like a Skeptic
by Richard Bett & Sextus Empiricus
How to Keep an Open Mind is a great primer on the ancient Greek philosophy of skepticism, put together by Richard Bett, a professor of philosophy and classics at John Hopkins University. A wonderful introduction puts the philosophy in context, comparing the ancient Greek or Pyrrhonist tradition of skepticism with what we mean when we describe someone as 'skeptical' today, and looking at what its value in the modern world might be.
As with all the books in the Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers series, Bett then selects passages from Sextus Empiricus—the only Greek skeptic whose works have survived—and translates them, also providing the original Greek on facing pages.
The Fourfold Remedy: Epicurus and the Art of Happiness
by John Sellars
In The Fourfold Remedy John Sellars, who earlier wrote an excellent short book about Stoicism, introduces the philosophy of Epicurus. Contrary to our modern vision of someone with refined tastes in food and wine, Epicureans in the ancient world were mostly concerned with achieving tranquillity.
Women of Ideas: Interviews from Philosophy Bites
edited by Suki Finn
Women of Ideas is a collection of interviews with philosophers from the Philosophy Bites podcast. The interviews were selected and put together by Suki Finn, Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, part of the University of London. It's a really fascinating collection, opening with an interview with Amia Srinivasan, Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, Oxford, on "What is a Woman?"
Philosophy through Science Fiction Stories: Exploring the Boundaries of the Possible
by Helen De Cruz, Johan De Smedt and Eric Schwitzgebel (editors)
Can you learn philosophy through science fiction? The authors of this book, Helen De Cruz, Johan De Smedt and Eric Schwitzgebel, think so. Eric also spoke to us about the best books on sci-fi and philosophy.
Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics
by Sylvana Tomaselli
In Wollstonecraft: Philosophy, Passion, and Politics, Cambridge intellectual historian Sylvana Tomaselli takes a holistic approach to the thinking of Mary Wollstonecraft, arguing that she should be remembered as much more than just the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Writing in the aftermath of the French Revolution, Wollstonecraft, though entirely self-educated, was a serious thinker. "Like many of her contemporaries, she sought to understand the circumstances that led to the stupendous events defining her time, but more than most she weighed the ethical choices they forged on those witnessing them," Tomaselli writes. Wollstonecraft was a prodigious writer, who earned her living by her pen, but died much too young, after giving birth to her second child (Mary, who would later write Frankenstein).
On Love and Tyranny: The Life and Politics of Hannah Arendt
by Ann Heberlein and Alice Menzies (translator)
A translation of Swedish writer Ann Heberlein's 2020 biography of Hannah Arendt, the German-born Jewish political philosopher, interweaving her philosophy with the tumultuous events of her life. The Swedish reviews of the book have been mixed, but anything about Hannah Arendt is hard to resist.
Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness
by Stephen Fleming
Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by cognitive neuroscientist Stephen Fleming looks set to be one of the must-reads of 2021. Scientific, philosophical, and practical, it sheds lights on 'metacognition'—our thoughts about thoughts and the importance of self-awareness to almost anything we embark on.
“What makes this such an interesting book for me is the combination of the first person and the more scientific and philosophical analysis. I’ve already mentioned that the author is a scuba diver. He’s brilliant at describing just what he sees, the patterns of behaviour of the animals he observes” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2020
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
“This is a fantastic biography. Frank Ramsey was an extraordinary character, evidently brilliant from an early age. He made path-breaking advances in mathematics, philosophy and economics. In his spare time, he helped Keynes edit the Economic Journal, he translated Wittgenstein into English because nobody else could understand what Wittgenstein was saying. And he was a larger-than-life character who hung out with the Bloomsbury Group and had an extraordinary life, and who then died tragically young at the age of 26.” Read more...
The Best Economics Books of 2020
Diane Coyle, Economist
“What David has managed to do is combine the biographical and historical with the philosophical, without getting too technical. A lot of the philosophy of the Vienna Circle was quite hard core, but he doesn’t get bogged down in the details. This is a book that’s accessible to a general reader. He’s very good about making clear what the importance of the debates they were having was, what their limitations were, why they were or were not influential, as well as telling these stories which connect very strongly with the rise of Nazism, including the murder of the title of the book.” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2020
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
An Introduction to Moral Philosophy
by Jonathan Wolff
The new, second edition of Jonathan Wolff's introduction to moral philosophy, using real life examples. Our interview with Jonathan Wolff, about political philosophy books, is one of the most popular on our site.
Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life
by John Gray
Lots of fans of cats and British philosopher John Gray will be delighted to hear that he's devoted a whole book to them. In his interview with us, Gray recommended books on 'critiques of utopia and apocalypse.'
The Art of Chinese Philosophy: Eight Classical Texts and How to Read Them
by Paul Goldin
The Art of Chinese Philosophy by Paul Goldin is a great introduction to Eastern philosophy, so often neglected in university philosophy courses. The writings attributed to eight Chinese thinkers are examined and explained, covering Confucianism and Daoism and including Sunzi, author of The Art of War, one of our most recommended books on Five Books.
Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life
by John Kaag
William James, one of the founders of pragmatism and empirical psychology, struggled with the question of what made life worth living. In this book, philosopher John Kaag—who spoke to us about the best books of American philosophy—explains how James's ideas can help those of us who struggle with the same question.
How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary
The ancient philosophers spent a lot of their time thinking about the best way to live. Modern philosophy is often more esoteric, but in many popular philosophy books coming out now, that ancient tradition is making a comeback. There are modern practitioners embracing Stoicism, Epicureanism, secular Buddhism and more. In How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy, philosophers Skye Cleary, Massimo Pigliucci and Dan Kaufman gather together essays by 15 thinkers, with each presenting the philosophy they've chosen to guide their lives.
The Meaning of Travel: Philosophers Abroad
by Emily Thomas
"This topic brings two things I really love together. I’ve spent years of my life backpacking and I’ve always been a bit obsessed with travel. Having spent my entire adult life as a professional philosopher, I was suddenly gripped with the obsessional idea of writing something about philosophy and travel. When I started, I wasn’t sure if I would find anything. It’s not a topic that’s talked about anywhere. I thought it was possible I would begin research and find that philosophers are just not interested in travel and that philosophy and travel have never interacted. Yet to my delight I found they’ve interacted a lot and there’s plenty to look at."
Emily Thomas also spoke to our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, about the best books on the philosophy of travel.
Undercover Robot: My First Year As Human
by Bertie Fraser & David Edmonds
Undercover Robot is a very funny introduction to the ethics of artificial intelligence and of being a human being. Dave Edmonds, who recommended the best books on ethical problems for Five Books, and Bertie Fraser, founder of Storynory.com, do a brilliant job of bringing to life Dotty, who is trying her best to fit in as normal 12-year old girl, but can't help being weird. A children's book, yes, but quite fun to read as an adult too.
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: the Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
by Donald Robertson
"How to Think Like a Roman Emperor is a philosophical biography of Marcus Aurelius, using key moments in the emperor’s life to introduce readers to the principles and practice of Stoicism, updated on the basis of the author’s experience as a cognitive behavioural therapist”—Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and practising Stoic, in his 2020 update on the best books on Stoicism.
The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers
by Eric Weiner
"‘Socrates’ is a stand-in for the kind of philosophy that I was interested in, that I write about, which is a practical, therapeutic, accessible philosophy. It was Cicero who famously said of him that he called philosophy down from the heavens and introduced it into people’s homes. That’s what I’m trying to do."
Bestselling author Eric Weiner talked to our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, about 'Life-Changing Philosophy Books'
The Philosopher Queens: The lives and legacies of philosophy's unsung women
by Lisa Whiting & Rebecca Buxton
"The book aims to challenge the notion of the well-defined canon, which typically doesn’t have many women in it. We were also really keen to make a book that was written by women who are working in philosophy."
We spoke to Lisa Whiting and Rebecca Buxton about their favourite philosophy books by women.
Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live
by John Sellars
"Here, in around 80 pages, Sellars gives a lucid, easy-to-follow account of what Stoicism as a way of life amounts to, and how you might start to put it into practice."
Our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton's review of Lessons in Stoicism:
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1
Being You: A New Science of Consciousness
by Anil Seth -
2
Critical Lives: Hannah Arendt
by Samantha Rose Hill -
3
The Case for Rage: Why Anger Is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle
by Myisha Cherry -
4
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman -
5
Free: Coming of Age at the End of History
by Lea Ypi
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021, recommended by Nigel Warburton
The Best Philosophy Books of 2021, recommended by Nigel Warburton
Nigel Warburton—the philosopher, broadcaster and creator of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast—selects five of the best public philosophy books published in 2021, including a defence of righteous rage, an examination of the concept of ‘time management,’ and an intellectual biography of the political philosopher and Holocaust survivor Hannah Arendt.
