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 our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, picks out some of the books that have recently hit the shelves in hardback or paperback, plus highlights those to look out for in the coming months.
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."
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.
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.
How to Live a Good Life: A Guide to Choosing Your Personal Philosophy
by Daniel Kaufman, Massimo Pigliucci & Skye C Cleary
Are you an existentialist? A Stoic? Or does Buddhism have more appeal? 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.
We have interviews with both Skye Cleary, on the Philosophy of Love, and Massimo Pigliucci, on the Best Stoicism Books, on Five Books.
Spinoza's Ethics, Translated by George Eliot
by Baruch Spinoza, Clare Carlisle & George Eliot
"Hatred is increased by reciprocal hatred, but can be destroyed by love"—Baruch Spinoza.
Rather excitingly, Princeton University Press has published George Eliot's translation of Baruch Spinoza's Ethics, which previously was quite hard to buy. The book is edited by Clare Carlisle, a philosopher at King's College London, whose introduction details the influence of Spinoza on George Eliot's later literary work.
The influence of Spinoza on George Eliot is discussed in this interview on the Best Philosophical Novels, with philosopher and novelist Rebecca Goldstein.
How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog: Exploring the Big Questions in Life
by Anthony McGowan
"We’re doing philosophy now, and that means following the argument wherever it leads, like that time you chased a rabbit and ended up with your head stuck in a hole." —Anthony McGowan
How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog got a special mention in Nigel Warburton's Best Philosophy Books of 2019.
Secularism: A Very Short Introduction
by Andrew Copson
"Andrew Copson’s short book covers a lot of ground. It is one of the best books I’ve read in this excellent series. Copson in his role as Chief Executive of Humanists UK is practically involved with secularism on a daily basis, and is an eloquent defender of secularist principles, but nevertheless here provides a balanced and generous interpretation that presents arguments on different sides."
Our philosophy editor Nigel Warburton's review of Secularism: A Very Short Introduction by Andrew Copson can be found below.
We also have an interview with Andrew Copson on the best books on humanism.
A Theory of Jerks and Other Philosophical Misadventures
by Eric Schwitzgebel
***One of the Best Philosophy Books of 2019, recommended by Nigel Warburton***
What is the difference between a jerk and an asshole? A Theory of Jerks and Other Philosophical Misadventures by Eric Schwitzgebel explores this and other important issues.
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. A further virtue of this excellent little primer is Sellars’s skill in summarising the work of the philosophers he writes about. To cover so much ground without merely skimming the surface requires real skill as a writer, and to some extent as a teacher – the book’s title Lessons in Stoicism is apt."
Our philosophy editor, Nigel Warburton, has reviewed Lessons in Stoicism below.
Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, and Justice
by Martha Nussbaum
***One of the Best Philosophy Books of 2016, recommended by Nigel Warburton***
Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher
by Armand D'Angour
***One of the Best Philosophy Books of 2019, recommended by Nigel Warburton***
The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought
by Dennis Rasmussen
***One of the Best Philosophy Books of 2016, recommended by Nigel Warburton***
