Interviewer
Nigel Warburton
Interviews by Nigel Warburton
The Best Cycling Books, recommended by James Hibbard
As a professional cyclist, James Hibbard looked to philosophy to provide some of the answers he was looking for. He describes that quest in his book, The Art of Cycling. Here, he shares some of his own favourite cycling books, from the best cycling novel to the true story of cyclists who aim to ride the entire length of the United Kingdom in 40 hours. These are books that you don’t need to be a professional cyclist or die-hard fan to appreciate.
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1
Plotinus: An Introduction to the Enneads
by Dominic O’Meara -
2
Neoplatonism
by Pauliina Remes -
3
Ennead VI.8: On the Voluntary and on the Free Will of the One
by Plotinus, Kevin Corrigan, and John D. Turner -
4
On Abstinence from Killing Animals
Porphyry and Gillian Clark (translator) -
5
On Providence
by Proclus and Carlos Steel (translator)
The best books on Neoplatonism, recommended by Ursula Coope
The best books on Neoplatonism, recommended by Ursula Coope
To the modern reader, Neoplatonist thinkers can seem quite alien, but engaging with them helps us to understand ourselves and modern philosophy better, says Ursula Coope, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Oxford. She recommends five books to introduce readers to Neoplatonist philosophy, starting with Plotinus in the 3rd century.
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1
Zed: A Novel
by Joanna Kavenna -
2
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
by Cathy O'Neil -
3
Mindf*ck: Inside Cambridge Analytica’s Plot to Break the World
by Christopher Wylie -
4
Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism
by Safiya Umoja Noble -
5
AI Ethics
by Mark Coeckelbergh
The best books on Digital Ethics, recommended by Carissa Véliz
The best books on Digital Ethics, recommended by Carissa Véliz
Philosophers have a lot to add to debates about digital technology and the moral issues raised by its rapid rise, argues Carissa Véliz, a professor at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Ethics in AI. Here she talks us through books for the general reader that introduce some of the challenges of digital ethics, from concerns about privacy and bias to the threat to democracy and the future of humanity.
The best books on Sigmund Freud, recommended by Lisa Appignanesi
Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Moravia in the Austro-Hungarian empire, Sigmund Freud spent most of his life in Vienna, until fleeing to London just before his death in 1939. Using his classical education to illustrate his points, he introduced the idea that we have an ‘unconscious’ that plays an important role in our actions. For his sessions when patients talked freely to him about their thoughts in a one-on-one setting, he coined the term ‘psychoanalysis.’ Freud expert Lisa Appignanesi talks us through books that shed light on his life as well as his work.
The best books on How to Be Good, recommended by Massimo Pigliucci
Many of us aspire to do the right thing when faced with ethical choices, but for ancient philosophers being a good person involved a much broader look at our behaviour and life choices. Here, Massimo Pigliucci, a practising Stoic and philosophy professor at City College of New York, recommends books on being good, from the ancient sages to modern thinkers.
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1
The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures
by Antonio Damasio -
2
Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life
by Peter Godfrey-Smith -
3
Mind the Body: An Exploration of Bodily Self-Awareness
by Frédérique de Vignemont -
4
The Interoceptive Mind: From Homeostasis to Awareness
edited by Manos Tsakiris and Helena De Preester -
5
Mothers, Fathers, and Others: New Essays
by Siri Hustvedt
The best books on Philosophy, Science and the Body, recommended by Noga Arikha
The best books on Philosophy, Science and the Body, recommended by Noga Arikha
Philosophy is a subject of abstract concepts and arguments, traditionally focusing on ideas about the soul or the mind and less so on the body. However, as modern science has made ever more apparent, very little makes sense without it. Philosopher and historian of ideas Noga Arikha recommends books on philosophy, science and the body.
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1
Killing Rage: Ending Racism
by bell hooks -
2
Race Matters
by Cornel West -
3
The Fire Is upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate over Race in America
by Nicholas Buccola -
4
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide
by Carol Anderson -
5
Citizen: An American Lyric
by Claudia Rankine
The best books on Anger at Racial Injustice, recommended by Myisha Cherry
The best books on Anger at Racial Injustice, recommended by Myisha Cherry
In many philosophical and religious traditions, anger is regarded as a useless emotion that’s best avoided but it can play a vital role in the fight against injustice. American philosopher Myisha Cherry, author of The Case for Rage, recommends books that shed light on how to be angry productively.
The best books on Rock Music, recommended by Peter Lawlor
Successful musicians don’t necessarily need formal training or 10,000 hours of practice under their belt; what they must have is a feel for music, an innate gift. But many of rock’s brightest burning stars were lost to drugs. Here, Peter Lawlor—who combined a career as a senior economic advisor with that of an award-winning songwriter, producer and record label executive—selects five of the best books on rock music, focusing on revelatory biographies that peer behind the veil.
The best books on Philosophy and Prison, recommended by Andy West
By teaching philosophy in prisons, British philosopher Andy West was not only able to engage with core issues of the human condition, but also to come to terms with members of his own family’s experience of being in prison. Here, he talks us through some books that deal with being locked up, from Auschwitz to Vancouver Island, as well as one by a victim of violent crime.
Science Fiction and Philosophy, recommended by Eric Schwitzgebel
Serious philosophy need not take the form of a journal article or monograph, argues the philosopher and U.C. Riverside professor Eric Schwitzgebel, as he selects five science fiction books that succeed both as novels and provocative thought experiments that push us to consider deep philosophical questions from every angle.
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The Care of Books: An Essay on the Development of Libraries and Their Fittings, From the Earliest Times to the End of the Eighteenth Century
by John Willis Clark -
2
Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life
by Eric Klinenberg -
3
The Library Book
by Susan Orlean -
4
The Library: A World History
by James Campbell & Will Pryce (photographer) -
5
The Library at Night
by Alberto Manguel
The best books on Libraries, recommended by Richard Ovenden
The best books on Libraries, recommended by Richard Ovenden
Knowledge is power and nowhere has it been better preserved down the millennia than in libraries. Here Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the Books and the librarian in charge of Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries, talks us through books that shed light on what libraries are and what they do, and why they remain absolutely vital in our digital age.
Best Books on the Neuroscience of Consciousness, recommended by Anil Seth
Nearly every human has a sense of self, a feeling that we are located in a body that’s looking out at the world and experiencing it over the course of a lifetime. Some people even think of it as a soul or other nonphysical reality that is yet somehow connected to the blood and bones that make up our bodies. How things seem, however, is quite often an unreliable guide to how things are, says neuroscientist Anil Seth. Here he recommends five key books that led him to his own understanding of consciousness, and explores why it is that what is likely an illusion can be so utterly convincing.
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.
Five Favourite Books, recommended by Philip Pullman
The author Philip Pullman—creator of the beloved His Dark Materials trilogy, and one of the world’s greatest storytellers—recommends five of his favourite books: from a fragmentary masterpiece by Fernando Pessoa to P. G. Wodehouse’s comic triumphs.
The Best Thomas Hobbes Books, recommended by Arash Abizadeh
Thomas Hobbes’s master work Leviathan, in which he argued for the need to unite under a powerful sovereign as part of a ‘social contract’, has become a cornerstone of Western political philosophy. Here, the philosopher and political scientist Arash Abizadeh selects five of the best books for understanding Hobbes’s arguments in their historical context.
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1
Lyrical Ballads
by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge -
2
Letters From A Young Poet: 1887-1895
by Rabindranath Tagore -
3
The Imperative of Responsibility
by Hans Jonas -
4
Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation
by Samuel Alexander -
5
Down to Earth: Politics in the New Climatic Regime
by Bruno Latour
The Best Eco-Philosophy Books, recommended by Rupert Read
The Best Eco-Philosophy Books, recommended by Rupert Read
Eco-philosophy concerns itself with the intersection of ecology with philosophy—and particularly our response to industrialisation and manmade climate change. Rupert Read, the philosopher-activist and author of Parents for a Future, selects five of the best books that contemplate eco-philosophy and our place on this Earth.
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Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
by Susan Jeffers -
2
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
by Dale Carnegie -
3
Helping Your Child with Fears and Worries
by Cathy Creswell & Lucy Willetts -
4
Mindfulness For Health: A Practical Guide To Relieving Pain, Reducing Stress And Restoring Wellbeing
by Danny Penman & Vidyamala Burch -
5
Jog On: How Running Saved My Life
by Bella Mackie
The best books on Anxiety, recommended by Lucy Foulkes
The best books on Anxiety, recommended by Lucy Foulkes
Feeling anxiety is a natural part of being a human being, but for some people it can cause terrible mental and physical anguish and prevents them from leading happy and fulfilling lives. Lucy Foulkes, a psychologist at University College London, talks us through books that can help with anxiety.
The best books on Human Rights and Literature, recommended by Lyndsey Stonebridge
The connections between human rights and literature are profound and we ignore the humanities and reading at our peril, says Lyndsey Stonebridge, Interdisciplinary Professor of Humanities at the University of Birmingham. She recommends books that best show the complex relationship between literature and human rights, from Auschwitz to Manus Island.
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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 -
3
Jacques Derrida Circumfession
by Geoffrey Bennington & Jacques Derrida -
4
The Newly Born Woman
by Catherine Clément, Hélène Cixous & translated by Betsy Wing -
5
"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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The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry -
2
The Annotated Alice
by Lewis Carroll & Martin Gardner (Editor) -
3
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H Papadimitriou -
4
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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Language, Truth and Logic
by AJ Ayer -
2
The World of Yesterday
by Stefan Zweig & Anthea Bell (translator) -
3
The Vienna Circle
by Friedrich Stadler -
4
Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers
by Cheryl Misak -
5
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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The Collected Works of Spinoza (Volume I)
by Baruch Spinoza & Edwin Curley -
2
Behind the Geometrical Method: A Reading of Spinoza's Ethics
by Edwin Curley -
3
A Study of Spinoza's Ethics
by Jonathan Bennett -
4
The Explainability of Experience: Realism and Subjectivity in Spinoza's Theory of the Human Mind
by Ursula Renz -
5
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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, writer and formerly assistant director 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.
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.
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Mountain Gloom And Mountain Glory: The Development of the Aesthetics of the Infinite
by Marjorie Hope Nicolson -
2
Letters written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
by Mary Wollstonecraft -
3
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau -
4
The Art of Travel
by Alain de Botton -
5
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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Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius (ed. James Miller, trans. Pamela Mensch) -
2
On the Nature of the Universe
Lucretius (trans. Ronald Melville) -
3
The Library of the Villa Dei Papiri at Herculaneum
by David Sider -
4
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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The Veil of Isis: An Essay on the History of the Idea of Nature
by Pierre Hadot -
2
The Way and the Word: Science and Medicine in Early China and Greece
by Geoffrey Lloyd & Nathan Sivin -
3
The Lost Age of Reason: Philosophy in Early Modern India, 1450–1700
by Jonardon Ganeri -
4
Atoms and Alchemy: Chymistry and the Experimental Origins of the Scientific Revolution
by William Newman -
5
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.
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The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air
Søren Kierkegaard (trans. by Bruce H. Kirmmse) -
2
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.
The best books on American Philosophy, recommended by John Kaag
Should we be moral? Should we love? John Kaag, philosopher and author of American Philosophy: A Love Story and Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, puzzles how five American Pragmatist and Transcendentalist philosophers quarrel with these searching questions and other timeless subjects, from faith and belief to human rights.
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The Philosophy of (Erotic) Love
by Edited by Robert C Solomon and Kathleen M Higgins -
2
The Second Sex
by Simone de Beauvoir -
3
Tête-à-Tête: The Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir & Jean-Paul Sartre
by Hazel Rowley -
4
Dialogue on the Infinity of Love
by Tullia d'Aragona -
5
All About Love: New Visions
by bell hooks
The best books on Philosophy of Love, recommended by Skye C Cleary
The best books on Philosophy of Love, recommended by Skye C Cleary
What is love? Can you choose to do it? If love ends, was it really love? The author and academic Skye C Cleary selects five key texts that deal with philosophy of love, whether romantic, erotic, familial or platonic.
The best books on War, recommended by Cécile Fabre
If killing is wrong, how can going to war be justified? Is it always wrong to kill civilians? If a Nazi soldier were billeted in your home, should you respond when he greets you? Philosopher Cécile Fabre chooses Five Books that help explore the profound ethical dilemmas of war.
The best books on Aristotle, recommended by Edith Hall
Aristotle was the most important intellectual who ever lived, argues author and classicist Edith Hall, making significant contributions to ethics, science and a variety of other disciplines. Here, she selects five books to further your understanding of the great philosopher’s life and work.
Underrated Existentialist Classics, recommended by Jonathan Webber
As questions of identity become a focus of political debate, interest in existentialism has been booming once more. Here, the philosopher Jonathan Webber discusses five classic books dealing with existentialist themes that deserve a bigger audience.
Peter Singer on Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
The nineteenth century saw not only a widespread interest in philosophical ideas but also philosophy’s development as a more rigorous discipline. Australian philosopher Peter Singer introduces us to the highlights of a century of philosophy books.
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1
A Materialist Theory of the Mind
by D M Armstrong -
2
Consciousness Explained
by Daniel 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 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.
Best Philosophical Novels, recommended by Rebecca Goldstein
The skills of a philosopher and those of a novelist are often in tension, but they have much to learn from each other, says novelist and philosopher, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. She chooses her favourite philosophical novels.
The best books on Cruelty and Evil, recommended by Paul Bloom
How do evil-doers justify their behaviour? A common view of evil sees dehumanisation as fundamental. Yale psychologist Paul Bloom argues, however, that the picture may not be so simple. The most callous acts of cruelty and evil involve recognising the human feelings of the victim, their ability to feel shame and humiliation.
The best books on Free Will and Responsibility, recommended by Paul Russell
Many philosophical theories try to evade the uncomfortable truth that luck and fate play a role in the conduct of our moral lives, argues philosopher Paul Russell. He chooses the best books on free will and responsibility.
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Consciousness Explained
by Daniel Dennett -
2
Principles of Psychology
by William James -
3
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes -
4
The Mind's I: Fantasies And Reflections On Self & Soul
by Daniel Dennett & Douglas Hofstadter -
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.
The best books on Midlife Crisis, recommended by Kieran Setiya
It’s an observable phenomenon that the gap in life satisfaction between the very young and the very old with those in their 40s is equivalent to that associated with getting a divorce. Kieran Setiya, the MIT philosopher and author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, chooses the best books to counsel you through this difficult period.
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Heartificial Intelligence: Embracing Our Humanity to Maximize Machines
by John Havens -
2
The Technological Singularity
by Murray Shanahan -
3
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
by Cathy O'Neil -
4
Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong
by Wendell Wallach and Colin Allen -
5
2001: A Space Odyssey
by Arthur C Clarke
The best books on Ethics for Artificial Intelligence, recommended by Paula Boddington
The best books on Ethics for Artificial Intelligence, recommended by Paula Boddington
Advances in artificial intelligence pose a myriad of ethical questions, but the most incisive thinking on this subject says more about humans than it does about machines, says Paula Boddington, Oxford academic and author of Towards a Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence.