Best philosophy books on Reddit
233 reviews from r/suggestmeabook, r/booksuggestions, r/askphilosophy and 10 more subreddits
233 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Jostein Gaarder
4.9
(34)
"Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder"
"Sophie’s world will give you a decent introduction through the ages of philosophy."
"One of the best books that serves as an introduction to philosophy and an enjoyable read"
"I cannot recommend it enough."
"Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder"
"Will give you an overview of the most important philosophers."
"Sophie's World is a gentle history of philosophy."
"A great book for a grounding in all the different areas of philosophy is {{Sophie's World}}."
"Sophie’s World."
"One of my absolute favourite!!!"
#2
Bertrand Russell
4.6
(18)
"I love A History of Western Philosophy by Russell."
"He gives you a quick summary of the main philosophers’ arguments."
"The book that made me become a philosophy student."
"Bertrand Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy is a great place to start."
"If you're looking for a great background to start with Bertrand Russell's {{A History of Western Philosophy}} is a great place to begin."
"It's a fat read (700+ pages) but a A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell is so good!!"
"Really easy but with a tiny bit more depth in certain areas"
"Bertrand Russell's essays are a great place to start."
"A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell"
"An excellent Mysticism and Logic so you get his take in the larger context."
#3
Marcus Aurelius
4.8
(16)
"Meditations by marcus aurelius is a great one tho."
"Read about the sayings and discourses of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, Aristotle and Socrates."
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. You’ve no idea just how still relevant it is today until you read it."
"Marcus Arelious’s Meditations."
"Is VERY readable and extremely moving."
"I really enjoyed and have only heard good things about Meditations by Marcus Aurelius."
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius are profound yet simple philosophies."
"First choices"
"Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (stoicism)"
"{{The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius}}"
#4
Plato
4.9
(13)
"Plato’s republic is your best bet."
"Plato’s “republic” is the perfect place to start imo."
"Plato’s “Republic” is perhaps the most influential book of moral philosophy."
"Anything from Plato. In particular, Phaedo and The Republic are very good for beginners."
"Plato's Republic."
"Look into Plato’s allegory of the cave."
"Maybe {{The Republic by Plato}}."
"Plato’s dialogues or the Republic and Aristotle’s Nicomachean ethics."
"*The Republic*, Plato."
"Plato-Republic"
#5
Albert Camus
4.5
(10)
"It's a classic that explores alienation and morality."
"The myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus"
"How about 'the Myth of Sisyphus'"
"Camus' books probably, like The Stranger."
"The Stranger by Albert Camus."
"Definitely a good start"
"Camus' books probably, like The Stranger."
"The stranger by Albert Camus. It’s fiction but philosophy."
"The Stranger by Albert Camus, Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre, and Candide by Voltaire are all good philosophical fiction books."
"The Stranger by Albert Camus!"
#6
Will Durant
4.6
(9)
"Great overview of different schools of thought."
"Great overview of different schools of thought."
"{{The Story of Philosophy}} by Will Durant set my brain on fire."
"The most enjoyable and readable synopsis of western philosophy ever written."
"The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant. Well written examination of the major philosophies."
"I liked "The Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant."
"Will Durant's "story of philosophy" is an ideal start in my opinion."
"Will Durant's "story of philosophy" is an ideal start in my opinion."
"I think The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant is a good, interesting, gentle introduction to western philosophy."
#7
Thomas Nagel
4.6
(9)
"Very simple and short: Thomas Nagel "what does it all mean?""
"Thomas Nagel’s “Mortal Questions” is very good."
"Is the most accessible - explicit - introduction to philosophy in my knowledge."
"{{What Does It All Mean? by Thomas Nagel}}"
"What does it all mean by nagel."
"Short very comprehensive introduction to the problems of Philosophy."
"Very respected modern philosopher."
"Short book which highlights ten major ideas, without any history."
"Thomas Nagels "What does it all mean?" is a very short and simple overview of some of the biggest questions of philosophy."
#8
Alain de Botton
4.6
(7)
"Any of Alain de Botton’s books are a good entry point to modern philosophy."
"Another book in-line with the general kind of books you give in your OP: Alain de Botton's *The Consolations of Philosophy*."
"Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton."
"The Consolation of Philosophy is an amazing read."
"Start with the Consolations of Philosophy."
"The consolations of philosophy by Alain de Botton could also be a suitable starting point for your friend."
#9
Robert M. Pirsig
4.7
(6)
"Persig’s *Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* would be a great direction to take"
"Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance."
"Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance."
"Is a book by Robert M. Pirsig first published in 1974."
"*Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance* by Robert M Pirsig is a possibility."
"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."
#10
Michael Sandel
4.7
(6)
"You could start with a youtube class by Michael Sandel called Justice."
"{{Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?}} by Michael Sandel."
"{{Justice by Michael Sandel}}"
"Justice by Michael Sandel"
"Justice by Michael Sandel"
#11
Benjamin Hoff
4.7
(6)
"*The Tao of Pooh* and *The Te of Piglet*"
"*The Tao of Pooh* and *The Te of Piglet*"
"The Tao of Pooh....great book."
"The Tao of Pooh."
"If that's too deep try *The Tao of Pooh* by Benjamin Hoff"
"A good intro to Eastern philosophies."
#12
Friedrich Nietzsche
4.7
(6)
""Nietzsche: A Very Short Introduction" by Michael Tanner."
"I always enjoyed Nietschze."
"If you find yourself interested in Nietzsche, start with **Beyond Good and Evil."
"Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche."
"I personally recommend Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Nietzschean books thereafter."
"Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche."
#13
Julian Baggini
5.0
(4)
"A good choice might be Julian Baggini's *The Pig that Wants to be Eaten*."
"Very entertaining but still 100% real philosophy."
"{{The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten by Julian Baggini}}"
"Making sense: philosophy behind the headlines."
#14
Eckhart Tolle
4.8
(4)
"The power of now by Eckhart Tolle is a great place to start!"
"The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle"
"It's absolutely foundational to living an engaged life imo."
#15
DK
4.3
(4)
"The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained."
"Illustrated, easy compression and good authors."
"This one is really good."
"The Philosophy Book by DK. It's a great introduction to many great theories."
#16
Paul Kleinman
5.0
(3)
"Philosophy 101 by Paul Kleinman, it’s perfect for beginners."
"Philosophy 101 by Paul Kleinman"
#17
Epictetus
5.0
(3)
"I just re read the works of epictetus."
"First choices"
"Easiest, eg Schopenhauer's The Wisdom of Life, The Enchiridion by Epictetus"
#18
Fyodor Dostoevsky
5.0
(3)
"The Brothers Karamazov."
"One of my all time favorite authors is Fyodor Dostoevsky."
"Crime and Punishment."
#19
Michael Schur
4.7
(3)
"I really liked *How to Be Perfect* by Michael Schur, which is basically all the moral philosophy he learned while making (the fantastic sitcom) *The Good Place.*"
"A funny book that gets absolute beginners into moral philosophy."
"An easy dip into moral philosophy. It's also pretty funny."
#20
Sarah Bakewell
4.3
(3)
"I thoroughly enjoyed At the Existentialist Cafe!"
"*At the Existential Café* by Sarah Bakewell is a great introduction to existentialism."
#21
René Descartes
4.0
(3)
"A perfectly fine place to start and an enjoyable read."
"{{Meditations on First Philosophy by Descartes}} was one of the first books covered in my UG Philosophy degree."
"Descartes's Meditations on First Philosophy is actually done in a lot of intro-level philosophy courses."
#22
N/A
4.0
(3)
"Recently, I read How To Be an Epicurean. Not a bad intro book."
"The introducing series are great comics."
"I will continually recommend this for beginners in philosophy."
#23
Viktor Frankl
5.0
(2)
"I'd also recommend Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl."
"{{Man's Search for Meaning}}"
#24
Tom Morris
4.5
(2)
"The main ideas of Western philosophy are set forth in Tom Morris' *Philosophy for Dummies.*"
#25
Nigel Warburton
4.5
(2)
"Easy to understand and gives a very broad survey of the main topics in philosophy"
"Nigel Warbuton - A little History of Philosophy"
#26
Kahlil Gibran
4.5
(2)
"Two that are extremely easy to read and very powerful."
"'The Prophet' - Kahlil Gibran."
#27
Todd May
4.5
(2)
"It's very short and accessible and you can see the guy's influence on the ideas behind The Good Place."
"From Chidi's reading list, {{Death by Todd May}}."
#28
Jean-Paul Sartre
4.5
(2)
"Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean Paul Sartre."
"Sartre's 'Existentialism is a Humanism'."
#29
Robert Pirsig
4.5
(2)
"'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' - Robert W. Pirsig."
#30
Peter Singer
4.5
(2)
"Practical Ethics by Peter Singer"
"{{Practical Ethics}} by Peter Singer"
#31
Seneca
4.5
(2)
"Seneca, letters from a stoic."
"{{Letters from a Stoic by Seneca}}"
#32
Nietzsche
5.0
(1)
"Best book I had ever read when I was learning about existentialism"
#33
Alan Watts
5.0
(1)
"I’d say just jump into some Alan Watts, maybe 'way of zen'."
#34
Schopenhauer
5.0
(1)
"Easiest, eg Schopenhauer's The Wisdom of Life"
#35
Adam Smith
5.0
(1)
"Another political philosophy book that I would strongly recommend."
#36
Hofstadter and Dennet
5.0
(1)
"Brilliantly readable book on the philosophy of mind"
#37
Russell
5.0
(1)
"For a general survey, Russell’s The History of Western Philosophy comes to mind."
#38
Russ Shafer Landau
5.0
(1)
"A good place to start is 'The Fundamentals of Ethics'."
#39
Arthur Herman
5.0
(1)
"{{The Cave and The Light: Plato versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization}}."
#40
Simon Critchley
5.0
(1)
"*The Book of Dead Philosophers*."
#41
Jostein Gaardner
5.0
(1)
"Easy and engaging book on the basics of Western philosophy"
#42
James Rachels
5.0
(1)
"It's a good introduction to an array of topics."
#43
Jean Hampton
5.0
(1)
"{{Political Philosophy by Jean Hampton}}"
#44
Brian Redhead
5.0
(1)
"{{Plato to NATO by Brian Redhead}}"
#45
Daniel Klein
5.0
(1)
"{{Plato and a platypus walk into a bar…}}."
#46
Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein
5.0
(1)
"It’s a fun book that gives a nice overview of a lot of ideas and topics."
#47
Donald Robertson
5.0
(1)
#48
Karl Marx
5.0
(1)
"I find extremely enlightening."
#49
Susan Blackmore
5.0
(1)
"I would suggest "Conversations on Consciousness" where Susan Blackmore visits and interviews 20 'big names' in the field of philosophy of mind and neurology."
#50
Oxford University Press
5.0
(1)
"A great place to start."
#51
Daily Stoic
5.0
(1)
"The daily stoic"
#52
Daodejing
5.0
(1)
"Easiest, eg Schopenhauer's The Wisdom of Life, The Enchiridion by Epictetus, or the Daodejing"
#53
Zhuangzi
5.0
(1)
"Easiest, eg Schopenhauer's The Wisdom of Life, The Enchiridion by Epictetus, or the Daodejing, the Zhunangzi"
#54
Mark Rowlands
4.0
(1)
"The Philosopher and the Wolf talks about philosophy in the context of the narrator."
#55
Icon Books
4.0
(1)
"Some of the [Icon Books Philosophy for Beginners] series are fun and interesting."
#56
Octavia Butler
4.0
(1)
"Parable of the Sower, sci-fi talks about Ethics"
#57
John R. Perry
4.0
(1)
"{{Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings by John R. Perry}}"
#58
Anthony McGowan
4.0
(1)
"*How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog* by Anthony McGowan is a brilliant introduction to Western philosophy."
#59
James Carse
4.0
(1)
"Finite and Infinite Games, by James Carse."
#60
Frantz Fanon
4.0
(1)
"Black Skin White Masks by Franz Fanon is a great Intro to existentialism."
#61
Bell Hooks
4.0
(1)
"All About Love, Bell Hookes."
#62
Terry Pratchett
4.0
(1)
"Terry Prachett. His books are fantasy that talk about morals."
#63
John Stuart Mill
4.0
(1)
"John mills - utilitarianism is really good."
#64
John Locke
4.0
(1)
"Will help you have a better understanding of social contract."
#65
Immanuel Kant
4.0
(1)
"If you can get through it, the metaphysics of morals is really good."
#66
John Rawls
4.0
(1)
"John Rawls book The Theory of Justice and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics."
#67
Roger Scruton
4.0
(1)
"One that is less well known but very interesting is Roger Scruton's *The Intelligent Persons' Guide to Philosophy*"
#68
A. C. Grayling
4.0
(1)
"A. C. Grayling - The History of Philosophy (2019)"
#69
Søren Kierkegaard
4.0
(1)
"I seriously suggest you provide him with one of Søren Kierkegaard's books."
#70
Angela Davis
4.0
(1)
"I'd recommend Angela Davis' little book *Are Prisons Obsolete?*"
#71
Anthony Kenny
4.0
(1)
"Anthony Kenny - An Illustrated Brief History of Western Philosophy"
#72
C. Stephen Evans
4.0
(1)
"C. Stephen Evans - A History of Western Philosophy From the Pre-Socratics to Postmodernism (2018)"
#73
Great Courses
3.0
(1)
"The great course "sci-phi" is an inch deep and a mile wide."
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