Can you please spare a moment to answer this?

Question

I'd be very grateful if you could.

I'm just getting in to philosophy after a few debates with an educated friend (who thankfully 'dumbed-down' her explanations for me!) and would like to get in to it further, but how would I go about this?

Do I pick a subject that I would like to discuss the philosophy of and then search for as much material as I can on that particular topic?

Are there any basic, cire texts I could get to grips with as a beginner?

Thank you for your time

Answer 1

Modern analytical philosophy is pretty groovy but can be a little dry to read. You're probably better sticking to the classic texts to start with - the questions they raise also set the scene for much of the later stuff too [eg there's an argument for saying a good few centuries have been spent trying to deal with Descartes' questions - see below]

If you want a good text to get into things, try Descartes 'Meditations on First Philosophy'. It's pretty accessible and the origin of the statement "I think, therefore I am" (-it's also got some of the most well know 'proofs' of God).

Following on from that David Hume's "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" is a good read, covers alot of ground you're likely to find of interest and is actually quite funny in places.

Berkeley's "Principles of Human Knowledge & Three Dialogues" concerns the themes of what can we say we know - it's also the place where you first find the question of 'if a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make any sound?'

John Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding is also a bit of a classic too - although I've always thought it was badly written [there are times when you can actually feel yourself losing the will to live when reading it].

On moral philosophy, Immanuel Kant's "Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals" is a good book. It's not an easy read and there aren't many jokes [actually there aren't any] but it's a damned good overview of ethics - and I would implore you to read it before the more cynical likes of Nietzsche et al.

Plato's Republic is a classic but it is big, covers a huge amount of ground and can be a bit intimidating. However, the stuff on the Cave is useful background for some of what Wittgenstein is kicking back against a couple of millennia later.

Good luck and have fun. Philosophy really is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

Answer 2

Go to a book store (Barnes and Noble is great) and hit the philosophy section. They have books on general philosophy explaining how it began, evolved, and where it is now. I have a few books like that and they are great. Then from reading that you will get an idea of specific philosophers you may be interested in reading.

I think one I have is called, "Philosophy Made Simple".

Another great thing to look for is the "90 Minute" books. I used to read a lot of Nietzsche so I bought the "Nietzsche in 90 Minutes" book. The 90 minute books are more introduction to use before you buy an actual work by a philosopher. It puts it all in a nut shell for you. Also "Cambridge Companions to [philosopher name]" are also great because they are filled with essays written about the philosopher. It's good to read those because sometimes they open your eyes to things you weren't seeing when reading the actual philosopher's work.

It's also helpful to have "A Dictionary of Philosophy" by Anthony Flew. I use that when I forget what a word means while reading.

You want to get into some really interesting stuff. Look for books that cover the arguments for and against the existance of god (cosmological, design, ontological). That is some really good stuff to think about.

Answer 3

In a lot of ways you have to learn another language before you can read a lot of philosophical text. I would recommend 'Sophie's world' by Jostein Gaarder,
Ex-philosophy teacher Jostein Gaarder & Albert Knos stimulate 15 year old Sophie to ask those fundamental questions which have exercised the imaginations of Child Philosophers since the dawn of civilisation. '' It is supposed to be for children but ignore that. It is an introduction, without all the 'jargon', in 400 pages, of 100 years of philosophical thought. It won't confuse you and may give you a starting point for more investigation. Purists may hate it, I don't know!

Answer 4

Well, the reason you get conflicting answers is because both a right, to a point. It can be a good thing because everyone needs attention and some people would concentrate on themselves all the time if nobody seeked their attention. Although the ways to seek attention that you mention are bad because they do harm you. Not just physically, that goes without saying, but also mentally. With those types of attention seeking you may start to believe they are the only way you can get peoples attention. And to be honest, when people know you do those sort of things to get attention the best thing they can do is not give you the attention. Start craving attention in better ways yes humour. Crack jokes, tell stories, entertain. These sort of things are healthy ways of seeking attention.

Answer 5

Philosophy, hummm, let me see.....LOL. It's a hard subject but lots of fun. Are there really any wrong or right answers? Check out http://home.universalclass.com. Click on sciences on the menu at the left of the page. This is an online course and it's pretty reasonable.

Answer 6

I'd agree with starting with the classics. The Republic by Plato, Aristotle's Prior and Posterior Analytics (for sound reasoning skills), and other such classical authors. Good luck!

Answer 7

Plato's republic and Leviathan by Thomas hobbes are good texts to begin with. If you are in the UK most GCSE philosophy courses are easy to understand even for the complete beginner

Answer 8

I sometimes teach philosophy freelance to "laypeople" and if they want to really get onto it i tell them to get a history of philosophy book, read through it, mark the chapters they find most interesting and research further from there or come to me. The "A very short introduction" series of books from Oxford University Press would be my nxt step. So-get history of phil book, lets say you find Aristotle interesting, get A very short introduction to Aristotle. After that get one of the 2ndary texts on Aristotle as recommended in the Short Introduction, read that. Then you'll be ready for the primary material by Aristotle himself and also a fair head to take on your friend in a debate. Good luck and contact me if ya want help.
History Book-Introd to Philosopher Book-On his/her philosophy-debate it with friend-primary material.

Answer 9

Always Question Authority

Answer 10

I recommend perusing A Dictionary of Philosophy by Anthony Flew. It gives valuable information about the major thinkers and the philosophies they put forth.