Hardest philosopher to read / understand? Who's one of the easy ones?

Answer 1

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard is easier than say German philospher Freidrich Nietzche. Plato is easier to understand than Arostotle. But no good philosopher is easy to comprehend because the subject matter is so complex.

Answer 2

Hegel- ...bloody damned Georg Hegel. As in 'Hegelian Dialectic'. Famously difficult whether reading in his language OR your own.

I'm currently engrossed by Nietzsche's writing, -which I find somewhat challenging, but also thoroughly enjoyable.

There may be some small, kernel of sense to the concept of "better equals more complicated", as when the depth of a study becomes greater, clear grasp on subject tends to weaken...it makes some sense, I suppose. -A problem of thought and language.

'Philosophy lite' - is served up in many modern formats. Robert Fulghum is a VERY easy read, if occasionally (perhaps often), a little flaky -in a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" manner. ...Is a little flakiness tolerable? Then Fulghum's you're man. He sums up some deep philosophy within his mini-essay style of writing, using language that is simple and uncomplicated.

Answer 3

well i think it depends. In order to understand one philosopher you have to understand other philosophers, you have to know what is going on in history, you have to consider influences, and the contemporary thinkers. If you go and read aristotle without even knowing who plato is, and you have no knowledge of the previous greek thinkers, then it might as well be in another language. I personally think that Nietzsche is the hardest to understand, and he doen't make an attempt to make it simple. In terms of ease i would think that would be the earlier thinkers. I think plato is fairly easy, and although i prefer aristotle i like the beauty of plato's philosophy it's almost poetic.

Answer 4

One of the hardest is that (possibly still the chief sage and philosophical Icon) Ludmig
Wittgenstein.

One of the easier ones is the great and critical so-called philosopher,Sir karl Popper,et al.

Answer 5

I had some trouble reading a translation of Der Will Zer Machte (sp), or The WIll to Power, it was a translation that was extremly literal. Difficult to read but enjoyable.

Answer 6

Whitehead's book, PROCESS AND REALITY, is virually incomprehensible.

It isn't just that his thoughts were too deep for most of us. They may have been, but he also couldn't write very well.

Charles Hartshorne, on the other hand, did know how to write decent expository prose. Fortunately for Whitehead's reputation, Hartshorne explained W's ideas to the world.