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Thread: A superficial survey of philosophy

  1. #1
    Elephant Feirefiz's avatar
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    Default A superficial survey of philosophy

    I don't really know much about philosophy except for the usual bits and pieces that you pick up inevitably.
    Now I would like know more about it. Of course I realize that it would take many years to gain actual in-depth knowledge. Depth isn't all that important for now. Breadth will do.

    I am looking for texts giving a first impression of different philosophies and philosophers. Do you have any recommendations? I am not necessarily looking for longer texts that provide coherent overviews in themselves. Random examples are perfectly fine.

  2. #2
    Large member. AndrewRyan's avatar
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    If its philosophy in general that you are looking for, Socrates is pretty much the father of all philosophy, in that he changed philosophy to a study of ethics, and politics rather than just natural science.

    But Plato, and his pupil Aristotle were the real brick layers of philosophy.

    My personal favorite philosopher is Nietzsche.

    Recommendations--->

    Plato: The Republic
    Aristotle: The Metaphysics, The Politics
    Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil
    Hell hath no fury, like a woman's scorn for video games.

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    Free Exy Cluricaun's avatar
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    This book was a gift a few years ago, and it's very, very good and quite easy to parse.
    Hell, if I didn't do things just because they made me feel a bit ridiculous, I wouldn't have much of a social life. - Santo Rugger.

  4. #4
    Oliphaunt Rube E. Tewesday's avatar
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    Pretty much anything by Bertrand Russell is worth reading.

  5. #5
    Banned
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    Camus

  6. #6
    my god, he's full of stars... OneCentStamp's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by AndrewRyan View post
    If its philosophy in general that you are looking for, Socrates is pretty much the father of all philosophy, in that he changed philosophy to a study of ethics, and politics rather than just natural science.
    All we are...is dust in the wind, dude. Dust...wind...dude.


    "You laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at you because I'm on nitrous."

    find me at Goodreads

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    aka ivan the not-quite-as-terrible ivan astikov's avatar
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    You need two books as stepping off points, The Oxford Companion To The Mind and The Oxford Companion To Philosophy.

    I wouldn't claim to know a lot, but what I do know began here.
    To sleep, perchance to experience amygdalocortical activation and prefrontal deactivation.

  8. #8
    Porosity Caster parzival's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Rube E. Tewesday View post
    Pretty much anything by Bertrand Russell is worth reading.
    I'm reading through Russell's The History of Western Philosophy at the moment. It is quite good as an overview. It clearly should not be the only book you read on the subject, though. He makes some rather bold statements (I suspect they're not entirely meant seriously). His love of the ancient Greeks and contempt for religion is palpable, but doesn't detract from the work that it is. It's also, of course, out of date, but I think it suffices for what it covers.

  9. #9
    Elephant Feirefiz's avatar
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    Sorry that I didn't reply earlier! Thanks for your suggestions.

  10. #10
    Stegodon Jaglavak's avatar
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    Default A superficial philosophy

    No pain,
    No pain.

  11. #11
    Clueless but well-meaning Hatshepsut's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Rube E. Tewesday View post
    Pretty much anything by Bertrand Russell is worth reading.
    I love "Why I Am Not A Christian." It's only a few pages long, and it is bracing.

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