One particularly fascinating aspect of philosophy is that as a field of research, you don’t have to go anywhere to learn it. And these days, you don’t necessarily have to go there. Because so many philosophical texts are now freely available on the Internet. in The above videoPhilosophical YouTuber Jared Henderson We recommend seven books that allow everyone to get a solid introduction to the subject. They are: Bertrand Russell Philosophy ProblemsSimon Blackburn’s think, Plato’s complete workMarcus Aurelius’ meditationSt. Augustine ConfessionRene Descartes’ Meditation on the First Philosophyand John Stuart Mills About freedom.
Why these books? It is written for the general public, Philosophy Problems It has also proven useful for Henderson in teaching introduction courses, particularly thanks to the eloquent defense of Russell’s philosophical research itself. thinka recently written extensive research, “We will introduce some topics that most people are interested in. We will introduce the issues of free will, knowledge and rationality, the existence of God, the existence of the self, and ethics.” And given the scope of Plato’s writings, if you read them all carefully, you will become “a very different person at the end of that process.”
Marcus Aurelius, who ruled the Roman Empire in the mid-2nd century, is even more well known recently than due to the revival of public interest in stoicism. Henderson recommends him meditation As an example of “philosophy as a way of life.” in ConfessionAugustine blends “poetry, theology, and philosophy in a truly persuasive way” and deals with issues such as “the nature of time,” “motivation and will,” and “the metaphysics of evil.” Descartes meditation Not only introductory books on skepticism, but also the famous line contests include “I think so, I think so.” Mills About freedom It paves the way for modern, highly astounding political concepts (including honorable concepts) to return to their sources.
These books, as Henderson emphasizes, constitute a starting point rather than a goal of its own. Read them, and you will not only get a much clearer sense of what philosophy deals with, but also where your own philosophical interests lie. After all, this field has a long history, and in between it becomes so vast that no one can walk every intellectual path, no matter how seriously committed you are. Whatever the particular realm of the philosophy that your tendencies take you, don’t be surprised if you revisit these same books over and over. No one truly masters Plato, Marcus Aurelius, Descartes, or Mill. The important thing is to nurture and maintain what Zen Buddhists call the “beginner’s mind,” but that is another field of philosophy.
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Based in Seoul Colin marshall Write and broadcasting stationTS about cities, languages, and culture. His projects include the Substack Newsletter Books about cities And the book The Stateless City: Walking through 21st century Los Angeles. Follow him on social networks previously known as Twitter @colinmarshall.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
