Philosophy is the science of knowledge; it is the discipline which existed much before science. The goal of this is to find the truth. The craze of Philosophy is very common among people, especially those who seek knowledge about the truth. People are always curious when they ask questions as to why we are here or what is the purpose of existence, Philosophy is that one subject which answers all these questions in ways that makes us understand our views better. Reading Philosophy might not be easy at first because it is different from reading a novel or any other subject, it is more towards theoretical learning with deep meanings that requires a logical mindset. But don’t worry as in this article, we have listed six best Philosophy books with simple narration that is ideal for beginners.
Mortal Questions by Thomas Nagel
This book revolves around the fundamental issues of Philosophy, it is one of the best books on Philosophy out there and especially for beginners to learn the basic ideologies and methodologies to get them going. The author, Nagel discusses topics related to our daily life. The book basically connects with its readers of modern times and helps in answering the questions that we have on our minds. The book discusses concepts and meanings of life, death, instability and numerous issues with a philosophical concept and meanings. The book goes on to show its readers how these issues are connected to us, our daily lives and how we are the victims and how to overcome these issues. This is a must read for all those who love learning about philosophy and are beginners.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Some Philosophy books create awareness among its readers, these are the best books for beginners. Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor as well as a Stoic philosopher, in this book he presents the virtues of Stoicism. Stoic philosophy basically focuses on overcoming emotions, reactions and self-control. The book, Meditation is a series of personal writings of Marcus, who applied the teachings of philosophy in his practical daily life. The book is quite engaging and takes interesting turns as it presents some great techniques to its readers of being able to control emotions, self-disciplined, and staying strong while trying not to react to certain situations. It is one of the best Philosophy books for beginners out there. A must read.
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
Sophie’s World was reported to be the best-selling book in the world. This novel has been translated into 59 languages with over 50 million print copies sold. This philosophy related is served into quite an interesting yet entertaining novel which takes its readers on to the amazing journey of a young teenage girl. The story follows a 14-year-old girl, Sophie, who becomes a student of a famous philosopher in a quest to answer life’s thought-provoking questions. It is quite a fascinating yet enjoyable book to read. You will surely be hooked onto this amazing piece of philosophy.
The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
Bertrand’s History of Western Philosophy is a collection of various stories about a lot of relevant Western philosophical ideas, methodologies, history and short biographies of the most popular Western philosophers. It is informative, has a clear and comprehensive message for its readers and most importantly it is one excellent book that everybody should read.
The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
Aristotle was a prominent Greek philosopher in Ancient Greek times so this book was written back in 340 BC but still it is considered as one of the best books. In this book, the author argues about the importance of philosophical ideologies and ethics and how they are inter-connected with one another. This book covers social disciplines and their relation to ethics. Aristotle believed that the goal of ethics is somehow related to happiness, thus proving that people’s work determines in their scope of happiness in their life and the society that we move in. This is a perfect book for today’s modern readers.
The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
The Laws of Human Nature offer some brilliant hacks for its readers about success, self-empowerment, self-control and self-defense. In this book, Robert Greene explains 18 laws of human nature to help its readers understand why and how humans behave the way they do. This book teaches us how to manage our thought patterns, empathize with other people, how to influence them more efficiently, how to detach ourselves from our emotions, master self-control and how to look behind people’s masks. It is a great book to read.
‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ is the original diary of teenage Anne Frank, who commences writing her accounts on 12 June 1942 in the diary which she receives as a birthday gift at the age of thirteen. The diary details the life of her family, which lives in Frankfurt, Germany, and her own concerns about life. The diary also contains a portrayal of her family hiding from the threat of SS forces and Nazi party’s treatment of Jews during the Second World War. The accounts within the diary end abruptly on 1 August 1944. Apart from an important historical document, the diary is a beautiful work, which exhibits the world seen through the innocent eye of a teenage girl. The diary provides a number of wise lines and quotes about courage, suffering, and freedom, which also reveals the prodigious talent of the young Anne.
Beginning with the famous line “Life is difficult”, The Road Less Travelled is a treasure trove of wisdom gleaned from various traditions, literature, and books across the world. The prominent self-help classic discusses in a lucid style the issues which are of immediate concern to every growing adult, such as love, family, vocation, career, trauma, depression etc., and much more. Peck employs psychotherapy and traditional wisdom regarding life from various traditions and develops ideas about real-life themes and the steps leading to self-actualization. In the life of a student, the university years happen to be more troublesome as they somewhat expose one into to the throes of independence, practicality and decision making by one’s self. The Road Less Travelled might not have answers to all your problems but it will definitively prove to be a helpful guide in keeping your head high in bleak times.
Although presented as a children’s book, Sophie’s World is a novel for young adults regarding the history of philosophy. Sophie Amundsen, whose 15th birthday is approaching, receives a letter from a stranger Albert Knox, who commits to educate her. The novel is not a dry assortment of philosophical essays as it blends together the life of Sophie with simplified explanations of some of the most prominent philosophical ideas in Europe. The novel is written with the aim of evoking basic curiosity regarding life and everything it subsumes and helps one to return to the state of childhood when everything was an amazing mystery. It is one of the most recommended novels for students of humanities because they would find many ideas and themes sprinkled across the novel, which are relevant to their class studies too.
Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky comprises of a collection of unpublished talks, question-and-answer sessions, and seminars of Noam Chomsky, the famous American political philosopher. In these talks and seminars, Chomsky interprets with his radical lenses the significant political events of the last three decades, including the Vietnam War, Clinton administration, Palestine-Israel problem, and American imperialist foreign policy. Chomsky elucidates in these talks a rigorous critique of the modern world and analyses the dynamics of power in the modern world. Although some might label the writings of Chomsky esoteric, these talks are lucid and easily understandable. Not only the students of political science, history, and international relations, but every university student needs to read this book to gain an informed perspective about politics, power, and social change in the modern world.
Stephen Hawking wrote one of the most famous and widely read books of science ‘A Brief History of Time’ for non-specialist readers, who did not have any previous knowledge of scientific laws and theories. In his book, Hawking presents his theories about the origin, structure, development, and consequent destiny of the universe without employing cryptic jargon. He covers topics like space, time, elemental units called quarks, Big Bang, black holes, quantum mechanics, and many others. Towards the end, he searches for a merging theory that could explain the universe in an appropriate and coherent manner. Like other books on the list about philosophy, self-help, and international politics, this book gives a vigorous account of the scientific discoveries of modern age regarding the universe. The book is essential because it gives immense knowledge about quantum physics and universe without demanding prior knowledge from its readers.