Philosophy

Philosophy is the science that studies the fundamental nature of existence, of man and of man's relation to existence.

These books provide a basic education on Philosophy. Advanced, supplementary and original works are listed in sections below.

• Philosophy: Who Needs It by Ayn Rand. (Audio) This motivational lecture explains why philosophy is necessary to human life. Also reprinted as the title essay in Philosophy: Who Needs It.
• The Duel between Plato and Aristotle by Leonard Peikoff. This ten-page essay, printed as an epilogue in Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand, identifies the key ideas and consequences in the history of philosophy.
• History of Philosophy by Leonard Peikoff. Audio. A little expensive relative to books, but easily the best essentialized lectures on the history of philosophy. In two volumes, these recorded lectures trace the essentials of philosophy's development from its rise in ancient Greece, through Christianity, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, its decline after Kant and its rebirth after Rand. (more:
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• A History of Western Philosophy by Jones. The best simple, straightforward book of the history of philosophy. In five volumes, it covers all of philosophy from the beginnings up to the late 20th century.
• An Introduction to Logic by H. W. B. Joseph. The "high-water mark" in the field of logic texts, it is more advanced than Ruby's Logic, covers all of Aristotelian logic and adds original observations. Available from The Paper Tiger. (more:
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Advanced and Supplementary

• History of Western Philosophy by Windelband. More difficult to read than Jones, but substantially more philosophically deep and insightful. Windelband identifies the history of philosophy in terms of the issues addressed and answers proposed.
• History of Greek Philosophy, Thales to Democritus by B. A. G. Fuller. A vigorous telling of the origin and development of philosophy. (out-of-print, see sources.)
• Thales to Dewey by Gordon H. Clark. A concise and accurate history by a Presbyterian Calvinist. Makes some points missed by others. (out-of-print, see sources.)
• Aristotle by Randall. A summary of the main achievements of Aristotle's systematic philosophy, particularly his reality-centered and life-centered orientation. (more:
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• Reason and Analysis by Brand Blanshard. A sustained and devastating critique of the analytical school.
• Sentience by Wallace Matson. "Man need not be degraded to a machine by being denied to be a ghost in a machine," Gilbert Ryle has said. "He might, after all, be a sort of animal, namely a higher mammal. There has yet to be ventured the hazardous leap to the hypothesis that perhaps he is a man." (out-of-print, see sources.)

Original Works

• Pre-Socratic:
  • Selections from Early Greek Philosophy by Nahm. (out-of-print, see sources.)
• Plato:
  • The Last Days of Socrates by Plato. Plato's hero, Socrates, brought to trial for anti-democratic elitism, takes poison rather than disobey the laws of Athens.
  • Protagoras and Meno by Plato. Plato advances his theory that knowledge is recollection from another dimension.
  • Symposium by Plato. The Symposium is Plato's dialogue on friendship. The practical consequences of Plato's philosophy, a totalitarian police-state, are made explict in his Republic and Laws.
• Aristotle:
  • The Complete Works of Aristotle by Jonathan Barnes, editor. Aristotle produced the first systematic, comprehensive and reality-based philosophy, identified the laws of logic, the basis of science and of Western civilization. All of Aristotle in two volumes.
• Augustine:
  • Confessions by Saint Augustine. The philosophical completion of Christianity.
  • City of God by Saint Augustine. Christian, Platonic mysticism as the ideal; this world as the principle of evil.
• Thomas Aquinas:
  • A Summa of the Summa, The Essential Philosophical Passages of st Thomas Aguinas Summa Theologica Edited and Explained for Beginners by Thomas Aquinas; Peter Kreeft, editor.
  • Summa Contra Gentiles by Thomas Aquinas.
• Spinoza:
  • A Spinoza Reader by Benedict De Spinoza, Edwin Curley (Editor), Baruch De Spinoza.
• Kant:
  • Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant. The monumental work ending the age of Reason. "To make room for Faith, I found it necessary to limit Reason." -- Immanuel Kant
• Ayn Rand:
  • Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. A mystery novel, pitting two views of man's mind and two moral codes against each other: rationality and selfishness versus mysticism and sacrifice. (more:
    • Atlas Shrugged,
    • about Ayn Rand,
    • Review
    )

Links

• Ayn Rand Institute – The advancement of Objectivism
• The Certainty Site – What Knowledge is, and how to get it.
• The History of Philosophy by Peikoff – Description of The History of Philosophy by Peikoff
• Thinking Skills – Techniques for improving your cognitive and problem-solving skills