What original work to read now?

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Ansiktsburk
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What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

I started to take an interest in philosophy about five years ago (i have a day-time job) after an evening-time course in "History of ideas" in Uppsala university

I got interested in philosophy, read some general works on history of philosophy and so. Then I have read some original works, but I cannot decide on what next original stuff to read.

Kind of hard for you to say, but if I say what I have read maybe you can see a continuation:

Platon - The Republic and some shorter dialogues (ok, but not fantastic, the counterparts to Socrates are too stupid)
Nietzsche - The Gay Sience (Love it!) and Zarathustra (beautiful, but too ego tripped)
Bergson - Time and the free will (really interesting, I like the flow idea)
Kant - The Prolegomena (Good stuff, but I need no more details)
Heidegger - Being and Time (Started to read mostly to understand the academic bullsh*tting, tough going, but surprisingly interesting)
Russell - the History of Western Philosophy (wonderful, not least the WW2 bias), On Denoting(well, I did maths on a Technical Institue level, but not my thing)
Wittgenstein - on certainty (cool!), Tractatus (just glanced, too much formal logic)
Sartre - Existentialism is a humanism (interesting)
Popper - the free society and its enemies (really interesting, made me see politics in a new way)

So, what's next, you who have read a lot? Many suggestions are welcome.
Ginkgo
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ginkgo »

Ansiktsburk wrote:I started to take an interest in philosophy about five years ago (i have a day-time job) after an evening-time course in "History of ideas" in Uppsala university

I got interested in philosophy, read some general works on history of philosophy and so. Then I have read some original works, but I cannot decide on what next original stuff to read.

Kind of hard for you to say, but if I say what I have read maybe you can see a continuation:

Platon - The Republic and some shorter dialogues (ok, but not fantastic, the counterparts to Socrates are too stupid)
Nietzsche - The Gay Sience (Love it!) and Zarathustra (beautiful, but too ego tripped)
Bergson - Time and the free will (really interesting, I like the flow idea)
Kant - The Prolegomena (Good stuff, but I need no more details)
Heidegger - Being and Time (Started to read mostly to understand the academic bullsh*tting, tough going, but surprisingly interesting)
Russell - the History of Western Philosophy (wonderful, not least the WW2 bias), On Denoting(well, I did maths on a Technical Institue level, but not my thing)
Wittgenstein - on certainty (cool!), Tractatus (just glanced, too much formal logic)
Sartre - Existentialism is a humanism (interesting)
Popper - the free society and its enemies (really interesting, made me see politics in a new way)

So, what's next, you who have read a lot? Many suggestions are welcome.

I would probably go back over what you have already read. Going on your summary it is possible you may have missed a few key points.
Impenitent
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Impenitent »

Looking at philosophy: the unbearable heaviness of philosophy made lighter

by Donald Palmer

-Imp
tbieter
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by tbieter »

I recommend Another Sort of Learning by James V. Schall, S.J.
http://www.amazon.com/Another-Sort-Lear ... ing+schall

I bought several copies to give to my son and his friends when they were about to start their college educations.

I've been reading Schall's books for over thirty years.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Ansiktsburk wrote:I started to take an interest in philosophy about five years ago (i have a day-time job) after an evening-time course in "History of ideas" in Uppsala university

I got interested in philosophy, read some general works on history of philosophy and so. Then I have read some original works, but I cannot decide on what next original stuff to read.

Kind of hard for you to say, but if I say what I have read maybe you can see a continuation:

Platon - The Republic and some shorter dialogues (ok, but not fantastic, the counterparts to Socrates are too stupid)
Nietzsche - The Gay Sience (Love it!) and Zarathustra (beautiful, but too ego tripped)
Bergson - Time and the free will (really interesting, I like the flow idea)
Kant - The Prolegomena (Good stuff, but I need no more details)
Heidegger - Being and Time (Started to read mostly to understand the academic bullsh*tting, tough going, but surprisingly interesting)
Russell - the History of Western Philosophy (wonderful, not least the WW2 bias), On Denoting(well, I did maths on a Technical Institue level, but not my thing)
Wittgenstein - on certainty (cool!), Tractatus (just glanced, too much formal logic)
Sartre - Existentialism is a humanism (interesting)
Popper - the free society and its enemies (really interesting, made me see politics in a new way)

So, what's next, you who have read a lot? Many suggestions are welcome.
How about David Hume's Enquiry, or for something more light any of his collection of Essay's. About half of Russell is like this, light, easy to read, but interesting.

If you liked Popper, try his Conjectures and Refutations..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjecture ... efutations

If you like Sartre and want to escape the tyranny of religion and objectivity, try any thing by Albert Camus. He'll put your life in perspective.
Ansiktsburk
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Location: Central Scandinavia

Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

Ginkgo wrote:
Ansiktsburk wrote:I started to take an interest in philosophy about five years ago (i have a day-time job) after an evening-time course in "History of ideas" in Uppsala university

I got interested in philosophy, read some general works on history of philosophy and so. Then I have read some original works, but I cannot decide on what next original stuff to read.

Kind of hard for you to say, but if I say what I have read maybe you can see a continuation:

Platon - The Republic and some shorter dialogues (ok, but not fantastic, the counterparts to Socrates are too stupid)
Nietzsche - The Gay Sience (Love it!) and Zarathustra (beautiful, but too ego tripped)
Bergson - Time and the free will (really interesting, I like the flow idea)
Kant - The Prolegomena (Good stuff, but I need no more details)
Heidegger - Being and Time (Started to read mostly to understand the academic bullsh*tting, tough going, but surprisingly interesting)
Russell - the History of Western Philosophy (wonderful, not least the WW2 bias), On Denoting(well, I did maths on a Technical Institue level, but not my thing)
Wittgenstein - on certainty (cool!), Tractatus (just glanced, too much formal logic)
Sartre - Existentialism is a humanism (interesting)
Popper - the free society and its enemies (really interesting, made me see politics in a new way)

So, what's next, you who have read a lot? Many suggestions are welcome.

I would probably go back over what you have already read. Going on your summary it is possible you may have missed a few key points.
I do that too, have most of the works in my possesion, but I need something new now as well.
Ansiktsburk
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Location: Central Scandinavia

Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

Thanks for your suggestions, many interesting. Keep 'em coming!
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Arising_uk
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Arising_uk »

Ayn Rand,The Virtue of Selfishness.

Love it or loathe it she could certainly write and her defence of Ethics and her description of her Objectivism is a lesson to modern philosophers trying to write I think.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Forget Rand.

Try this:


A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1492-PRESENT By HOWARD ZINN

Sadly It's not available on Kindle in the UK, why I know not.
So why not Google the PDF, and send it to your kindle?
Ansiktsburk
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:Forget Rand.

Try this:


A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1492-PRESENT By HOWARD ZINN

Sadly It's not available on Kindle in the UK, why I know not.
So why not Google the PDF, and send it to your kindle?
Done that, but to my Ipad...
When you say "forget Rand", does that mean that Zinn describes things in the same area but better? I have not read Rand.
Ansiktsburk
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:Forget Rand.

Try this:


A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1492-PRESENT By HOWARD ZINN

Sadly It's not available on Kindle in the UK, why I know not.
So why not Google the PDF, and send it to your kindle?
Ok, Rand and Zinn does not look totally the same on how to run things...

I got through Zinn now, took me some time, quite a substantial volume, and obviously there were no Swedish translation.

Interesting. A well-written account of US history from a standpoint that is similar to Swedish social democrats. A lot of it was familiar to me, no big surprises, and gave no impression of being propaganda. I do recommend it to all being interested in an alternative US history.

But of course, I will not forget Rand. On the contrary, It seems as the natural work to continue after this one. After that I will go on to something more philosopical, I think.
Skip
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Skip »

Something contemporary: Daniel Dennett - Breaking the Spell
I'm enjoying it (except for too much explanation as to why it should be done): informative and readable scientific look at religion.
Blaggard
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Blaggard »

I recommend this if you want some insight into Eastern religions particularly Buddhism.

The Siddhartha by Herman Hess, just goggle it and read it for now, it's out of copyright as the Author has been dead for quite a while so its free which is always a price I like. ;)

I also recommend The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb by Gar Alperovitz an Emeritus Professor of Political history and Economics in the US, for a long but detailed insight into why the US really used nuclear weapons on Japan, as opposed to the propaganda nonsense about saving lives. ;)

http://www.doug-long.com/ga1.htm

This is an internet debate between the author and various more conservative historians which gives a nice overview, it's as disturbing a book as it is accurate and its citations alone run to 190 pages.
y far the easiest [question] to answer, is whether it was ESSENTIAL to use the bomb in order to compel the Japanese to surrender on our terms within a few months. It was not ... There can hardly be a well-grounded dissent from the conclusion reached by the members of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey ... "that certainly prior to 31 December 1945, and in all probability prior to 1 November 1945, Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated."


And

On September 20, 1945 the famous "hawk" who commanded the Twenty-First Bomber Command, Major General Curtis E. LeMay (as reported in THE NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE):

said flatly at one press conference that the atomic bomb "had nothing to do with the end of the war." He said the war would have been over in two weeks without the use of the atomic bomb or the Russian entry into the war. [THE DECISION, p. 336.]

The text of the press conference provides these details:

LEMAY: The war would have been over in two weeks without the Russians entering and without the atomic bomb.

THE PRESS: You mean that, sir? Without the Russians and the atomic bomb?
. . .
LEMAY: The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war at all. [THE DECISION, p. 336.]


A matter of public record, no less. ;)
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Arising_uk
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Arising_uk »

John Hospers - An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis.
Ansiktsburk
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Re: What original work to read now?

Post by Ansiktsburk »

Thanks guys, and keep'em coming!

Blaggard, an interesting parallell to what you wrote about the atomic bomb, Zinn's being a bomber pilot during WWII, bombing Napalm in France was an thing that lead him into his political standpoint. Read about it on Wikipedia, I think he wrote an autobiography too.

Reading Rand And Zinn simultaneously is kind of interesting. I'm glad I didnt't read them when I was 20-25 or so, both have to be read with some distance. Pushes hard for standpoints that opposes each other. In the synthesis of the two I hope to find some useful things.

Rand and Zinn had some similarities in their background, both being of jewish ancenstry, and both with background from eastern Europe. But sadly, Rand was from a wealthy background and Zinn was born working class. Tell me why I sometimes like to read about Kant.
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