Page 1 of 1

Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 11:54 pm
by Dalek Prime
Since I'm not a philosopher, I thought it best if I yammered less and read something on it. I'm now reading Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy as a general introduction. So far so good, and I do recommend it to others, like myself, with no philosophy background. I find Russell highly accessible.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5827

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jksadeg ... secure.pdf

Feel free to add others you have personally found useful as an introduction, whether in general, or on a topic eg. Metaphysics, etc. And if not copyrighted, post a link to where it can be found.

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 12:19 am
by Dalek Prime
A History of Western Philosophy, for which Bertrand Russell received a Nobel in Literature.

http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/H ... osophy.pdf

Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy

http://people.umass.edu/klement/imp/imp-ebk.pdf

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 11:55 pm
by Sappho
Matter and Consciousness by Paul Churchland is an amazing intro to philosophy of mind.

http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/se367/1 ... _chap2.pdf

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 11:44 am
by Rilx
I have often recommended René Descartes's Discourse on the Method for the beginners. It's classic and relatively short to familiarize oneself with the "philosophical" writing style of e.g. Hume and Kant.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/44
René Descartes wrote: Accordingly, seeing that our senses sometimes deceive us, I was willing to suppose that there existed nothing really such as they presented to us; and because some men err in reasoning, and fall into paralogisms, even on the simplest matters of geometry, I, convinced that I was as open to error as any other, rejected as false all the reasonings I had hitherto taken for demonstrations; and finally, when I considered that the very same thoughts (presentations) which we experience when awake may also be experienced when we are asleep, while there is at that time not one of them true, I supposed that all the objects (presentations) that had ever entered into my mind when awake, had in them no more truth than the illusions of my dreams. But immediately upon this I observed that, whilst I thus wished to think that all was false, it was absolutely necessary that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat; and as I observed that this truth, I think, therefore I am (COGITO ERGO SUM), was so certain and of such evidence that no ground of doubt, however extravagant, could be alleged by the sceptics capable of shaking it, I concluded that I might, without scruple, accept it as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search.

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:33 pm
by Dalek Prime
Michaelbut wrote: Wed Aug 08, 2018 8:07 pm Ive read like 5 books in a row that are only 1-2 stars. I am in such a drought I may give up reading forever......
Read something light and fun then.

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:58 pm
by MarkCooley
I also do not have a philosophy education. Therefore, I was looking for books written in simple language. And it seems to me that the book Russell's The Problems of Philosophy is what I need. Thanks for the advice. It helped me write a great article for my site.https://www.customessaymeister.com/cust ... rvice.html

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:36 am
by PeteJ
In order to get to know Western thinking you'd need to read quite a few books, many of which are only worth reading for this reason.

In order to get to know philosophy Russell is good for being clear and accessible. His 'Problems' is a helpful summary. But he never understood much.

I always recommend two books: The Mind of God by Paul Davies and The Making of a Philosopher by Colin McGInn.

These two summarise the state of Western thinking in a simple and clear manner. After this it's your choice. You could go on to read Hume. Locke, Kant, Wittgenstein and all the other usual suspects, which will tell you little more than the above two texts, or you could move on to examine what philosophy is like beyond the walls of the Academy.

The point is that Russell, Davies and McGinn are enough to establish that Russell's 'Western' tradition is bankrupt, so there's no necessity to read much more from this tradition. Or not unless you have a mortgage to pay and students to teach.

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:46 am
by KLewchuk
Dalek Prime wrote: Sun May 24, 2015 11:54 pm Since I'm not a philosopher, I thought it best if I yammered less and read something on it. I'm now reading Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy as a general introduction. So far so good, and I do recommend it to others, like myself, with no philosophy background. I find Russell highly accessible.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5827

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jksadeg ... secure.pdf

Feel free to add others you have personally found useful as an introduction, whether in general, or on a topic eg. Metaphysics, etc. And if not copyrighted, post a link to where it can be found.
I like this one...

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Am-If-How-Many/dp/0385531184

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:59 am
by KLewchuk
Dalek Prime wrote: Sun May 24, 2015 11:54 pm Since I'm not a philosopher, I thought it best if I yammered less and read something on it. I'm now reading Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy as a general introduction. So far so good, and I do recommend it to others, like myself, with no philosophy background. I find Russell highly accessible.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5827

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jksadeg ... secure.pdf

Feel free to add others you have personally found useful as an introduction, whether in general, or on a topic eg. Metaphysics, etc. And if not copyrighted, post a link to where it can be found.
I like this one...

https://www.amazon.com/Who-Am-If-How-Many/dp/0385531184

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 12:52 pm
by Impenitent
Mortimer Adler has written several good intro books...

4 dimensions of philosophy, 10 philosophical mistakes, 6 great ideas, and a few dozen others...

-Imp

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 6:09 am
by codirosso
Thank you to everybody

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:30 pm
by puto
Shapira, Haim. The Wisdom of King Solomon. Watkins, 2018 CE. Thank-you for the reference to Hamilton Books.

Re: Good introductory books in philosophy.

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:14 pm
by Les Reid
There are good general books by contemporary philosophers like Julian Baggini, Simon Blackburn, Nigel Warburton and AC Grayling. Those are all good introductory books because the authors write clearly and plainly, avoiding unnecessary jargon, but without oversimplifying too much. "Philosophy: Key Themes" by Julian Baggini is a case in point.
If you prefer a historical overview which introduces you to leading philosophers of past centuries, then you should consider Nigel Warburton's "Philosophy: The Classics" or John Cottingham's "Western Philosophy". Both provide substantial extracts from the great philosophers and explain how their concerns have continued relevance for us today.