daijobu Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Hi: Quite by accident, my dd's and I read and discussed Plato's Allegory of the Cave, and now I'm smitten with philosophy. It also helps that I just read a NYT article that makes reference to this work ("At best, you might succeed in talking to someone who can tell you he has seen the shadows on the cave wall.") Had I read this 2 weeks ago, I would have completely missed this reference! Can you help me compile a list of essential beginning reading in philosophy? Or does an anthology already exist? As a math/science gal, this is completely out of my element. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Not an anthology, but Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy is a highly readable history of philosophy set in it's historical and cultural context, written by an eminent philosopher who was also an interesting and engaging writer. It begins with the Greeks and ends (more or less) with Dewey, so you will eventually need another source to cover the rest of the 20th century, but there's plenty in Russell's classic tome to keep you going for a while! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 If you want to start off with something VERY lighthearted and accessible, look at: http://www.amazon.com/Action-Philosophers-Vol-Fred-Lente/dp/0977832902/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1442832777&sr=8-3-fkmr1&keywords=action+philosophers+dunlavy There are 3 volumes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Plato is a good place to start - The Republic is a common choice and ideal to dig into the cave analogy. I actually would not recommend the Russell essay, he pretty much dismisses huge sections of philosophy. It might be a better choice after reading something else. The Teaching Company has a nice introduction to western philosophy - I can't remember the title. Coppleston's History of Philosophy series is great - it's quite long, 9 volumes, but they can often be found quite cheaply at used book stores and are usually nice sized paperbacks. Good bus reading. There is a history of philosophy by Bryan Magee which is generally considered good, though I haven't read it, but it is shorter than the Coppleston and likely to be in the library. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 How about Sophie's World? It is a novel interspersed with teachings on the history of philosophy. I would pre-read before giving to your dd though, due to one scene at the end. It's a fun intro to philosophy and would give you a small taste of the major philosophers and their teachings. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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