Philosophical Works

[*jdm*]

I'm interested in reading some Philosophical Works.Where should i start? I'm open to any suggestions and money isn't an issue.


Thanks in Advance


ps: titles not just names!

[Skirata]

Political or theological?

[*jdm*]

anythingfgffgd

[acer5200]

Somebody get Conrad in here...

[Fallbreeze]

*Writes the name "Rousseau" up on the blackboard before Conrad gets there*

Figured I'd at least throw it out there.

[Skirata]

(Plato) The Republic
(Aristotle) Politics / Nichomachean Ethics
(Chanakya) Arthashastra
(Augustine) City of Gods
(Aquinas) Summa Theologica
(Niccol? Machiavelli) The Prince / Discourses on Livy
(John Locke) Two Treatises of Government


That's all I can think of at the moment.

[*jdm*]

*Writes the name "Rousseau" up on the blackboard before Conrad gets there*

Figured I'd at least throw it out there.

(Plato) The Republic
(Aristotle) Politics / Nichomachean Ethics
(Chanakya) Arthashastra
(Augustine) City of Gods
(Aquinas) Summa Theologica
(Niccol? Machiavelli) The Prince / Discourses on Livy
(John Locke) Two Treatises of Government


That's all I can think of at the moment.

thanks.........

[Skirata]

(Thomas Hobbes) Leviathan... Can't believe I forgot that one...
(Heidegger) Being and Time


Look up Hegel, Kant, Nietzsche(unnecessary but interesting), and Marx.

[jorbaud]

All I can think of is Utopia by Thomas More.

[Boleslav]

I think that what is important is to approach works of philosophy with a sense of balance and a large dose of healthy skepticism. The bottom line for me is that people writing hundreds of years ago aren't 100% relevant to life today. Therefore the task becomes one of synthesis - what can you pull from various works to satisfactorily explain the world to yourself? But at no point should you assume that any one philosopher or any one section of philosophy has the answers.

Here are some suggestions of books which I have found transformational. I'll add more as they come to me. I'm deliberately choosing options that I think others won't suggest for you.

1. The Bible. Get a Bible with a "reader" section that contextualizes and explains the passages. In your life, you are going to encounter people who refer to scripture for various reasons and in various ways. Knowledge of the Bible will aid you in interactions with these people.

2. The Koran. Try to get a copy that has a guide imbedded, or that comes with an audio CD (remember that the Koran is to be recited and needs to be encountered aurally as well as textually). The reason for this choice is much the same as the reasons for the Bible, but digesting both texts allows you to draw comparisons and contrasts between them. You'll find startling similarities and challenging differences.

3. An introductory reader to Michael Foucault. One of the most significant modern philosophers, Foucault has important things to say about sexuality, criminology, and power dynamics. No social studies essay you write will ever be the same again

4. Open Letters 1965-1990 by Vaclav Havel. Havel was President of the postcommunist Czech Republic, and he is the nearest thing Europe has ever had to a philosopher-king. His intellect is astonishing. Statesman, poet, playwright, revolutionary, philosopher. You will be amazed at his power, which is the power of someone, just a regular person, standing against the harshest authority for what is right and just.

5. Models of Democracy by David Held. An analysis and presentation of every permutation of democracy available to a country, and some that are theoretical but not yet extant.

6. A History of the World by H G Wells. One of the greatest science fiction writers of all time tackles the history of the world in a book that shines with his faith in humanity and his confident optimism in a bright future.

7. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel Huntington. A fascinating theory of international relations which is incredibly flawed but awesome to read. Plus I believe you should have books on this list that exist for you to problematize and deconstruct.

I'll see if I can add more later.