Philosophy Public

Created and curated by Kantolope

Interested in philosophy, but don't know where to start? This list is for you! I recommend reading in order, because the thinkers build off of each other, but I try to keep everything in this list entry-level. I also try to keep this list as broad as I can so as not to overwhelm people, so please forgive the lack of depth that each subject/thinker is given.

  1. Groundwork of the metaphysic of morals by 

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    Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785; German: Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten; also known as the Foundations of the …

    Kantolope says:

    This one might be tough to get through, but if you want a good understanding of Kant's morals, it's necessary.

  2. Five dialogues by ,

    Writing in the fourth century B.C., in an Athens that had suffered a humiliating defeat in the Peloponnesian War, Plato …

  3. The analects of Confucius by  (Classics of ancient China)

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  4. The ethics of Aristotle by , , , and 1 other (Penguin classics -- L55)

    An detailed examination of what the best life might be for human beings. In order to anwer this question, Aristotle …

  5. The essential Epicurus by  (Great books in philosophy)

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  6. The discourses of Epictetus

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  7. Tao Te Ching by , , , and 2 others

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    For nearly two generations, Gia-fu Feng and Jane English's bestselling translation of the Tao Te Ching has been the standard …

  8. Second Treatise of Government by 

    Two Treatises of Government (or Two Treatises of Government: In the Former, The False Principles, and Foundation of Sir Robert …

  9. Discourse on Metaphysics and The Monadology by 

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    The Discourse on Metaphysics (French: Discours de métaphysique, 1686) is a short treatise by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in which he …

  10. Kantolope says:

    This isn't that good of an explanation of Hegel's thought, so I really do recommend reading Phenomenology of Spirit, but Hegel is about as far from entry level as one can get.

  11. Critique of the Gotha Program by 

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    Kantolope says:

    A much more (but not fully) complete encapsulation of Marx's thought than The Communist Manifesto

  12. Either/Or by 

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