Philosophy is a vast subject that cannot be practically broken down into a single reading list. As such, we’ve organized philosophy’s best books both by subject — from core branches like metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, to particular movements like existentialism and Stoicism — as well as by individual philosopher, from Plato to Friedrich Nietzsche.
If you’re not sure where to start, try our reading list on the best introductions to philosophy, which is ideal for beginners and those seeking a broad overview. Otherwise, take your pick from the lists below.
The reading lists above are assembled from hundreds of hours of research, and we’re reviewing and adding new ones all the time. If there’s a particular subject or philosopher you’d like covered, let us know on Instagram here, on Twitter here, or via email here, and we’ll add it to our production queue.
In the meantime, out of all the philosophical reading lists presented above, we’ve selected three of our overall favorite philosophy books to get you started, any of which are sure to whet your appetite and set you on the right path to learning more. Happy philosophizing!
Three of our overall favorite philosophy books to get you started:
1. What Does It All Mean? By Thomas Nagel
Thomas Nagel is the brilliant contemporary philosopher behind Mortal Questions and The View From Nowhere. Written in 1987, Nagel’s What Does It All Mean? is a lucid and accessible introduction to philosophy, setting forth the central problems of philosophical inquiry for beginners. A slim book at just over 100 pages, Nagel covers free will, right and wrong, death, language, the meaning of life and other core topics in clear, illuminating language that anyone interested in philosophy would strongly benefit from reading.
Life’s Big Questions distills philosophy’s best answers to some of life’s most troubling questions, taking you on a whirlwind journey of reflection, understanding, and discovery. Why does anything exist? Is the world around us ‘real’? What makes us conscious? Do we have free will? How should we approach life? Packed full of wisdom from the greatest philosophical minds of the last few millennia, reading materials are delivered direct to your inbox over five days, accessible forever from any device. Of course, we’re a little biased, as we produced this one — but if you’re seeking to understand the fundamentals of philosophy, and obtain a solid grounding for exactly where you can go to learn more, Life’s Big Questions gets rave reviews, and might be just what you’re looking for!
Where better to start than with a tome still routinely adored and studied by undergraduate philosophy students to this day? Plato’s The Last Days of Socrates includes four superb dialogues — Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo — that cover the trial and death of Socrates in 399 BC. Serving as an ideal introduction to Plato’s style and the dialogue form generally, the works in this collection are among Plato’s earliest and record Socrates debating the nature of piety, justice, death, and the immortality of the soul in brilliant, highly-charged prose. Hugely entertaining and wise — a collection to defy anyone who thinks philosophy is boring or stuffy — The Last Days of Socrates belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in Plato, Socrates, or philosophy generally.
Why does anything exist? Do we have free will? How should we approach life? We’ve distilled the great philosophers’ best answers to life’s big questions. Start learning today.
