The Best Philosophy Books Recommendations
We often skip philosophy books because we find them hard to read. Actually, this book gives us a good philosophy of life. Currently, there are many philosophy books with language arrangements that are easier to understand. In fact, there are also several philosophy books made in the form of novels.
Don’t hesitate to read philosophy books to see a wider view of life. Therefore, we have 10 recommendations for philosophy books that many consider being the best in the world:
- “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius
- Plato’s “The Republic”.
- “Nicomachean Ethics” by Aristotle
- “The Analects” by Confucius
- “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” by Friedrich Nietzsche
- “Being and Time” by Martin Heidegger
- Plato’s “The Apology”.
- “The Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius
- “Discourse on Method” by René Descartes
- “Critique of Pure Reason” by Immanuel Kant
These are just a few of the many widely acclaimed best philosophy books, and personal preference can vary depending on individual interests and understanding of philosophy. Let’s review one by one.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Meditations is a book of philosophy written by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher. Contains dairy notes and philosophical thoughts recorded by Aurelius for himself, and generally discusses topics such as acceptance, calm, tolerance, and how to live life with integrity and simplicity.
The Meditations cover several important subjects in Stoic philosophy, such as self-concept, happiness, and moral duty. Aurelius emphasizes the importance of understanding that things beyond our control must be accepted with grace and that we must focus on the things we can control, such as our actions and reactions to situations.
The Meditations book also covers topics such as wisdom, empathy, and tolerance for others. Aurelius stressed the importance of understanding that all people have their own feelings and thoughts and that we should show compassion and compassion towards others.
As a whole, “Meditations” offers a broad and deep philosophical thought that is still relevant today, and is widely studied and applied by philosophers, thinkers, and cultural practitioners. This book is a source of inspiration for many people who are looking for a deeper understanding of the philosophy of life and how to live life with serenity, simplicity and integrity.
The Republic by Plato
The Republic is a philosophy book written by Plato, one of the leading ancient Greek philosophers. This book contains discussions between Socrates and various other figures on various philosophical topics, such as human rights, moral duty, justice, and idealism.
The Republic discusses various matters regarding society and justice, including debates about what is the main task of a leader and how to build a just society. Plato proposed that justice could be achieved only through a political system based on three classes namely the philosopher-king, the official, and the people.
Besides that, it also discusses topics such as unconscious concepts, thoughts, and reality, and discusses the philosophy of idealism, namely the belief that the world we see around us is only a picture of the real world.
Overall, the philosophy book “The Republic” is one of the most important and well-known philosophical books in the history of philosophy, and is still studied and understood today. This book has had a profound influence on western philosophy and culture and is a source of inspiration for many thinkers and philosophers, including Aristotle, Rousseau, and many others.
Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
Nicomachean Ethics deals with various things about moral duty, namely, what we must do to live rightly. Aristotle proposed that the ultimate moral duty is to achieve perfection and happiness through good moral practices. This book also covers topics such as contemplation, work, and relationships with others, and explains how to find true happiness through these.
The Nicomachean Ethics book also discusses various things about justice, namely how to treat others fairly and how to build a just society. Aristotle proposed that justice consists of several elements, including distributive justice, contractual justice, and retributive justice.
The Analects by Confucius
The Analects is a philosophy book written by Confucius, one of China’s foremost philosophers. This book contains a collection of quotes and conversations by Confucius and his students on various philosophical topics, such as morals, duty, and justice.
This book also discusses various matters of morality, namely how to live well and how to treat others properly. Confucius emphasized the importance of understanding and performing righteous moral duties, and discussed various matters of how to attain maturity and achieve perfection. Confucius proposed that justice could be achieved through a number of things, including respect for parents, hard work, and an understanding of moral duty.
Overall, “The Analects” is one of the most important and well-known philosophical books in the history of Chinese philosophy, and it is still studied and understood today. This book had a profound influence on Chinese philosophy and culture and was a source of inspiration for many thinkers and philosophers, including Mencius, Xunzi, and many others.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a philosophical book written by Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the leading German philosophers of the 19th century. This book is a collection of philosophical essays that follow the adventures of a philosopher named Zarathustra and discuss topics such as truth, happiness, and justice.
It also discusses various things about truth, namely, what is right and wrong, and how to understand the truth. Nietzsche proposes that truth is relative and different for each person, and discusses how to understand the truth in the context of personal life.
This book also covers topics such as happiness, namely how to achieve true happiness, and how to understand what makes a person happy. Nietzsche proposed that true happiness can be achieved through a number of things, including creativity, freedom, and individuality.
The Apology by Plato
The Apology is a philosophical book written by Plato, a student of the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates. This book contains Socrates’ speech before the Athenian judges and society in 399 BC, when he was accused of mystical practices and influencing youth with his thoughts.
In his speech, Socrates defends himself against the accusations made against him and discusses several things about philosophy and life. He explained how he always tried to understand the truth and help others understand it. He also discussed how he understood death and how to prepare to die.
Overall, “The Apology” is an important philosophical book because it provides insights into how Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, understood philosophy and lived. This book is still studied and understood today and has had a profound influence on Western philosophy and culture.
Being and Time by Martin Heidegger
Being and Time is a philosophical book published by Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher, in 1927. This book is one of the most important and influential philosophical works in the history of Western philosophy.
In this book, Heidegger seeks to understand and explain the human experience of reality and time. He argues that the human experience of reality and time is very important for philosophy and needs to be understood in depth. Heidegger tries to understand this by considering how humans interact with the world and how humans understand themselves.
Being and Time also addresses topics such as ontology, which is the study of the nature and essence of reality, and epistemology, which is the study of how we know things and how we make sense of the world. Heidegger argues that ontology and epistemology are closely related to each other and must be understood together.
Overall, “Being and Time” is a philosophical book that explains how humans understand the world and themselves, and how philosophy can help us understand these things. This book is a source of inspiration for modern philosophers and is still studied and analyzed today.
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
The Consolation of Philosophy is a philosophy book written by Boethius, a Roman philosopher and Latin writer, in the 6th century AD. This book contains a dialogue between Boethius and a female philosopher named Lady Philosophy. In this dialogue, Lady Philosophy helps Boethius understand and overcome the life problems he faces, including sadness and disappointment.
This book covers some of the important things about philosophy, including the nature of happiness, how to understand reality, and how to understand happiness and sadness. Lady Philosophy also discusses how to understand justice and how to understand the concept of time.
Overall, “The Consolation of Philosophy” is a philosophy book that provides insightful and useful insights into several important issues in philosophy, including happiness, reality, and justice. This book is very important and has had a great influence on the history of Western philosophy and is still being studied and understood today.
Philosophy book “Discourse on Method” by René Descartes
Discourse on Method is a philosophy book written by René Descartes, a French philosopher, and mathematician, in 1637. This book contains a discussion of the methodology of philosophy and how Descartes understood philosophy and mathematics.
In his “Discourse on Method”, Descartes discusses how he started his philosophical process and how he came to understand reality and knowledge. He introduced the principle of “Cogito ergo sum”, namely the principle that man can only understand himself and that he has a definite existence. Descartes also discussed how he understood mathematics and how he used the methodology of philosophy to understand other things.
Overall, “Discourse on Method” is a philosophy book that introduces some of Descartes’ important philosophical opinions and explains how he understood philosophy and mathematics.
Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
The last philosophy book is the work of Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who was written in 1781 under the name Critique of Pure. It consists of 3 criticisms written by Kant.
In “Critique of Pure Reason”, Kant discusses how humans understand the world and how humans use reason to understand the world. He discusses how reason affects human understanding of the world and how this affects human understanding of reality. Kant also discusses how humans understand concepts such as space and time and how humans understand moral concepts.
Those are our version of 10 philosophy books. The main consideration in choosing a philosophy book is the topic. The right topic will make your enthusiasm for completing a philosophy book even higher. Also consider the language used so that it is easy to read. Enjoy reading philosophy books!
