Best Philosophy Books

Looking for good philosophy to read? This is my recommended list of the best philosophy books of all-time. 


To make it easier for you to choose your next philosophy book, I further subdivided this list into 6 sections. You can click the links below to jump to a specific category or scroll down to check them all.

My Best Philosophy Books

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

> "The Meditations" is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy...

Find out more about this book >>


The Manual For Living Book

The Manual for Living

by Epictetus

The Manual For Living Book Review

> Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. This short "handbook", which was actually written down by one of his pupils, is a guide to daily living. It has been read by countless people over the centuries because of its sensibility and its easy application to daily living...  Find out more about this book >>


On the Shortness of Life Book

On the Shortness of Life

by Seneca

On the Shortness of Life Book Review

> The Stoic philosopher Seneca offers piercing and profound insights into human nature and a vision of the good life, so that one may say with him “Life is long, if you know how to live it.”

... Find out more about this book >>


The Republic by Plato

The Republic

by Plato

> The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 380 BC, concerning the definition of justice... Find out more about this book >>

Best Philosophy Books for Beginners

What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy

What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy

by Thomas Nagel

What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy

> Should the hard questions of philosophy matter to ordinary people?

> In this down-to-earth, nonhistorical guide, Thomas Nagel, the distinguished author of Mortal Questions and The View From Nowhere, brings philosophical problems to life, revealing in vivid, accessible prose why they have continued to fascinate and baffle thinkers across the centuries... Find out more about this book >>


A History of Western Philosophy

The History of Western Philosophy

by Bertrand Russell

A History of Western Philosophy

> Considered to be one of the most important philosophical works of all time, the History of Western Philosophy is a dazzlingly unique exploration of the ideologies of significant philosophers throughout the ages—from Plato and Aristotle through to Spinoza, Kant and the twentieth century... Find out more about this book >>


Sophie's World: A Novel about The History of Philosophy

Sophie's World: A Novel about The History of Philosophy

by Jostein Gaarder

Sophie's World: A Novel about The History of Philosophy

> One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village... Find out more about this book >>


The Pig that Wants to be Eaten Book

The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for Armchair Philosopher 

by Julian Baggini

The Pig that Wants to be Eaten Book Review

> Perfect for gifting to lovers of philosophy or mining intelligent ice-breaker topics for your next party, The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten offers one hundred philosophical puzzles that stimulate thought on a host of moral, social, and personal dilemmas... Find out more about this​​​​​ book >>


Think by Simon Blackburn

Think

by Simon Blackburn

Think by Simon Blackburn

> Think is introduction to the challenging and fascinating landscape of Western philosophy. Written expressly for anyone who believes there are big questions out there, but does not know how to approach them... Find out more about this book >>

Top Philosophy Books for Self-improvement

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Meditations

by Marcus Aurelius

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

> "The Meditations" is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy...

Find out more about this book >>


Nicomachean Ethics Book

Nicomachean Ethics

by Aristotle

> In this book Aristotle explains how to achieve happiness through building a good and virtuous character. And this is done by learning which actions are virtuous and which aren’t, and also how to create good habits... Find out more about this book >>


The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life

The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life

by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff 

The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life

> Game theory means rigorous strategic thinking. It’s the art of anticipating your opponent’s next moves, knowing full well that your rival is trying to do the same thing to you.


> In this book, the authors show how nearly every business and personal interaction has a game-theory component to it.

> Mastering game theory will make you more successful in business and life, and this lively book is the key to that mastery... Find out more about this book >>


Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

> This book Teaches How to turn everyday experience into a moment by moment opportunity for joy and self-fulfillment.


> Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains how to:

  • Use flow to release yourself from anxiety and boredom
  • Redirect your energy and take control
  • Set clear goals
  • Harmonize all the elements of your life.. Find out more about this book >>

Man's Search For Meaning

by Vektor Frankl

Internationally renowned psychiatrist, Viktor E. Frankl, endured years of unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps. During, and partly because of, his suffering, Dr. Frankl developed a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy. At the core of his theory is the belief that man's primary motivational force is his search for meaning. Find out more about this book >>


The Obstacle Is The Way

by Ryan Holiday

We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn't be this way. There is a formula for success that's been followed by the icons of history - from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs - a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek.

> This book shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage. Find out more about this book >>


Discourses and Selected Writings

Discourses and Selected Writings

by Epictetus

Discourses and Selected Writings

> Discourses and Selected Writings is a transcribed collection of informal lectures given by the philosopher Epictetus around AD 108... Find out more about this book >>

Best Western Philosophy Books

Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo

Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo

by Plato

Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo

> Plato wrote his philosophy in dialogue form, where multiple characters debate various ideas and try to come to a conclusion. This book contains 5 of the most important Platonic dialogues. Find out more about this book >>


The Republic by Plato

The Republic

by Plato

> The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, written by Plato around 380 BC, concerning the definition of justice... Find out more about this book >>


The Essential Epicurus Book

The Essential Epicurus

by Epicurus

The Essential Epicurus Book Review

> Epicurus (ca. 341-271 B.C.) founded one of the most famous and influential philosophical schools of antiquity. In these remains of his vast output of scientific and ethical writings, we can trace Epicurus' views on atomism, physical sensation, duty, morality, the soul, and the nature of the gods... Find out more about this book >>

Best Modern Philosophy Books

Meditations on First Philosophy Book

Meditations on First Philosophy

by René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy Book Review

> This book is one of the most influential philosophical texts ever written, it is widely read to this day. It basically discusses the existence of God and the immortality of the soul... Find out more about this book >>


Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

by Douglas Hofstadter

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

> If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will computers attain human intelligence. 


> Gödel, Escher, Bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more... Find out more about this book >>


Critique of Pure Reason Book

Critique of Pure Reason

by Immanuel Kant

Critique of Pure Reason Book Review

> Kant divides knowledge into two broad categories - the analytic judgement and the synthetic judgement. This analytic–synthetic distinction is a cornerstone of his work; an analytic judgement being one which holds truth by virtue of its very meaning; and a synthetic judgement being true owing to how it relates to the world around it... Find out more about this book >>


The Prince Book

The Prince

by Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince Book Review

> Written in 1512, The Prince is the masterpiece by Florentine political philosopher, poet, and playwright Niccolò Machiavelli. It is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy... Find out more about this book >>


Beyond Good And Evil Book

Beyond Good And Evil

by Friedrich Nietzsche

Beyond Good And Evil Book Review

>  In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche accuses past philosophers of lacking critical sense and blindly accepting dogmatic premises in their consideration of morality... Find out more about this book >>


Being and Nothingness Book

Being and Nothingness

by Jean-Paul Sartre

Being and Nothingness Book Review

> Born in Paris in 1905, Sartre was a professor of philosophy when he joined the French Army at the outbreak of World War II. Captured by the Germans, he was released, after nearly a year, in 1941. He immediately joined the French resistance as a journalist.

 

> In the postwar era Jean-Paul Sartre - philosopher, critic, novelist, and dramatist - became one of the most influential men of this century. He died in Paris in 1980... Find out more about this book >>


The Myth Of Sisyphus and Other Essays

The Myth Of Sisyphus and Other Essays

by Albert Camus

The Myth Of Sisyphus and Other Essays

> One of the most influential works of this century, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays is a crucial exposition of existentialist thought. Influenced by works such as Don Juan and the novels of Kafka, these essays begin with a meditation on suicide; the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning.


> With lyric eloquence, Albert Camus brilliantly posits a way out of despair, reaffirming the value of personal existence, and the possibility of life lived with dignity and authenticity... Find out more about this book >>


The Complete Essays

The Complete Essays

by Michel De Montaigne

The Complete Essays

> In 1572 Montaigne retired to his estates in order to devote himself to leisure, reading and reflection. There he wrote his constantly expanding 'assays', inspired by the ideas he found in books contained in his library and from his own experience. He discusses subjects as diverse as war-horses and cannibals, poetry and politics, sex and religion, love and friendship, ecstasy and experience... Find out more about this book >>


A Treatise of Human Nature

A Treatise of Human Nature

by David Hume

A Treatise of Human Nature

> David Hume's work formed the psychological foundation for modern psychology.

> He showed the limits and proper application of reason in human life. He also examined the passions and morality, showing how they arise in human experience and how they are connected to both reason and action... Find out more about this book >>

Best Eastern Philosophy Books

Tao Te Ching Book

Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

Tao Te Ching Book Review

> The Tao Te Ching is perfect for those who would like to delve deeper into the intriguing nature of the Tao and to gain a deeper understanding of life and the nature of reality.

> This series of meditations is also a great way to gain a better understanding of ancient Chinese beliefs... Find out more about this book >>


Zhuangzi Book

Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings

by Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi Book Review

> The other foundational book of Taoism, and arguably the more important one. The Tao Te Ching explains the theory of Taoism, while Zhuangzi shows how to put it in practice... Find out more about this book >>


The Analects Book

The Analects

by Confucius

The Analects Book Review

> Confucius sayings and those of his disciples form the foundation of a distinct social, ethical, and intellectual system. They have retained their freshness and vigor throughout the two and a half millennia of their currency, and are still admired even in today's China... Find out more about this book >>


Other Reading Lists

Pin It on Pinterest