A Comprehensive Reading List for Beginners in Academic Philosophy

 If you're new to philosophy and want an introduction that mirrors what a university might recommend, this reading list will provide a structured and academic approach.


General Introductions to Philosophy

Before diving into primary texts, it’s useful to gain a broad understanding of philosophy’s major themes and questions. These books provide accessible and introductions:

  • Nigel Warburton – Philosophy: The Basics (A clear and concise introduction)

  • Thomas Nagel – What Does It All Mean? (Short and engaging overview of philosophical problems)

  • Bertrand Russell – The Problems of Philosophy (Classic introduction to epistemology and metaphysics)



Logic and Critical Thinking

A key component of philosophy is the ability to think and argue clearly. These books introduce logical reasoning as well as different form of logic:

  • Graham Priest – Logic: A Very Short Introduction (A beginner friendly exploration of logic)

  • Patrick J. Hurley – A Concise Introduction to Logic (A comprehensive look at symbolic and formal logic)

  • Lewis Vaughn – The Power of Critical Thinking (Practical applications of reasoning and argument analysis)


Ancient Philosophy (The Greeks and Romans)

Western philosophy begins with the Ancient Greeks, whose ideas still shape contemporary thought. Personally don't recommend since later authors extrapolate on these concepts with more basis. Yet here I am, recommending them. 😉:

  • Plato – The Republic (Justice, politics, and the philosopher-king)

  • Aristotle – Nicomachean Ethics (Virtue ethics and the good life)

  • Epictetus – Discourses and Selected Writings (A key work in Stoic philosophy)

For a deeper dive into early thought, consider The Presocratic Philosophers by G.S. Kirk & J.E. Raven


 Early Modern Philosophy

The rise of rationalism and empiricism in the 17th and 18th centuries laid the groundwork for modern philosophy. Extremely interesting, many of these ideas explore extremely abstract and fundamental concepts, perhaps influenced by theological rhetoric in its grandness:

  • René Descartes – Meditations on First Philosophy (Skepticism and foundational knowledge)

  • David Hume – An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Empiricism and causation)

  • Immanuel Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (Ethics and duty-based morality)



19th-Century Philosophy

Philosophy in this era shifted toward history, society, and existential concerns. Hegel is quite dense in his style so be wary. Many of these names you hear thrown around even in modern times:

  • G.W.F. Hegel – The Phenomenology of Spirit (Selections) (Dialectics and history)

  • Arthur Schopenhauer – The World as Will and Representation (Selections) (Metaphysics and pessimism)

  • Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels – The Capital (Political philosophy and historical materialism(some metaphysics sprinkled in as well))

  • Friedrich Nietzsche – Beyond Good and Evil (Critique of morality and metaphysics)




 20th- & 21st-Century Philosophy

Modern and contemporary philosophy covers existentialism, analytic philosophy, and political thought. Many readers tend to stray away from these texts as they are often rather methodological and less visceral than previous authors. Disregarding them entirely is ignorant, I believe. There is a place for everything, especially every idea:

  • Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations (Language and meaning)

  • Martin Heidegger – Being and Time (Selections) (Existentialism and phenomenology)

  • Jean-Paul Sartre – Existentialism is a Humanism (Freedom and responsibility)

  • Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex (Feminist existentialism)

  • John Rawls – A Theory of Justice (Political philosophy and fairness)

  • Thomas Kuhn – The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Philosophy of science and paradigm shifts)


If you wish to explore particular branches of philosophy, consider these works:

  • Epistemology: Edmund Gettier – Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? (Short but foundational)

  • Metaphysics: Peter van Inwagen – Metaphysics (An accessible yet thorough exploration)

  • Ethics: Derek Parfit – Reasons and Persons (Personal identity and moral philosophy)

  • Philosophy of Mind: David Chalmers – The Conscious Mind (Exploration of consciousness)

  • Philosophy of Science: Karl Popper – The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Falsifiability and scientific method


An amazing external source I have found useful is the Stanford Encyclopedia Of Philosophy. It contains a vast amount of information on essentially every work that I have listed here along with many more. Again, this is just a beginners guide to philosophy, advanced readers tend to use this initial exploration(through it may seem daunting) to specialize in one or two of these areas for further research. It may seem quite extreme but philosophy is inherently a subject of expression through linguistics(heh Wittgenstein), whether they be spoken or written. Many of these books are engaging and don't even seem academic in the standard sense; but, keep an eye out for any warnings I have listed. 😶 

I hope you enjoy!

- A.S








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