Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#21

Post by seanwoods » Tue, May 03, 2011, 3:33 AM UTC

mbanana wrote: post #5

You may find the Dialogues of Plato rather entertaining - http://www.classicallibrary.org/plato/dialogues/ The funny thing is, they were written more than 2000 years ago, and no one has been able to add anything substantial to the subject since then :-)

I found "The Clouds" rather entertaining. Unfortunately the language in the free version is a little less frank...but it's an interesting read nonetheless.

http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/aristophanes/clouds.htm

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#22

Post by count » Tue, May 03, 2011, 3:35 AM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #2

Bertrand Russell - The History of Western Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Philosophy-Bertrand-Ru...

That's sort of evil to use as an 'Introduction'...it's like reading the Silmarillion before you read LOTR.

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#23

Post by zhynn » Tue, May 03, 2011, 3:38 AM UTC

I have to say, I've learned more from LessWrong (lesswrong.org) and OvercomingBias (overcomingbias.com) than I have from nearly all of my classical reading. No, it doesn't cover the classics in the same detail, but they do cover rational discourse of philosophy very well.

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#24

Post by garyaj2 » Tue, May 03, 2011, 3:54 AM UTC

John Macmurray's "Interpreting the Universe" is a good overview of what philosophy is all about. http://johnmacmurray.org/reviews/interpreting-the-universe/

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#25

Post by len » Tue, May 03, 2011, 3:59 AM UTC

just read the apology

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#26

Post by peterzakin » Tue, May 03, 2011, 4:02 AM UTC

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus is extremely readable and a classic of modern nihilistic thought.

I'd also recommend Nietzsche's The Genealogy of Morals. It's not his most famous work, but it's pretty widely acclaimed as his best.

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#27

Post by kd0amg » Tue, May 03, 2011, 4:02 AM UTC

count wrote: post #22

mindcrime wrote: post #2

Bertrand Russell - The History of Western Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Philosophy-Bertrand-Ru...

That's sort of evil to use as an 'Introduction'...it's like reading the Silmarillion before you read LOTR.

It's substantially simpler and more straightforward than a lot of the primary sources, which makes me wonder what is the analogue of LOTR here.

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#28

Post by haecib » Tue, May 03, 2011, 4:03 AM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #2

Bertrand Russell - The History of Western Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Philosophy-Bertrand-Ru...

I'll second this. It's both thorough and accessible. Sounds like a good fit for what OP is looking for.

At any rate, I think that it is a question of which history of philosophy the OP reads rather than a book on any one philosophy in particular based on his original post...unless he really wants to get back with his friend on that nihilism comment...

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#29

Post by thewileyone » Tue, May 03, 2011, 4:08 AM UTC

Candide - Voltaire

Re: Ask HN: Can anyone recommend some philosophy reading?

#30

Post by sebkomianos » Tue, May 03, 2011, 4:11 AM UTC

count wrote: post #22

mindcrime wrote: post #2

Bertrand Russell - The History of Western Philosophy: http://www.amazon.com/History-Western-Philosophy-Bertrand-Ru...

That's sort of evil to use as an 'Introduction'...it's like reading the Silmarillion before you read LOTR.

You did that as well? I thought I was the only person in the entire to universe to do so.