I want it to be complex and thought provoking on a philosophical level but I’ve noticed a lot of articles and books that are like that are also using really complex language. I always find myself rereading the same sentence over and over again even if I know the meaning of the words on the page. Not entirely sure how to describe the book I want but I want something that won’t make me do that. And I want the focus to be moral philosophy.
by BillDaveDaveBill
16 Comments
Meditations
You should try some Todd May. “A Decent Life” might do it for you.
Bertrand Russell Problems of Philosophy. It was in my intro to Philosophy class. I remember it being pretty easy.
A very basic introduction could be “Sophie’s world” by Jostein Garder. I read it a long time back. I love the storytelling. I don’t know if u would consider reading a simplistic approach to philosophy as in this book.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
For a slightly more off-center, dare i say fun, approach to moral philosophy, try *How to Be Perfect* by Michael Schur
How to be Perfect. Michael Schur, creator of the Good Place, wrote a book on philosophy with the input of the philosophy professors he consulted for the show, which focuses heavily on moral philosophy.
I listened to the audiobook, which has cameos from the cast of the show. It’s probably as accessible as it gets. Also, watch the show if you haven’t. For a comedy, it does an amazing job of exploring philosophy.
Three (non-conventional) options: Edmund White’s *The Flâneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris,* Milan Kundera’s *Testaments Betrayed* and Andrew Joron’s *The Cry at Zero.*
Ryan Holiday’s stuff is very digestible.
There was a book I read in high school called *Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes* by Daniel Klein that does a decent job of laying out philosophical groundwork through anecdotes and humor.
It’s not particularly high level stuff and you’re certainly not getting any deep themes or meanings from it, but it explains fundamentals, common terms, things like that in a pretty approachable way.
Existentialism is a Humanism by Sartre
The Myth of Sisyphus – Albert Camus
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.
I think reading biographies are a great way to get the philosophy and the context. I loved At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell. I think it checks all your boxes if you like existentialism.
The best answer: Plato’s symposium. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to follow it and it was very profound, even life changing to me.
Also I have the same problem with re reading. Audiobooks help a ton. Even ai audio like eleven reader
Many classic children’s books (being completely serious)