From beginner-friendly introductions to classic books on philosophy, this page features books to suit any learning style. It’s important to note that there is no single best introductory book on philosophy. The best book for you will depend on your preferred learning style and the amount of time that you want to spend reading about philosophy. An dense academic overview is unlikely to be best for someone looking for a short beginner-friendly introduction, for example. This list aims to take this ambiguity into account by featuring three different kinds of …
The Value of Philosophy: A Collection of Videos, Articles, and Podcasts
This page contains a collection of resources on the value of philosophy. It is aimed at anyone who wants to learn about the benefits of studying philosophy and those who want to convince others that philosophy is worth studying. When looking for information on a new topic, some people are looking for a short beginner-friendly overview, others prefer in-depth and more academic articles. Some people prefer to watch videos, others prefer listening to podcasts. This collection of resources aims to make learning about philosophy as easy as possible by allowing …
Bertrand Russell on the Value of Philosophy – a short reading from Russell’s ‘The Problems of Philosophy’
Introduction Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher and social critic best known for his work in mathematical logic and as a popularizer of philosophy. In this passage from The Problems of Philosophy, Russell acknowledges that many men think that philosophy is useless because it is unable to produce definite answers to the questions it addresses. He argues that the value of philosophy is to be “sought largely in its very uncertainty”. Those who do not study philosophy are “imprisoned by the prejudices” of the society in which they were …
The origin of misology: Why some people hate rational argument – a classic reading from Plato’s Phaedo
“For as there are misanthropists or haters of men, there are also misologists or haters of ideas, and both spring from the same cause, which is ignorance of the world.” — Plato, Phaedo Introduction For those of us who spend too much time online or on social media, it can sometimes feel like we are bombarded by an almost endless stream of contradictory arguments. In this passage, Socrates urges us to recognize that many arguments which initially seem persuasive often fall apart under closer analysis. Once we realize how easily …