can anyone recommend...

I'm looking to begin exploring the academic world of philosophical literature, but am unsure where to begin. Can anyone recommend a starting point for me? Are there any philosophers which have particuarly inspired or questioned you? Thanks

I started with the Hellenistic philosophers myself. Check this out if you are interested http://classicpersuasion.org/pw/diogenes/index.htm

This site may be of assistance :)

http://www.selectsmart.com/PHILOSOPH...tion.html#sart

Have you read any technical philosophy yet? Plato? Aristotle? DesCartes? I'd start there. I'd read Plato.

If you've read some technical stuff and you want to really get to the literature, then pick up something by Albert Camus or perhaps Dostoyevsky or Sartre.

I suggest reading No Exit and 3 Other Plays (by Sartre) followed directly by The Plague (by Camus) if you're interested in Existential-type philosophy.

There are some excellent introductions to philsophy: These two recommendations spring to mind:

Please look out:-

- Sophies World

- Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance (a classic)

I agree with the two fictions mentioned. especially "Sophies World" It has a lot of short but ok introductions to diferent philosophers and philosophies. Besides that it is an exelent novel.

I have two recommendations to start:

"The Stranger," an existential novel by Albert Camus.

"The Physicists," a theater of the absurd play by Freidrich Durrenmatt.

Maybe you should start with the basic "ideas" of and in philosophy. Like what is philosophy, what is its intention or purpose and significance. Then start with the fundamental ideas in regards to our world/universe and human.

Totally agree with Sophie's World suggestion.