Good philosopher to start off with?

[Seamus619]

Hello,
I am new to this forum, as well as philosophy.
Who would you guys recommend would be a good philosopher to start off with for someone who is just now taking an interest in philosophy? Thanks :-)

[mal4mac]

Philosophy and Social Hope - Richard Rorty

[Silas Thorne]

The Chinese philosopher Mengzi. Read his 'Fish and Bearpaw' passage and think carefully about it.

[Desolation]

Well, that really depends...There are so many schools of philosophy out there and such a diverse selection of philosophers. Which school are you interested in?

Personally, my favorite philosopher is Friedrich Nietzsche. I don't know that he's generally a good place to start, though.

[DanielBenoit]

Maybe Aristotle and Plato? But then agian, Aristotle can be very dry, and you are bound to reencounter their ideas again and again in philosophy, whether you have read them or not.

I too started out with Nietzsche, but probably isn't the best place to start. Might I suggest Desartes or Hume? One of the most basic ideas of philosophy is that dichotemy between empiricism and rationalism.

[Bakiryu]

I started with Nietzsche like almost everyone here, but i think i'd be a good idea to head down to the basics and the first early philosophers (and not just the greeks).

[Michael T]

You could try Bertrand Russell's 'History of Western Philosophy' and also his 'The Problems of Philosophy'

[mal4mac]

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? by Harold Bloom

[blazeofglory]

Of course we can recommend so many philosophers there is no dearth of philosophers and their works and what is really scarce is wisdom.

Lately I am into J Krishnamurti. I like him for his simplicity and non-arrogance.
He was a man of immense humility. I am never tired of reading him and he is a fountainhead of inspiration, and he never lied as the rest of spiritualists and philosophers speak of things they too are no convinced of.

He did not follow any particular religions or philosophies, and he always questioned and indeed that was his style to question everything and he was of the opinion that the answer lies in the question.

Read him and share your ideas.

[TheFifthElement]

I'd second the nomination of Bertrand Russell. Whether you read his History of Western Philosophy or his other works he is very accessible.

[mal4mac]

I'd second the nomination of Bertrand Russell. Whether you read his History of Western Philosophy or his other works he is very accessible.

Accessible doesn't necessarily mean that it's very good. As Bryan Magee points out in his better introduction to philosophy ("Confessions..."), Russell cobbled this together quickly out of some adult education material. Russell is certainly worth reading, but I'd recommend "My Philosophical Development".

[Desolation]

I started with Nietzsche like almost everyone here, but i think i'd be a good idea to head down to the basics and the first early philosophers (and not just the greeks).

So, everyone started with Nietzsche, but no one thinks that Nietzsche's good to start with. Interesting...

[billl]

It's hard to argue with an anthology or something like that, most individual philosophers have books that might end up pretty difficult to understand without some background. So Russell's History might be a good one, though I haven't read it.

That being said, reading Plato (the Socrates stuff) might work OK. It doesn't require too much familiarity with any background terminology or debate (though there might be a few crucial Greek words to contemplate), and it is generally in the form of a conversation involving non-philosophers (or poorly skilled ones) being "taken to school" by Socrates.

[LukeS.]

I have a degree in Philosophy, for what it's worth, and like others, I think that it will depend on your aims.

Know that there are many different philosophical traditions, such that they don't seem to be the same thing at all. Nietzsche will appeal more to a younger, angst-ridden audience and isn't a hardcore rational thought guy.

So here are some areas of philosophy:

-Ancient philosophy. Yes, it all comes from this, but on the other hand, ancient philosophers have some unique concerns. If it is western philosophy that you are interested in reading, I recommend that you start with Plato, of course. The earlier dialogues are accessible (i.e., Ion, Euthyphro), the later ones are much more dense and hardcore, less fun but more substantial.

-Modern Philosophy: Descartes' Meditations are a perfect start. Great stuff, and it walks you through the way in which much philosophical thinking can get its start. Highly recommended.

-Continental Philosophy: After Kant, philosophy sort of "splits" into "analytic" and "continental" camps. Nietzsche is considered a continental.

-Analytic. Russell's Problems of Philosophy is a good start here. Also, Roger Scruton's Modern Philosophy. These books will introduce you to the sort of problems philosophers spend their time working on...philosophy is a field which works to solve particular problems; it isn't "literature."

As for Eastern stuff, I don't know about that. If you are interested in that tradition, I can't comment b/c I am unfamiliar with it. But be aware that it is as different tradition, and reading Buddhist texts isn't going to help so much with western epistemology; they aren't in a conversation with each other.

[mal4mac]

philosophy is a field which works to solve particular problems; it isn't "literature."

Harold Bloom mentions several philosophical works in his "Western Canon" and suggests that they *are* literature. Why can't a work of philosophy be literature as well? Surely there is no reason why a work of philosophy can't be well written and have aesthetic value? Of course. most aren't well written , but some are. Plato seems to be the most admired guy who fits into both camps. It's certainly worth reading his complete dialogues, only a few are really tough going.