Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, truth, beauty, justice, validity, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions (such as mysticism or mythology) by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned argument. The word philosophy is of Ancient Greek origin: φιλοσοφία (philosophía), meaning "love of wisdom."

New Releases Tagged "Philosophy"

A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

want to read

want to read

Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World

want to read

Arrested Development and Philosophy: They've Made a Huge Mistake

want to read

Most Read This Week Tagged "Philosophy"

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

want to read

want to read

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

want to read

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True

want to read

want to read

God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales

want to read

want to read

want to read

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

want to read

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

want to read

want to read

The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values

want to read

want to read

Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

want to read

The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood

want to read

More most read this week tagged "philosophy"...

Giveaways

A Short Stay in Hell
by Steven L. Peck (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Mar 23, 2012

As a faithful Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he’ll be reunited with his loved ones in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to…more view details »

Enter to win

Giveaway dates: Feb 10-Feb 24, 2012

10 copies available, 1193 people requesting

Countries available: US, CA, and GB more

Insightful Inspirations by Leanne Holitza

Insightful Inspirations: Conversation Starters for Your Authentic Self
by Leanne Holitza (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Jan 11, 2012

Open up the conversation with your authentic self. What lessons are you trying to learn today?

The messages in this book come directly fro…more view details »

Enter to win

Giveaway dates: Jan 31-Feb 28, 2012

2 copies available, 274 people requesting

Countries available: US, CA, and GB more

CAMILEON: Beyond The Veil
by Shykia Bell (Goodreads Author)
Seeing beyond the veil means seeing beyond what logic dictates and what others believe.

As Camile Leon becomes engulfed in the mysteries on…more view details »

Enter to win

Giveaway dates: Feb 05-Feb 29, 2012

1 copy available, 174 people requesting

Countries available: US

read on goodreads

More book giveaways...

Popular Philosophy Books

want to read

want to read

want to read

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

want to read

More popular philosophy books...

Lists

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Life coaching books (Dutch)

23 books — 2 voters

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Best Philosophical Fiction

41 books — 106 voters

The New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman

Essentiality Esoteric & Irreverent

15 books — 6 voters

Globe & Mail 50 Greatest Books

55 books — 18 voters

The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

Sensitive Blood-Drinkers, Sexy Bad-Boys and Gallant Scottish Noblemen... or not

414 books — 53 voters

The Graph of Desire by Alfredo Eidelzstein

Essays On Contemporary Events by C.G. Jung

On Being Normal and Other Disorders by Paul Verhaeghe

The Trainings of the Psychoanalyst by Annie Tardits

The Weary Sons of Freud by Catherine Clément

Psychoanalysis and Lacan

28 books — 2 voters

Recent Reviews

02/22

Ade gave

to:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

My rating:

Ade said: "So far this book is really fascinating... One might think the subject matter would be dry, but Susan Cain presents great research that is very entertaining to read. I've had quite a few "aha!" or "that's me!" moments while reading...more"

2 hours, 59 min ago · see review

02/21

Brad Kirk gave

to:

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

by Daniel Quinn

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Brad Kirk said: "The entire book is built upon faulty premises. It is presented in a manner insulting to anybody with even slightly above average intelligence. I agree that mankind is going to have to be pretty creative to fix the mess we've made, but I don't agree w...more"

Feb 21, 2012 09:34pm · see review

02/21

S. gave

to:

Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth

by Apostolos Doxiadis

bookshelves: graphic-novels

read in February, 2012

My rating:

S. said: "This graphic novel tells the story of Bertrand Russell, a British logician, mathematician, life-long pacifist, philosopher and writer in the form of a lecture where Russell is asked whether or not he could tell people that it was better to go to war ...more"

Feb 21, 2012 03:41pm · see review

02/22

Ertan Enginalev gave

to:

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

My rating:

Ertan Enginalev said: "The ideas presented are rather intriguing to say the least, but the book feels bit bloated with a lot of repetitive arguments to stress some rather obvious points. Nonetheless, it's a great book. Just not in a literary sense but in a more pragmatic s...more"

22 hours, 17 min ago · see review

02/21

Raquel gave

to:

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

by Daniel Quinn

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Raquel said: "Personally loved this book. Really makes you think about everything youve been told and if you should really believe it or not. As well as adapting a different worldview. I disagree that recycling and things like that won't help. Of course they will!...more"

Feb 21, 2012 02:16pm · see review

02/21

Michael Sorensen gave

to:

The Grand Design

by Stephen Hawking

My rating:

Michael Sorensen said: "Really really fascinating science. Really really poor commentary on religion. This would be a 5 star if it were just a science book, because Hawking does a fabulous job of make physics I can even begin to understand comprehensible."

Feb 21, 2012 08:48am · see review

02/21

Ilona gave

to:

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

by Daniel Quinn

My rating:

Ilona said: "This book was utterly beautiful.

I was given this as a birthday gift from my boyfriend last year. Immediately, I wondered why he chose this. After reading it, I understand.

I can relate to a lot of it, simply by the way I think. I ...more"

Feb 21, 2012 07:56am · see review

02/20

Matt Gunderson gave

to:

The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values

by Sam Harris

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Matt Gunderson said: "Although I agree with Harris's arguments and theories, as well as his overall thesis, I felt that this book was rushed and unnecessarily simplistic, almost 'dumbed down'. Seeing that the book was obviously dealing with a very complicated and immense ...more"

Feb 20, 2012 06:56pm · see review

02/20

Kater Cheek gave

to:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Kater Cheek said: "This book brings up some interesting, important, and little-discussed ideas about introversion, the greatest of which is that introversion is a valid personality type rather than a flaw which should be corrected.

Cain begins the book in this...moreThis book brings up some interesting, important, and little-discussed ideas about introversion, the greatest of which is that introversion is a valid personality type rather than a flaw which should be corrected.

Cain begins the book in this way, defensively, angrily, which made me realize how many of my own introverted aspects had been demonized to the extent that I denied them even in myself. She talks about how quiet, studious children are ostracized even in school, even by their teachers, who ought to be glad to have attentive children but are instead concerned by the pupil's lack of social skills.

Cain also goes to the root of the problem, talking about how Dale Carnegie's book (How to Win Friends and Influence People) in the early twentieth century launched the culture of personality over the culture of character. When every human interaction is viewed through the lens of selling oneself, keeping quiet and attending to ones own affairs becomes something to be overcome. Cool unruffled movie stars become the new heroes, when personality and outward appearance triumph over character and inner life.

Cain explores extroversion. She goes to one of Tim Robbin's seminars and shouts with the rest of the people who have forked over a lot of dough in order to learn how to take their personality (and their lives) to the next level of extroversion. She goes to one of the mega-churches and has an interview with an evangelical who laments that the life of the mind and the inner sphere have no place in this new idea of God as a social event. She also goes to visit the MBA program at Harvard, which she describes as an extroversion center, where no one ever works alone, and social events are all but mandatory.

Cain doesn't focus on the traditional, narrow definition of introversion, but a broader spectrum of traits, which include sensitivity, shyness and the ability to concentrate and focus easily on one task. I had no problem with these being grouped together, because from what I've seen, they often do go together.

At its best, this book functions as a kind of pep-talk for introverts, reminding us that we're not defective or antisocial, and in fact, introverts have a great many advantages over extroverts. The greatest example is that you tend to get a lot more accomplished when you're not out partying. At its worst, it careens from broad stereotype to broad stereotype, some of which contradict one another, such as "Europeans and Americans are more extroverted than Asians and Africans" along with "introverts are often thin, with pale skin and blue eyes."

I got this book as an audiobook, which I don't recommend. I did like the speaker (whose name I can't remember). She had a calm voice, much in keeping with the tone of the novel, and she seemed to pronounce even the most difficult names with fluency. However, the repeated phrases "studies show","scientists believe that","a recent study indicated that","researchers feel that" etc. began to grate on my ear. Also, there were two hours, (hour six and a half to seven and a half and the last hour) which bored the crap out of me. If I had been reading it in paper form, I probably would have skipped or skimmed that part, but you can't skim an audiobook. The last part of the book deals mostly with how to raise an introverted child, and if I hadn't been driving, I would have skipped it entirely. I don't know why it bored me so much, as I have an introverted child, but I couldn't listen to all of it in one chunk. I had to take a break because of the tedium.

There's a lot of interesting information here, and while it tries to strike a good balance between entertainment and information, it errs frequently on the side of information. If you're an introvert, a closet introvert pretending to be an extrovert (like me) or you're in a relationship with an introvert, this book has some interesting thought points. If you are going to read it, I recommend the book form, so you can flip through when it starts to run on too long.(less)"

Feb 20, 2012 02:44pm · see review

02/20

jeremy gave

to:

A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

by Lawrence M. Krauss

read in February, 2012

My rating:

jeremy said: "lawrence krauss' new book, a universe from nothing: why there is something rather than nothing, summarizes the continuing developments in the field of cosmology. in addition to championing these new insights in the study of modern physics, krauss al...morelawrence krauss' new book, a universe from nothing: why there is something rather than nothing, summarizes the continuing developments in the field of cosmology. in addition to championing these new insights in the study of modern physics, krauss also frames these advances in the appropriate context of their resulting implications for theologians and deists. adapted from a lecture he delivered at the 2009 atheist alliance international annual convention (and made popular on youtube), a universe from nothing explores the history of the universe from the big bang through inflation to its theoretical endpoint using the most current (and widely accepted) science.

krauss is marvelously adept at conveying his broad scientific knowledge in as succinct and lucid a manner as is perhaps possible, making it relatively easy for a non-theoretical physicist to grasp the concepts he is attempting to illustrate. among the more notable and recent advancements that krauss examines in the book are the discoveries that the universe is now accelerating following the so-called "cosmic jerk" that took place some five billion years ago (see also 2011 nobel prize in physics), the abundance of dark energy that appears to account for nearly three-quarters of the universe's total mass (that resides mostly in "empty space"), and the uniform flatness that characterizes our universe. the majority of the book is spent assembling and explaining the related pieces that together form a picture of the universe which, according to the latest scientific data, seems to have evolved from nothing- in fact, may have only been able to evolve precisely because there was nothing.

the ultimate arbiter of truth is experiment, not the comfort one derives from one's a priori beliefs, not the beauty and elegance one ascribes to one's theoretical models. the results of experiments that i will describe here are not only timely, they are also unexpected. the tapestry that science weaves in describing the evolution of our universe is far richer and far more fascinating than any revelatory images or imaginative stories that humans have concocted.

as our understanding of the nearly 14 billion-year-old universe is constantly evolving, there is clearly much to be learned about cosmology. krauss is enthusiastic in his dissemination of the accumulated knowledge, and seems eager to welcome whatever conceptual refinements future advancements will inevitably bring. a universe from nothing is not simply a scientific treatise however, as krauss considers the ramifications these new insights have on age-old theological arguments.

for more than two thousand years, the question, "why is there something rather than nothing?" has been presented as a challenge to the proposition that our universe- which contains the vast complex of stars, galaxies, humans, and who knows what else- might have arise without design, intent, or purpose. while this is usually framed as a philosophical or religious question, it is first and foremost a question about the natural world, and so the appropriate place to try and resolve it, first and foremost, is with science.

richard dawkins, in the book's afterword, characterizes krauss' book as "the knockout blow" to the theologian's remaining arguments in favor of a creator. with a few hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe and a modern physics that seems to indicate that our universe could have only arose from nothing, krauss' assertion that god is "unnecessary- or at best redundant" is as compelling as the science he uses to arrive at said claim. a universe from nothing, like most books of reason and evidence, will do little to dissuade those whom ardently profess their belief in a deity, but as cosmology clarifies our place in the universe with greater precision, the arguments in favor of a creator seem ever less defensible. krauss, in this eminently readable (and often funny!) book, has ventured further down the road of rationality and empiricism, allowing us a guided tour on the never-ending quest to truly understand the nature of life in this brilliant universe we call home.

if we wish to draw philosophical conclusions about our own existence, our significance, and the significance of the universe itself, our conclusions should be based on empirical knowledge. a truly open mind means forcing our imaginations to conform to the evidence of reality, and not vice versa, whether or not we like the implications.

(less)"

Feb 20, 2012 06:39pm · see review

02/20

AC Griffith gave

to:

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern

by Stephen Greenblatt

read in February, 2012

My rating:

AC Griffith said: "Great fun historical read that deserves its National Book Award and makes one wish to read Lucretius in the Latin. Poggio Bracciolini makes for a scrappy and colorful hero, particularly the parts of the book discussing the gossipy shenanigans and in...more"

Feb 20, 2012 08:33am · see review

02/20

Michalis Sarigiannidis gave

to:

A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

by Lawrence M. Krauss

My rating:

Michalis Sarigiannidis said: "This is a great book, by a great author. Still, Krauss cut a few corners too many. Unless you do know the physics behind the story, it's hard to finish this book without thinking that Krauss expects you to trust him on a lot of the details. Which you...more"

Feb 20, 2012 07:51am · see review

02/20

Tim Knier gave

to:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Tim Knier said: "“Shut Up!” has become a mall moll’s colloquialism to express disbelief. The watchword cautions a noisy crowd into meditative reception. It is a catchphrase that lessens the loud babbler and empowers the silent observer. In other words, as the book...more“Shut Up!” has become a mall moll’s colloquialism to express disbelief. The watchword cautions a noisy crowd into meditative reception. It is a catchphrase that lessens the loud babbler and empowers the silent observer. In other words, as the book’s title suggests, we should stop our palaver and ponder the quiet person.

Susan Cain executes a fine defense of moderate people in a frenetic world. A former Wall Street attorney, she has presented an academic product as is evidenced by approximately 47 pages of endnotes as well as her 16-page introduction. Citing clinical studies, expert opinions, and professional comments, she traces the history of her subject from individual chivalry and personal character to our current culture of marketable personality.

Her exemplars and case studies substantiate the biological differences as well as some cultural nuances surrounding our understanding of extroverts and introverts. And yet, no person is completely outgoing or entirely introspective. There is balance, and we may have elements of both behavioral traits.

Cain’s compilation of material and weight of argument guides us to nod in agreement that we live in a society that is fixated on outgoing stylists rather than the ponderous sustainers. We live in a world of yin-and-yang; there is no extrovert without an introvert present. Her elucidation might prompt a private understanding of our personality makeup.

A final chapter offers suggestions to parents and teachers about cultivating the introverted child. But Cain’s creation is more a textbook than a self-help guide. Although her style is readable, it tends to be treatise-like and rather dry, lacking the hype, glibness, or glossy banter of a self-help guru akin to John Gray’s Men are from Mars… franchise.

While comprehending this book you might experience some self-awareness—an “aha” moment—that cries out: “I’m not an introvert; I’m merely highly sensitive.” But you’ll not discover that epiphany unless you hush up and read this book.(less)"

Feb 20, 2012 06:04am · see review

02/22

Simon gave

to:

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

by Christopher Hitchens

read in January, 2012

My rating:

Simon said: "This is a good book to explore some of the arguments around gods existence, the nature of religion and it’s affects on people.
Not as good as watching the Hitch debate live mind. If after reading the book and watching him talk you can remain reli...moreThis is a good book to explore some of the arguments around gods existence, the nature of religion and it’s affects on people.
Not as good as watching the Hitch debate live mind. If after reading the book and watching him talk you can remain religious then you clearly must have a screw loose.
I heartily agree with most of what he says. I’ve noticed more and more the egregious lack of morals in the bible and the principles espoused therein. Although most Christians (by necessity) cherry pick the nice bits and close their ears to the downright nasty bits, I think it’s important to point out the fact that it condones slavery, selling your daughter, rape, genocide, ritual slaughter of animals, human sacrifice, torture whether that be to appease god or to punish non believers for all eternity. Indeed the idea that we have the choice to follow god, and if we don’t take that option then deserve the eternal damnation that Jesus first introduces, it is scandalous to claim the christian god is all loving, all powerful and all knowing. Further, if he already knows the future and the choices we will make, he has therefore created us knowing that we will make that choice. Pretty immoral.
And so if people really do follow the claims of the belief system, believe the bible to be the word of god, i.e. get a bit fundamentalist, then we’re in for a rough ride.
He argued that putting threats of eternal punishment behind these religious moral exhortations rather devalues them – surely we should do it out of a better motive.
And then Christians can somehow claim that the morals and laws in society come from religion. (Granted some come from the church trying to maintain power and control.) I would argue that most decent laws come from our natural instincts as humans to figure out rules to work together as a society, i.e. we have a moral society not because of religion, but in spite of it.
I think The Hitch could have pushed this point more strongly. He does this to great affect in his debates, but not so strongly in this book.
That said, most of the arguments were great, and added to the already big armoury of anti-christian arguments that are fairly obvious to anyone that takes the time to read even a small part of the bible with an open mind. He does it with wit and erudition without getting ranty and so it was an enjoyable and educational read.
Alas his treatment of the question of the point that atheistic regimes can also be pretty abhorrent (Russia, Cambodia, Nazi Germany et al) was pretty pathetic, trying to draw parallels to religion in their ideologies and showing that religious people and organisations backed them. He could have done a lot better than that: simply arguing that morals come from humans and hence inform religion and not the other way around is a heart warming conclusion for society and discussing this theme would have been more productive.
Again, in his debates he puts forward the excellent two questions:
“First, you have to name for me an ethical action or an ethical statement or moral action or moral statement made or undertaken by a believer that I couldn't undertake or say, I couldn't state or do. I haven't yet had an example pointed out of that to me. In other words, that a person of faith would have an advantage by being able to call upon divine sanction. Whereas if I ask you to think of a wicked act undertaken by someone in the name of God or because of their faith or a wicked statement made, you wouldn't have that much difficulty, I think, in coming up with an example right away. The genital mutilation community, for example, is almost exclusively religious; the suicide bombing community is almost exclusively religious; there are injunctions for genocide in the Old Testament; there are injunctions, warrants for slavery and racism in the Old Testament too. There's simply no way of deriving morality and ethics from the supernatural. When we come to the question of the absolute, well, the most often cited one is the Golden Rule, the one that almost everyone feels they have in common. The injunction not to do to others as you wouldn't want them to do to you. This doesn't in fact come from the Sermon on the Mount or from Christianity, or it doesn't originate with it. It's certainly adumbrated by Rabbi Hillel, a Babylonian rabbi, and it's to be found in The Analects of Confucious, too.”
It almost seems like he rushed the latter part of the book. The first half was very good and stuffed full of great arguments and quotes. I particularly loved “if triangles had gods their gods would have three sides”.
Suffice it to say that if you are in any doubt as to whether to pursue the believers route, or have the misguided view that religious values are somehow good for society, then have a read and be disabused of those notions.(less)"

12 hours, 57 min ago · see review

02/20

Anastasia Hobbet gave

to:

A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing

by Lawrence M. Krauss

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Anastasia Hobbet said: "I like Lawrence Krauss. He's capable of doing ground-breaking research and then he can turn around and tell me about it with style, clarity, and charm--without making me painfully aware of how little I really know about modern-day physics. There are ...more"

Feb 20, 2012 01:26am · see review

02/19

Andy gave

to:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Andy said: "I was disappointed overall with this book. It got a lot of hype, was relentlessly promoted as "insightful" and "probing," but it just wasn't INTERESTING. Never hooked me, although much of the commentary and analysis that Cain perf...more"

Feb 19, 2012 05:35pm · see review

02/19

Rebecca Houseman gave

to:

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Rebecca Houseman said: "Fascinating! I always knew I was an intovert. However, I never thought about how this aspect spilled over into my work life (how much I hate break-out sessions at work and why I relish the quiet time when I get home). It also explains why my out o...more"

Feb 19, 2012 10:19am · see review

02/19

Rose gave

to:

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit

by Daniel Quinn

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Rose said: "Sometimes a book speaks to you in a way that transforms you, in my case, this is one such book. Although the author's words are simple and direct- the impact of the message is at once crystal clear and deadly precise. I highly recommend this book to ...more"

Feb 19, 2012 09:58am · see review

02/19

Tom Pile gave

to:

Anathem

by Neal Stephenson

My rating:

Tom Pile said: "If you need a dictionary of words made up by the author in order to understand what's going on, that says to me that the author doesn't trust his own language to convey something special enough to his reader. Or perhaps I just started in the middle o...more"

Feb 19, 2012 06:23am · see review

02/19

Scott Harris gave

to:

The Man Who Was Thursday

by G.K. Chesterton

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Scott Harris said: "This tale of intriguing and suspense at first seemed like it was heading for a spy training type story but toward the end took such a metaphysical turn that it became almost theological. It has very compelling narrative and is funny in many places -...more"

Feb 19, 2012 03:48am · see review

Related Genres

Eastern Philosophy
Metaphysics
Non Fiction

Skepticism
Thelema
Theory

Author Interviews

Malcolm Gladwell

[Outliers] was conceived in a period in which CEOs were bringing down huge paychecks, patting themselves on the back, and arguing that they deserved it and that their success was of their own making. I was curious about that — is it true? Is it a fair assessment to say that highly successful people deserve all the credit for their achievement?

2 likes · 17 comments

Read »

More Author Interviews…