5 Easy Philosophy Books for Beginners

If you want to read more philosophy but aren't sure where to start, here are 5 easy reads you should pick up

The last one might surprise you a little, it might not seem easy

First is the Tao Te Ching by Laozi. It’s infinitely re-readable and you’ll get something new from it each time.

Second is the Analects of Confucius, just filled with easily readable ancient wisdom

Third is Letters from a Stoic by Seneca, everyone’s heard of this one, very readable and packed with life advice.

Fourth is Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a more modern one

And last is the Bhagavad Gita, a fantastic philosophical story that’s an absolute joy to read

#philosophybooks #philosophy #stoicism #hinduism #confucianism #egoism #stoicismbooks

[ithrahmunchswallow]

I'm glad you include the Eastern classics. They are beautiful reads and proof that philosophy does not have to be ridiculously complex.

[badcomment]

Start with the classics. Dialogues of Plato and Aristotle. Meditations Marcus Aurelius. Then Kant and Hegel. Book of the 5 Rings. Avicenna and Lao Tsu. The Bhavaghad-Gita is great for self-discovery

Marx for his system building process, Das Kapital. Summa Theologica, also for system building. Then Bourdieu for the concept of the habitus.

It's philosophy, the concepts are supposed to be mental gymnastics

[mrkprstn]

Start with Plato. That’s always the best place to start

[satyamindnectar]

As a Hindu I am so thankful that you included Bhagvad Gita 🙏

[PathkeeperOfficial]

Lao Tsu has my favorite leadership quote of all time:

“Of the best leaders, when the task is done, the workers all remark ‘We have done it ourselves.’”

[Lunar.]

Self reliance is so good! Emerson doesn't waste his time in it and every sentence is full of so much wisdom!

[tbofficial]

Shout-out to Confessions! My boy Augustine is my favourite ever!

Gotta start on Cioran, though...

[smilez]

Great list! I often recommend Peter Singer's "The Life You Can Save, " Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince, " Plato's "The Republic, " Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning, " and Marcus Aurelius's "Meditations." These were the books I started with when I began exploring philosophy beyond my coursework, though they are heavily focused on Western philosophical thought. Afterwards, I would recommend, if you’re up to a nice challenge, reading Leszek Kolakowski’s “The Presence of Myth” could be fun. I would also suggest listening to some debates or interviews and dissecting some of those ideas.

[johnd.rockefeller]

Start with the Phenomenology of Spirit, easy read

[samratroy]

Bhagavad Gita Is The Greatest Book on Philosophical Psychological Or Any Other sense in the world of all-time, that's why Bhagavad Gita is not for beginners, bhagavad gita is supreme ultimate level, and to reach that level any human being should read another Books and let prepare his/her mind brain to that best extreme level in which he or she correctly understand and realise the Bhagavad Gita's messages and teachings ❤

[RainZen]

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Neitzche's writing style is pretty easy to grasp. Though he does tend to over explain.

[benhaber]

Lucretius' On The Nature of Things/De rerum Natura is also great and easy to read

[hoerange]

The Problems of Philosophy of B. Russel are, to me, the best introduction you could have to philosophy

[RetroWizard_]

I was shocked at how good this list was

[anterosalo]

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking of trying to read some philosophy, but now I’m totally convinced to stick to physics.

[John-kjtv]

The Tao of Pooh is good for beginners. Its winny the Pooh introducing you to Taoism but its for young adults or adults. Very fun.

Plato is great because he writes like a playwright, he sets the scene, there are charecters and dialogues.

And Eric Hoffer is fantastic. A self educated working man who loved aphorisms and writing short books but he didn't skimp on addressing the human condition in a deep a way as Jung. Maybe not with the breadth Jung did but just as deep.

[TLDCHWTTOS]

Tao Te Ching is definitely an infinitely re-readable book, it is fantastic. The Bhagavad Gita on the other hand was really difficult for me to finish the first time. I flew three the Tao Te Ching several times back to back the first time I read it, but the BG was quite a bit more tedious for me the first time.

[feenandotorres]

Just start with Plato, then Aristotle.

[rasputinasagirl]

Thanks for this vid, bro! I haven't read Letters From a Stoic and it will definitely be my next non-school philosophy read

I'm a philosophy major at Columbia and a(n unfocused, still young) philosophy YouTuber btw.

U ARE AWESOME🎉🎉🎉🎉

[LOLquendoTV]

The art of war is also really short and straightforward (It was literally written to be a manual and the method of making it from bamboo strips was expensive AF so it had to be concise and to the point)