Philosophy books for beginners

Aristotle is definitely NOT for beginners. It very depends in what exactly you are interested Because different philosophers have different point of views. It should read about different "ideologies" in wikipedia and then try to search by authors. That is my advice.

the bible ..usually where beginners start and stop ..

a lot of the new age stuff is really repackaged old beliefs

Like Wooten said, it really depends on what you're interested in. There isn't an ABC to philosophy since the term encompasses so many beliefs and ideas -- many of which contradict each other.

I'm not sure what kind of book you're really looking for but a few years ago I read one titled The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton. It's quite interesting and very accessible to readers, though the focus is limited to the search for happiness and it draws from the philosophies of six individuals: Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is also a good read.

I wouldn't recommend diving right into the works of people like Nietzsche though.

Anything that starts with "Introduction to Philosophy" is probably good enough. Go to your neighborhood library, get one of these books and just start reading.

Then, when you get confused enough, go to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - they'll definitely clarify whatever doubts you have from reading philosophy. I stand by this statement of mine; you have no idea how these websites saved me when I was doing Aesthetics.

That being said, don't be afraid to dive right into a philosophical text! There are great philosophers out there that are easier to read than others - I personally recommend Hume, although his way of expressing certain things is a little different from ours (he writers "a person wants of" instead of "a person lacks").

If you are doing philosophy of religion, though, I have a very good recommendation for you: Philosophy of Religion by William L. Rowe. This book is just... excellent! Plus it's a very easy read - you'll understand everything probably in just one read through, which is kind of a rare thing in philosophy.

Start by doing an online search for some philosophical quotes and get a feel for what different people offer.

If you find that you are attracted to quotes by a particular person then see if your library has a couple of books written by them

Have fun.

Take good care of those that you love.

Robbie T

great share...

My recommendation is Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant.
Immanuel Kant is the world's most precise philosopher, poetic, prophetic and achingly, simply complex.

In my opinion, you want philosophy to make you prime and ready for life, read Ayn Rand, go back to Napoleon Hill and Wallace D. Wattles, move back to Friedrich Nietzsche, move back a bit further to Benjamin Franklin's works, and then go to Aristotle. These are at least the authors I've used to truly help better myself for happiness, life, and wealth.

Now, if you're looking for heavy philosophy for the sake of examining your mind, Jean Paul Sartre Being and Nothingness is the Existential Bible, David Hume was a great Impericist, Imanuel Kant was overall brilliant, the father's of Philosophy Aristotle and Plato are intriguing and thought provoking over all.

One of the best philosophical pieces I've ever read is from the author Ayn Rand.
Check out the books Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead!
Really practical and positive stuff.

Wayne Dyer is awesome for any newbie. Get his audio programs and not just his books. He also did a special on ABC I believe which was very very good

I would also highly recommend Les Brown. He is straight to the point and highly motivational

great post

think and grow rich, As man thinketh,