What are some good books to read on philosophy, politics or science?

The Republic by Plato

The Oedipus cycle by Sophocles

Anything by Aristotle

Jumping into the classics of philosophy can be difficult without guidance, and many of the best guides are more recent. Many of them were also not originally written in English, so you’ll need a reliable translation. I would recommend starting with an introductory book, which you might be able to find at your local library.

If you must begin with primary sources, however, try the early dialogues of Plato. The Apology and Euthyphro are excellent introductions themselves, and both are easy enough to follow. Don’t approach Republic until you have a feel for the dialogue format.

Alternatively, you could mix all three of your interests by reading Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett. The book is about the philosophy and science of evolution, as well as some of the sociopolitical reactions to it. Moreover, it is written to be accessible by general audiences despite being serious philosophy. Dennett is a controversial thinker, but the book is very well written. I would expect most libraries to have it.

Being And Nothingness Jean Paul Sartre

@psychocandy Yeah, if you want him to never read any philosophy again. Whatever one thinks about the book, it’s hardly a good starting place.

@psychocandy
Read that already, it was ok

@mathsphysicsnormally Congratulations on making it through. How much background do you have? That might help with the suggestions.

I know most of the basics, I know bits and pieces from all these subjects think of me as being above averagely informed and well informed on science.

So all these old books you are suggesting I know what they talk about pretty well, I’ve just finished reading stuff by Buertrand Russell

In that case, ignore my suggestion about the early dialogues of Plato (unless you haven’t read them yet), and try David Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature or Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. If you’ve read those, how about Jeremy Bentham’s Principles of Morals and Legislation or Anarchical Fallacies (both being works of political philosophy)? Spinoza’s Ethics is a good choice if you’re looking for something a little harder, and I recommend Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations if you’d like something more modern.

@SavoirFaire
This is more the stuff

The Last Days of Socrates by Plato

The Athenian masses of his day remind me of the American masses of my day.

Anything pre-enlightenment is simply background. If you are looking for relevant, modern thought try Kant & Hegel. Then the existentialists. For the post-modern Derrida and Foucault are the best.

@psychocandy These days, Kant is background and Hume is again on the rise. Even the quasi-Kantian political philosophers are distancing themselves from Kant. Similarly, the resurgence of virtue ethics has brought Plato and Aristotle back to the foreground. It all depends on one’s area, however. I love the existentialists, but they’re not particularly central to the current academic traditions in Anglophone philosophy departments. Yet in other places, you couldn’t ignore them if you tried.

Well, I have been out of college for awhile. I’ll bow to your expertise.

@psychocandy These things do go in cycles, though, so you may be correct again the next time someone digs up this thread!

Anything by Derrick Jensen.