Best modern philosophy books

12 Best Modern Philosophy Books to Read in 2023 - Reading and Thinking.com

Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer

O una vida de Montaigne en una pregunta y veinte intentos de respuesta

How to Live

Cómo Vivir

Best philosophy books

A Novel About the History of Philosophy

Una Novela Sobre la Historia de la Filosofía

14-year-old Sophie Amundsen from Norway embarks on a peculiar journey into the world of philosophy through a correspondence course. Each day, she receives a letter posing philosophical questions, followed by a package containing the teachings of philosophers related to these queries. These packages, delivered by a dog named Hermes, are from her mysterious teacher Alberto Knox, who emphasizes the significance of philosophy in life and encourages Sophie to question her existence. He guides her through the history of western philosophy, starting with ancient myths and natural philosophers, to the theories of Democritus regarding atoms and fate.

Simultaneously, Sophie finds herself embroiled in a perplexing situation involving a girl named Hilde Møller Knag. She receives a postcard intended for Hilde from her father, which leads Sophie to suspect a connection between Hilde and her philosophy course. Her studies take her from Socrates' wisdom of knowing nothing, to Plato's world of ideas, and Aristotle's extensive classifications. As she delves deeper into her course, the mystery around Hilde intensifies, especially when she finds postcards addressed to Hilde dated June 15, Sophie's upcoming birthday. Sophie's relationship with her mother is strained as she tries to keep her correspondence with Alberto a secret and apply her philosophical learnings to everyday life. 

As the narrative progresses, Sophie's tutor Alberto reveals the influence of philosophers like Descartes, Spinoza, and empiricists like Locke, Hume, and Berkeley. Their teachings revolve around doubt, experience, natural rights, and the possibility that their lives are inside the mind of God, or in this case, Albert Knag, Hilde's father. Eventually, the story shifts to Hilde's perspective on her 15th birthday, when she receives Sophie's World as a present from her father. As Hilde delves into the book, she becomes convinced of Sophie's real existence. Sophie and Alberto, meanwhile, must complete their philosophy course in order to escape from the mind of Albert Knag. The climax of the story takes place at a midsummer party for Sophie on June 15, where Sophie and Alberto vanishes, leaving Hilde to confront her father about the book. Sophie and Alberto manage to escape Albert's mind, entering a new realm of existence as invisible spirits, eager to influence the world of Hilde and her father.

Sophie's World

El Mundo de Sofía

Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

Usando la filosofía antigua para vivir una vida moderna

How to Be a Stoic

Cómo ser un estoico

In a quest for unquestionable knowledge, the protagonist decides to discard all his previous beliefs, as they were based on sensory perception, which he believes can be easily deceived. His skepticism extends to the point where he questions the legitimacy of everything he perceives through his senses, as he could be trapped in a dream or be the victim of a superior being's deceit, leading him to the conclusion that his senses are not reliable in the pursuit of truth.

However, in this vortex of doubt, he stumbles upon an undeniable fact - his own existence. This realization stems from the understanding that thought and doubt must have a source, a thinker or doubter. Despite potential deception about other aspects of reality, he concludes that his existence is undeniable and that his existence as a thinking entity is disclosed through his intellect, which he believes is more known to him than his physical form.

His confidence in his existence is a result of a distinct and clear perception. He begins to question what other truths he can discern through this method. But before accepting his clear and distinct perceptions as undoubtable, he seeks to confirm God's existence. He believes that the idea of a perfect God could only be implanted by a being as perfect as God. This leads him to the conclusion of God's existence and trust in God's perfection preventing deception. Any errors, he believes, stem from premature judgments made by the will on matters the limited intellect doesn't fully comprehend. With this faith in God, he investigates physical entities, discerning their primary attributes, such as size, shape, and breadth. He concludes that the essence of physical existence is extension, while the essence of his mind is thought, leading him to believe that mind and body are distinct entities. He also realizes that while primary qualities of things can be perceived clearly, secondary qualities are often blurred due to the sensory limitations, which he believes are designed for practical navigation in the world rather than truth-seeking.

Meditations on First Philosophy

Meditaciones sobre la Primera Filosofía

What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life

Lo que los filósofos chinos pueden enseñarnos sobre la buena vida

The Path

El Camino

1959–2002

1959-2002

Essays and Reviews

Ensayos y Reseñas

Resentment, Generosity, Justice

Rencor, Generosidad, Justicia

Anger and Forgiveness

Ira y Perdón

7 Best Modern Philosophy Books of All Time

How to Live

Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer

Sophie's World

A Novel About the History of Philosophy

How to Be a Stoic

Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

Meditations on First Philosophy

The Path

What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life

Essays and Reviews

1959–2002

Anger and Forgiveness

Resentment, Generosity, Justice

Sources

What To Read Next

7 Best Modern Philosophy Books of All Time

How to Live

Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer

Sophie's World

A Novel About the History of Philosophy

How to Be a Stoic

Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

Meditations on First Philosophy

The Path

What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life

Essays and Reviews

1959–2002

Anger and Forgiveness

Resentment, Generosity, Justice

Sources

What To Read Next

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