Getting started with philosophy.

I get asked, very often, how to get started with philosophy. If you’re not taking a specific class or course, or learning from a teacher, it can be hard to know how to go about putting everything in a meaningful order or finding texts and resources that will work well as an entry point. There are probably as many ways to go about philosophy as there are people giving it a go, but I’ve put together an introductory list for someone looking to learn more about philosophy on their own time.

Primary Texts

• Plato, The Republic & Five Dialogues: The bedrock of Western thought. The Republic touches on almost every branch, from the nature of justice to the famous "Allegory of the Cave."

• Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: A personal and accessible introduction to Stoic ethics, written by a Roman Emperor for his own self-improvement.

• René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy: The starting point for modern epistemology. It famously asks: "What can I know for certain?"

• John Stuart Mill, On Liberty: Essential for understanding liberal political philosophy and the ethics of "the greatest good."

• Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism: A short, transcripted lecture that serves as the perfect "front door" to the complexities of Existentialism.

• David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: A brilliant, slightly cheeky look at why we believe what we believe—a cornerstone of Empiricism.

• Mozi, The Mozi: An excellent entry point into early Chinese philosophy, focusing on impartial care and meritocracy.

• Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus: A foundational text for Absurdism, which explores how to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world.

Secondary Texts & General Overviews

• Simon Blackburn, Think: Highly recommended for its clarity. It moves through big themes (The Self, God, Truth) rather than just listing names.

• Julian Baggini, The Pig That Wants to be Eaten: A collection of 100 thought experiments. It is perfect for those who want to "do" philosophy by wrestling with puzzles.

• Peter Adamson, A History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps (Book Series): The most comprehensive modern history available, ensuring that Islamic, Indian, and minor Western voices are given their due weight.

• Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World: A novelised history of philosophy often aimed at younger readers but widely used as a gentle first encounter with the timeline of ideas.

• Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean?: A very short, punchy introduction to nine core philosophical problems.

• Anthony Kenny, A New History of Western Philosophy: A rigorous, magisterial overview that balances the "history of ideas" with logical analysis.

• Sarah Bakewell, At the Existentialist Café: A modern, narrative-driven introduction to the lives and ideas of the existentialists.

• Nigel Warburton, Philosophy: Basic Readings: A well-curated selection of primary readings that are supported by useful, explicatory commentary.

Podcasts

• History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps: Peter Adamson’s monumental project covering the Western and non-Western canon.

• Philosophy Bites: Top-tier philosophers interviewed for 20 minutes on specific topics.

• In Our Time (Philosophy): Melvyn Bragg and academic guests on BBC Radio 4.

• Philosophy 24/7: Brief interviews about how philosophy relates to the real world.

• The Daily Nous "Big List": A curated directory of almost every reputable philosophy podcast.

YouTube Channels

• Gregory B. Sadler: Detailed, line-by-line walk-throughs of primary texts.

• Wireless Philosophy (Wi-Phi): High-quality animations on logic and paradoxes.

• Daniel Bonevac: Full university-style lectures on logic and the history of ideas.

• Rick Roderick: Essential lectures on "Continental" philosophy (Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault).

• The Royal Institute of Philosophy: Lectures from leading UK academic philosophers.

Online Resources & Encyclopaedias

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP): The professional gold standard for any topic.

• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP): A student-friendly, peer-reviewed alternative to the SEP.

• 1000-Word Philosophy: Short, five-minute primers on complex topics.

• PhilPapers: A massive database of philosophical research and journals.

Online Courses of Study

• University of Edinburgh (Coursera), Introduction to Philosophy: A comprehensive free course covering the main branches.

• Shelly Kagan (Yale), Open Yale Course on Death: A world-famous lecture series applying logic to mortality.

• Michael Sandel (Harvard), Justice: Focusing on moral frameworks and public policy.

• Oxford University (Continuing Education): Short, tutor-led online courses for academic credit.

• The Open University (OpenLearn): Free, high-quality distance learning modules.