Student Philosopher: Where to Start with Philosophy? 

Also, there’s a great podcast called “Philosophize This”.

She mentioned 4 books at 4:02 1) The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell's 2) The Consolation of Philosophy by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius. 3) The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm 4) The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

And also the "Story of Philosophy" is a lovely book by Will Durant.

Lol "this guy called Bertrand Russell" :D

Full disclosure: Alain de Botton is a co-founder of The School of Life.

I found the most interesting way for me to get excited about studying philosophy was to start by studying logical fallacies. It was fun for me to try and identify fallacies in people's arguments. It was also was a good way for me to start to look at my own feelings and positions on issues and re-evaluate them.

Great video! Thank you Lara Croft

start with the greeks

They should have this woman make more videos she is good and has lots of value.

Alain De Botton, if you're reading this (I know you're involved with this channel), good fucking job. The Consolations of Philosophy was an amazing introduction to the subject and you've managed to convince at least one person to take it further. I'm looking at joint courses at university because of you and plan to sink many hours into the works your book covers :)

Working my way half way through the The Conquest of Happiness at the moment. One of my favourite books already. Period. Alain de Botton is the man. Never heard of the third and fourth suggestions.

If i had your accent, I'd never shut-up. I'd just keep talking to to hear my own voice.

I'd suggest Bertrand Russells History Of Western Philosophy, I'm 15 and this has helped me deeply understand philosophy, I would suggest it to everyone looking for a good book to chip away at.

The inclusion of "The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm made me take note of this list. It is a profound little book full of unexpected ideas and one of my favorites.

I've been reading philosophy for a little while.Mostly introduction books, (I'd recommend A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell).I think though my problem is that I need to talk other people who share an interest in philosophy, and I only know a few people who do.I've thought about joining the local philosiphical society but I thought maybe some of people there will be a lot older and wiser than I am.I do think it's very important to share your ideas with other people, but finding the right platform can be difficult, especially because I'm not studying philosophy in an academic sense.

If anyone wants a CHRONOLOGICAL ROADMAP into philosophy, Eastern and Western combined, here's my compilation. - Ancient Indian philosophy - 1. Vedic philosophy (2000 BCE) 2. Samkhya sutras of Kapila (~1500 BCE) atheistic school of dualism. 3. The Principal Upanishads (bw 1000 to 600 BCE) 4. Charvaka philosophy of Brihaspati (pre-1000BCE) - world's oldest atheistic and materialistic philosphy. The original Brihaspati Sutras didn't survive. 5. The Nyaya Sutras of Aksapada Goutama (7th century BCE - World's oldest complete book on logic and epistemology) 6. Bhagvad Gita (~500 BCE) 7. Mimansa Philosophy - the principal text woukd be Mimamsa sutra of Jamini (4th-century BCE) 8. Vaisheshika sutra of Kanada ( 7th century BCE - among others these sutras hypothesised the breakdown of matter into atoms and subatoms - Anu and Paramanu) 9. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (bw 500BCE - 400 CE) 10. Samkhyakarika of Ishvar Krishna (~350 CE) 11. Jain philosophy - outlined in the Tattvārthasūtra of Umaswati (possibly between 2nd-century and 5th-century CE) 12. Buddhist philosophy - important texts include those of the Mahayana sect - Mahaprajnaparamita sutra, Maha Ratnakuta sutra, Sandhinimochana sutra, Amitabha sutra, Vimalakriti sutra, Lankavatara Sutra, Shurngama Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra, Mahaparinirvana sutra, and Saddharma pundarika sutra. 13. Sociopolitical philosophy - Arthashastra of Chanakya (4th century BCE) 14. Ajivika philosophy - the original scriptures are lost. Hellinistic - 1. Thales of Miletus (624/623-548/545 BCE) - the father of ancient Greek philosophy. 2. Pythagoras (570 BCE) 3. On Nature by Parmenides (560 BCE - 510 BCE ) 4. Anaxagoras (500 BC-428 BCE) - the first to establish a philosophy in its entirety in Athens. 5. Zeno (490 BC-430 BC) 6. Empedocles (490 BC-430 BC) 7. Socrates (470 - 399 BCE - all of him. This man's THE man ) 8. Democritus (460 - 370 BCE - famous for his atomifc theory among others) 9. Plato, (born 428/427 - 348/347 BCE) 10. Aristotle (384-322 BCE ) 11. Epicurus (341-270BCE) Classical Chinese philosophy - 1. Daodejing of Lao Tzu (5th century) 2. Analects of Confucius (475-220 BCE) 3. Zhuangzi (476-221 BCE) 4. Mencius (3rd century BCE) 5. Xun Kuang (314-235 BCE) Classical Roman philosophy - 1. Lucretius (88- 55 BCE) 2. Cicero (106 - 43 BCE) 3. Seneca the Younger (BCE 4- 65 AD) 4. Pliny The Elder (23-79) 5. The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (121-180) 6. Porphyry of Tyre ( 233- 305) 7. Augustine (354-430) 8. Hypatia (370-415) 9. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (470/75-524) Islamic philosophy - 1. Abū Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī (854 CE - 925 CE) Famed doctor, chemist, and philosopher. First person to describe smallpox and measles as separate diseases and author of the first book on pediatrics. 2. ArA ahl al-madīna al-fāḍila (The Views of the People of The Virtuous City) by Al-Farabi (872-951 AD) 3. Saadia Gaon (882 CE - 942 CE) 4. Yahya ibn Adi (893 CE - 974 CE) Logic theorist and doctor 5. Avicenna (980 CE - 1037 CE) Persian Polymath that is often regarded as the single greatest thinker of the Islamic Golden age. 6. Ihya Ulum al-Din - The Revival of Religious Sciences by Al-Ghazzali (1058-1111 AD) 7. Ibn Rushd (1126-1198 AD) - aka Averroes. 8. Sohrevardi (1154 CE - 1191 CE) Founder of the Islamic school of Illuminationism. 9. Tafsir Al-Kabeer of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149 CE - 1209 CE) 10. Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 AD) the first Islamic postmodern and feminist thinker. Medieval European and Renaissance era philosophy - 1. Augustine (354-430) 2. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (470/75-524) 3. Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) - the originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God 4. Scholasticism - 13th and 14th century - Some of the main figures of scholasticism include Anselm of Canterbury (“the father of scholasticism"), Peter Abelard, Alexander of Hales, Albertus Magnus, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas's masterwork Summa Theologica (1265-1274) is considered to be the pinnacle of scholastic, medieval, and Christian philosophy; 5. Humanism - important works include those by Coluccio Salutati (16 February 1331 - 4 May 1406), Petrarch (1304 - 1374), Michael de Montaigne (1533 - 1592), Lorenzo Valla (1406-1457), Rudolph Agricola (1443-1485), Mario Nizolio (1488-1567), Juan Luis Vives (1493-1540), and Petrus Ramus (1515-1572). 6. Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) - the most important Renaissance Platonist. Modern Philosophy - 1. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) 2. Rationalists - Rene Descartes (1596-1650), Baruch Spinoza (1632-77), Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) 3. Empiricist - George Berkley (1685-1753), John Locke (1732-1704), David Hume (1711-1776) 4. Political philosophy - Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), Jean Rousseau (1712-1778), Voltaire(1694-1778), Giambattista Vico (1668 - 1744), Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794), Giuseppe Mazzini (22 June 1805 - 10 March 1872), Karl Marx (1818-1883), Fredrich Engels (1820-1895). 5. Adam Smith (1723-90). 6. The German idealists - Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814), G W F Hegel (1770-1831), F W J Schelling (1775-1854), 7. Existential philosophers - Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), Simone de Beauvoir, Karl Jaspers, Gabriel Marcel, Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Albert Camus (1913-60) 8. Analytic philosophers - Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970), Gottlob Frege (1848-1925), George Edward Moore, Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), Moritz Schlick, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) 9. Neoconfucianism - Xiong Shili 10. Neo-Vedanta - Vivekananda, Aurobindo and Radhakrishnan 11. Kyoto school of thought - founded by Kitaro Nishida Contemporary philosophy 1. Martha Nussbaum (b. 1947) 2. Cornel West (b. 1952) - pioneered the school of “neopragmatism” 3. Slavoj Žižek (b. 1949) 4. Gayatri Spivak (b. 1942) 5. Gu Su (b. 1955) 6. Postmodernist philosophers - Jean Baudrillard, Jean-François Lyotard, and Jacques Derrida 7. Structuralism/Poststeucturalism - Michel Foucault, Jaques Derrida 8. Noam Chomsky. I may have missed many but this is all too much to finish anyway. 😂 Good luck everyone! 🙂

like ripples in a pond, thoughts distort reflection...where to start with philosophy? Settle the waters...

I also recommend “From Socrates to Sartre: The Philosophic Quest.” A great introduction to Western philosophy.

If you want a really basic starting point then "Sophie's World" is actually really good. It's a dreadful story, but as a very basic primer to philosophy it is excellent. The fifty big ideas series are really useful as well. When I was reading for the first section of my masters I had a copy of the 50 big philosophy ideas and realised that one of the other students had the same book but was two pages ahead and thus dropping in new ideas with each seminar. I skipped ahead four pages and looked terribly clever.

You have the most tranquil, passionate, transcending voice I have ever been blessed to hear.

I am over 65 and I am now interested in learning about philosophy. Seems so much knowledge has gone by and I was to distracted to notice.

The best place to start with the nitty gritty stuff is a small introductory book, no more than maybe 100 - 200 pages to explain the use, application and history of logic systems. In conjunction with a channel like this one or "in a nutshell" that looks at different philosophers and their philosophies to spark interest and teach the depth of Philosophy. In my opinion.

Thanks for the video; I didn’t know that being curious and questioning everything could make you a philosopher; I love that idea since my favorite thing to do is to question.

All really great tips to see if you like it. The one which made Philosophy an indelible part of my life was Plato's "Last Days of Socrates". It introduced me to the Socratic Method; and it changed EVERYTHING! As you brilliantly summarize, "Philosophy is about not wanting to accept things the way they are. it's about questioning everything." But, at the end of the day, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

I would suggest starting with the following four books: 1) Epictetus: Discourses 2) Aristotle: The Nicomachean Ethics 3) Plato: The Republic 4) Cicero: On Duties That would set you for most of the later philosophers, so you would recognize what the latter philosophers built upon. If you'd want a 5th book, I'd recommend Diogenes Laertius: Lives of Eminent Philosophers. That gives a great insight in classical philosophers and ideas. Normally no philosopher reinvented the wheel, so to speak, therefore reading the classics in the greatest way to participate into the philosophical world. I know I am commenting on a very old video, but such is the youtube algorythm. ^^

PHILOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF WONDERING 11TH EDITION BY JAMES L. CHRISTIAN IS ONE OF THE BEST PHILOSOPHY TEXTBOOKS I'VE EVER READ.

These sound like interesting reads. Thanks for the recommendations! A recommendation of my own: Don't get too excited about buying these books all in one hit! Often we get so excited about the acquisition of the books, that we never get around to reading them (So, so guilty). This is especially so with philosophy. Better to buy one, and read it before getting another. Also, test out audiobooks. They can make even rather dry philosophy manageable. Once you've broken the ice with the philosopher's writing style, the rest of the ideas become far easier to comprehend.

This reminds me of the great conversation or the list of a hundred books to read before you die. Curiosity in the quest to know, ask and answer others is an expression of philosophy. Don't ignore the eastern philosophers simply because you are a westerner. They have comparable material.

the way she talks is very calming....

Best book to start is the little prince. Also its good to start thinking about things. Bible's ecclesiastes is also pretty good.

If philosophy is about "not accepting things the way they are" I am definitely a philosopher! Thanks!

The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith. He argues that MUTUAL SYMPATHY or lack thereof is at the core of human behavior, culture, political systems and even every day life. He also critiques thoughts of ancient philosophers, justice, power, religion, fame and even fashion. How mutual sympathy is the moral foundation upon which these systems are built, then used to shape and influence us. It's my favorite book so far.

I just got the Conquest of Happiness- thanks for getting me started!

I personally do not believe that there is a right or wrong way to start getting into philosophy, I believe that there is passion in knowledge, not in the things that we are forced to learn but in the things that we really want to know. All you have to do is question what it is you want to know and you will find the answers or books, or the beginnings that you are searching for. I want to recommend to everyone The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma, this is the closest thing I personally have found that offers the reader a pattern of thinking that could set you onto a course of discovering what enlightenment can fell like. If that's what you want and you believe in that kind of stuff, I definitely recommend it.

The earliest thoughts that formed my mind. Hypocrisy through a strangers eyes, sees clear, yet blinds those at a heart beats depth so near. Philosophy is all the views, from every angle, from all the depths, for if there's one, just one someone, seeing distance, a depth not seen by authors view, blind will all the readers be, and find that ever present, hypocrisy.

I am in love with the way she talks

Philosophy is love of wisdom. Love first, that is wisdom.

A classic, must read is Will Durant's 'The Story of Philosophy'.

The best place to begin is still Will Durant's The Story of Philosophy. Robin Waterfield's translations of Plato and other books are excellent . OUP has come out with a series of three books by Peter Adamson on 'history of philosophy without any gaps"! This is great reading in short, easy chapters. This is philosophy without pain. Jacob Needleman is a good modern philosopher, as also Michael Sandel. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is a beautiful handy volume of daily reading on the Stoics. This shows how down to earth real philosophy is. All this is Western philosophy. For Indian philosophy, you have to go to Dr.S.Radhakrishanan.He gives enough references to Western sources too, so that one would get a balanced view. No Western writer has done this!

Philosophy pays close attention to the world by paying close attention to words. The place to start is with opposites. A statement will have a keyword or two. What's its opposite? First step on the road to thinking like a philosopher. Now after you have been doing this for a day or a decade you are ready to ask yourself What's the second step?

Think about the values you hold. Think about what is important to you. Start there, with the philosophers that tackle the issues you care about.

Resistance, Rebellion and Death: Essays by Albert Camus

The best way to start is, asking questions and Plato's cave allegory

I undoubtedly find this girl very much metaphysically attractive, but I'm not sure if it is primarily the result of her reinforcing my ego.

If you're watching school of life I think you've already taken a great step ; )

I would say start with Russell's "History of Western Philosophy" followed by three other important introductory books by him: "The Problems of Philosophy", "The analysis of Matter" and the Analysis of Mind". Then move on to Copleston "History of Philosophy" for a more thorough knowledge of the history of philosophy. After that you will be ready to take on philosophy proper: start with Plato, then go back to the pre-socratics, Aristotle, and proceed chronologically from there.

Have you thought about a discord server? If no...please do consider it....it really helps build a nice community and people do join....by the way...love the channel....was really an eye opener on most of the stuff..kudos!🤘

I love how even on a philosophy video all of the men are entranced with the attractive woman presenting the material. We could make this a study in aesthetics... is she beautiful objectively? Does she participate in beauty? Or is she beautiful only because I say so?

Damnnn i am so existed that I read the Milan Kundera book, I felt like Kelly in the office " I'm like really smart now" hahaha but that's some ego stuff anywaysss it's a great book that push me into getting more deep into this philosophy world, and also into Kundera's world! Pretty recommended!

Thank you so much for this reading list...I have been wondering where to begin

Will Durant story was good for high school speaking from a professional philosopolitonaut retired in introduction to philosophy at the college level their are several from many to choose from. Most cover validity and soundness however Socratic method and Plato's ethics Aristotles Metaphysics as first philosophy. You can end the history lesson in the post modern era wherever you like Russel or Hegel or Sartre. Nietzsche or Neil Armstrong. The best advise is were you go from there into the philosophy of women books or even the ISS commanders.

START WITH THE GREEKS

I really like this video and the background music! 🎸

Thanks for the suggestions. i just bought The Conquest of Happiness

With the possible exclusion of the last book, I do not think any of them is actually philosophy. A better list would be: The story of philosophy by Will Durant, The history of philosophy and the problems of philosphy by Bertrand Russell, guide through philosophy volume 1 and 2 by A.C Grayling, and some of plato's dialogues

I learned from one of these School of Life videos that Montaigne wasn't embarrassed to say it when he stopped reading a philosophy book, and that he only read what he enjoyed. Maybe a bit of an overreaction, but it could be part of a healthy and nutritious philosophical approach.

Your voice is incredibly calming! I love The Unbreakable Lightness of Being sooo much; it was the first philosophical fiction I've read.

I'm often saddened by how much of a dirty word "philosophy" has become. Many youth grow up to associate such a word with pointless tribulations due to the way it is taught. However all it takes is one video, one teacher or one book to change our perspective on philosophy, as its usefulness cannot be measured. Philosophy teaches us how to live and can be the antidote to the many troubles we face today. Above all, I want to thank all that work at the School of Life, as I truly believe by continuing to post great content, you'll change many lives for many years to come. Here in Canada, I'll spread the word and hopefully when I visit Europe in the fall, I'll be able to see the school up close, but for now, I present to you my gratitude, as that's the most RU-vid will allow me to give.

Please don't judge me, but I really like playing competetive online games, mostly MOBAs, which require quite some understanding about strategic things and how to make the team listen to you and make them do what you think what is best. So I started reading Sun Tsu's "The art of war" as a first, mostly tactical, but also in many ways philosophical book. I then read Arthur Schopenhauer's "The Art of Being Right", which made me get a closer look at argumentation from kind of a philosophical standpoint. Another book, which was quite important for me to get into philosophy was Gustave Le Bon's "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind". Through this all, I got fascinated, aswell as scared of the idea, how easy it could be to control the minds of many people. Maybe it would be a good idea to combine those with modern day problems like mass media or mass surveillance.. Or does such kind of a philosophical writing already exist? Anyone?

I never considered to study any subject other than high school subjects till age 19, I thought what I was learning was more than enough. Then I started university, and now suddenly I have this unquenchable thirst to know a little bit about everything sociology, psychology, philosophy... I now wonder whether this thirst will soon be over as I progress through my university life, because tbh I can't imagine being passionate about the fire of learning for too long. I am afraid this thirst might go away next year.

Love the background music!

Great starting list but there is one very important writer not featured. Hugely underrated and not easy to find but worth the effort- YOU. The others in this list are interesting, informative and it can be fun trying to work out what the hell they are saying but for me the most relevant passages I read are the half coherent babblings I scribble down in a notebook through the day. A thought comes into my head or I see or hear something during the day and a pen slips into my hand 'Why did I think that?' 'Does it mean anything or is just a brain belch?' 'Didn't I read or hear something similar in a book or a video?' Before I know it I have half a page of nonsense in a notebook. Nothing I write is profound or worth sharing with anyone BUT it is relevant (after all it came out of me - whatever that is!) and above all- I'm asking a question and disengaging my brains auto pilot.

A good starting point for complete beginners is Martin Heidegger's 'Being and Time'.

I suggest watching the map of philosphy video and the channel, crash course in philosophy series. These books are nice but really not covering a lot in philosophy. Philosophy is a huge subject and one could easily get distracted or lost. It is good to know where one could go and how to grow in that direction. I wonder what they teach as core courses when you study philosophy as a major. What could be a typical thesis title?

Which books we should read if we want to learn critical thinking, strategic thinking, analytical thinking.

I always loved philosophy but not deep i also never knew it can be a job I thought its an hobby the more I learn about it the more I get in love with it

Thanks for the list

last semester I had ethics and philosophy in the same semester... Best and most transitional semester of my life. I've always been interested in the themes of philosophy but after that, I can say it is a passion.

I was sad that you did not mention "Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung".. The first time I have read it it was so soothing.

I couldn't finish The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It is so tough to get through. So damn tough. I gave up halfway. Perhaps I will pick it up again.

Double major in Philosophy and Mathematics (or as you Brits are intent on saying, "Maths") here! Very good books to introduce someone to philosophy! The only addition that I would suggest would be the Dialogues of Plato. That book, though outmoded, and despite the fact that I don't agree with all of it, changed my life. Especially Euthyphro and The Apology. Maybe it's a bit too technical for an introduction?

This is really helpful. I have been looking for something like this for a long time. Thanks Em!

The title it's misleading...the content maybe is more about practical takeaways from philosophy. For people not into philosophy.

Will Durant , story of philosophy

philosophy is literally the love of wisdom. That's where you start. If there is no love for others, no love for life, no adoration for all around you, don't bother pretending. It's OK, let it go if you don't love when there is no impetus for a difficult, long growing, over time work. I'm not like you. I love horrible people I long for them to change and know, only they can sustainably change themselves. Psychology, sociology, anthropology, archeology, the fields will separate and reform over time. Words, means only what is shared between two, maybe more, but necessarily two. That's all words can be, the connection, the relationship,which only over time grows, if you are honest. It's the relationship that grows not the words. It's personal. I am not a part of this living work, I have my own work, my own issues. It's all so complicated. When think (make-believe) it's so sure, so simple, so unimportant what you strive for and so, you are fools.

Wonder is the beginning of philosophy. - Aristotle. Just get curious and wonder and ask questions. I've been listening to a lot of Alan Watts on RU-vid. Don't forget to explore Eastern Philosophies like Buddhism, Taoism, etc. And Eckhart Tolle. Don't forget that guy. =)

start with the stanford encylpedia on core issues like epistemology and philosophy of lanaguage. Then learn some propositional logic.

Start with Plato and Socrates, also 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius. Glorious stuff.

Great content. This video had me on the first book.

EM... what a great list (the 4 books)!! Thanks for taking the 'modern approach'; nothing wrong with the Old Masters, but yes, the 20th century had great advances in Philosophy. You'd be surprised (and then, again, perhaps you wouldn't) how often I ask friends, when they have a problem or conflict... do you want to consider this from a philosophical place? Mostly they don't want to go there -- I believe this deprived them from accessing a wider perspective. Manly Palmer Hall said, "Philosophy is the science of estimating values." Cheers!!!!

Another brilliant video! Thanks The School of Life, and Em. You always encourage me to learn more and motivate me a lot. I'd love to become a resident Student Philosopher one day too...how can I be? Does that mean she attends your school?

I am simply in love with this woman

there is a channel named crash course watch their philosophy series , helps tremendously

Nice face, interesting list.

TFW NO QT PHILOSOPHER GF also, start with the greeks

I have to agree that Alain de Botton is an apt starting point, as he's such an accomplished writer that the act of reading itself is a pleasure. I've found that shorter works, many of which are available in the Penguin Great Ideas series, are useful too. Meditations by Aurelius, On The Shortness of Life by Seneca and even the Tao Te Ching can be found there.

"Marketing Philosophy" should be the title of this video. Did Alan pay you to promote his book or did you pay him to promote yourself to his subscribers? Either way "Marketing Philosophy" still suits

Be the man you need to be, then become the man you want to be. quoted by Scott Kramer

This is a highly subjective question as someone's choice set of initial philosophical readings depends largely on their own range of academic exposure...that being said in continuation of the quaternary theme, here's my four: Modern Philosophy Philosophical Explanations Just The Arguments:100 of the Greatest Arguments of Western Philosophy Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus spec. the Ogden translation. Happy Vlogging Em.

I'm in love.

By reading it that the Conquest of happiness I have enabled eliminating to certain extent problems in my lifetime, in thinking of that what is better for me picking out somethings.

It might be more literary than philosophical when placed in a certain category, but I would recommend the Stranger by Albert Camus. The book is just so gripping, at the start of the book I felt that there are some ideas present that dwell under the surface of the story. In later stages and after I'd finished the book, and realized (or at least interpreted) what he actually said it changed my life. TL;DR Albert Camus - The Stranger btw, great video as always Em

I needed this, thank you

easiest answer: go on youtube write philosophy in the search bar and click a video that looks okay (maybe something that isnt too long) another approach: write philosophy in wikipedia and click a funny name or some concept that u like or know (like marx or whatever) dont read EVERYTHING on wiki just for the sake of it...just read the headlines and read the parts that u think ud like

Start with republic, meditations, metaphysics.....

Now this is worth breaking my piggy bank! Barnes and Noble here I come!

Hello all, I really like this channel but : I am no native english speaker so for me background sound makes it difficult to concentrate of what the speaker says. I believe watching a philosophy video is already a show of motivation, no need to soothe it with sweet music ;) keep up the good work

I will forever leave my addictions behind once I get into philosophy.

this video should be called where to start with Self-Help books? not philosophy! Fucking outrageous

For a complete beginner the story of philosophy by Bryan Magee or Philosophy through Film by Mary Litch are pretty good. Anything by Alain de Botton is also quite good.