Learn Philosophy

Do you want to learn more about philosophy, but do not know where to start? Many guides on the internet are available, but are not very helpful. This plan will help you start from the very basics of philosophy and work your way up to reading actual philosophy texts. This learning plan is meant to be an independent study, but it can go well with learning philosophy in a University program.


1) Start by getting a copy of Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy, A Rulebook for Arguments, and Teach Yourself Ethics.

2) Read A Rulebook for Arguments. This will teach you the basics of how to make a good argument and how to look for a bad one.

3) The Problems of Philosophy will introduce you to some basic metaphysical and epistemological problems of philosophy in short, concise, manner.

4) Ethics is the most practical and relevant field of philosophy, and Teach Yourself Ethics is an easy way to walk you through the basics of philosophical ethics. The text is easy to read, and has many thought experiments to the side with which you can engage in your own thinking.

5) Now it is time to start learning about the history of philosophy. Buy a copy of Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, or if you want a shorter book, WIll Durant's the Story of Philosophy. Any of these good comprehensive overviews of philosophy will give you a taste for the history of ideas in philosophy.

6) Buy a copy of the Socratic Dialouges, or find a free copy online. These are relatively easy to read and are in dialouge format. They are conversations between Socrates and other people that will give you an idea of how philosophical discussion is.

7) There are many fields of philosophy from which to choose. Examples include Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Religion and Theology, Philosophy of Law, and so forth. Look up Very Short Introduction books, and find one on one of those topics if you have not familiarized yourself with the field. In addition, finding a book such as Star Wars and Philosophy from the Pop Culture and Philosophy series can be a fun way to familiarize yourself with essays on various philosophers and points of view

8) Take some University courses on philosophy, but if you cannot, there are philosophy lectures available from actual philosophy professors who choose to make their lectures available through the internet. Dr. Jason Campbell and Dr. Stephen Hicks both offer free lectures on the linked websites.


9)  Get an introductory text to Epistemology and Metaphysics. Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy books on these are very academic reads, but excellent introductions to the two very basic fields. Now that you have a grasp of a more practical field like ethics, a basic grasp for how to make an argument, are familiar with the history of philosophy, and some philosophical dialouge, you can better understand the more abstract areas of philosophy. Understanding what these two fields are all about is detrimental to your understanding of philosophy.

10) Look up some philosophers that are relevant to your interests. Find a VSI book on them, and read about their life and basic ideas.

11) Once you have done that, find some of the actual books by the philosopher you like, and read them. Many classic philosophy texts are available in affordable but nice editions from barnesandnoble.com from their own Barnes and Noble brand, and Dover Publications has many classic texts available at bargain prices. Reading the classics is recommended before moving to more modern texts, but some examples of modern philosophers include Daniel Dennett, Bob Doyle, Robert Kane, Peter Van Inwagen, Alvin Plantinga, Stephen R.C. Hicks, David Chalmers, and John Searle. Last but not least, remember to critically evaluate those opinions and form your own beliefs!

12) Be sure to check out my reading lists page to find books on various topics.