The 10 Best Philosophical Books

Philosophical books by great thinkers absorbed centuries of wisdom. They teach readers to be wiser, illuminating questions concerning the world’s mysteries. Let’s find out which works are worthy of special attention and are a true treasure of humanity. For this we turn to the rating of the best books on philosophical topics.

Rating of the best philosophical books

Henri Bergson. Creative Evolution

Rating: 5.0

At the top of the ranking is the work of one of the most influential members of the philosophical movement of the late 19th century. It was first published in 1907. The book concentrates the views of the famous French thinker and an entire philosophical movement. According to the author, evolution makes it clear that it is driven by the “impulse of life.”. This is the subject on which the reflections of.

The writer’s work includes a large number of phrases that have become winged. Bergson presented the most complex philosophical problems in original and sophisticated language. The book must be in the home library of students and teachers of sociology, philosophy departments.

Confucius. Conversations and Judgments

Rating: 4.9

The ranking continues with a book by one of the most famous thinkers in history. Confucius had a tremendous influence on people’s views and knowledge system. The notes and thoughts of the great genius were recorded by his students. The phrases were then published in a book called Lun-yu. For several hundred years this work has been a required textbook in many high schools. It was translated into Russian in the early 20th century.

The book’s main ideas have to do with mercy, justice, and common sense. Some of the judgments may cause bewilderment among Russian readers. In any case, the gem of ancient Chinese philosophy deserves to be read by anyone who wants to touch a legendary monument of literature.

Sam Harris. The free will that does not exist

Rating: 4.8

The next book is different in that it raises a colossal objection. It touches on a topic around which there are fierce debates. Sam Harris, without much philosophical heaviness or mysticism, tells of a new way of looking at the world. The book explores the following themes: ‘does willpower exist?”, “why man does what he does and why he doesn’t do what he does?”Martin Heidagger, “What determines our actions-our upbringing, our environment, or our genes??”.

The work of the author’s recommended reading at least in order to more objectively assess the actions of other people and their own. Judging by the reviews, there is little deep reflection in the work. It is suitable for general development and will be understandable to teenagers.

Hannah Arendt. The Life of the Mind

=Rating: 4.7

Hannah Arendt’s book was the last and most significant work of the writer, who was a famous political thinker of the 20th century. This publication is a philosophical study and an attempt to show an understanding of mental work in thinking, will, and judgment. Arendt pays much attention to the concept of freedom, reflects on the fact that the serious danger to the whole world is human barbarism, and not natural disasters.

The book will appeal to fans of the writer’s work, as well as those who want to think about what we do. It is written in a very clear and accessible language. Only two volumes have been published. Hannah Arendt died while working on her third book.

v. Frankl. Man in Search of Meaning

Rating: 4.6

A work not for the faint of heart. It’s a moody read. There are two parts to the book in total – about my own experience with reflection and the search for the meaning of life. A rather small work, but very informative. It is worth reading to find a way out of difficult situations and to encourage others.

Tao De Jing

Rating: 4.6

Taoism is believed to have had its foundation in the treatise Tao De Jing, which became the best-selling philosophical literature. It was written about two millennia ago, but the thoughts in the book are still relevant today, they are sources of wisdom and reflection on the essence of good and evil, justice and being in general. The treatise is published in various translations, the most popular is considered an interpretation by Daniel Konishi, a Japanese Russophile who graduated from the Russian Theological Academy in Tokyo. He managed not only to make the original text accessible to the Russian reader, but also to reveal the very essence of the ancient teachings.

Martin Heidagger. Being and Time

Rating: 4.5

The key ideas of Being and Time concern all things. Heidagger considers the future most important, then the past and only then the present. He believes that if you live for today, you can get lost in daily life. This book is for those who are close to similar ideas.

Some readers say they had difficulty understanding the author’s language. Others admire the magic of his work and note that with each page the writer’s thoughts become clearer. The key is to find a quality translation of the work. In any case, there is hardly a person who will understand 100% of what is written. Either way, the work of the greatest philosopher of the 20th century deserves to be ranked among the best.

m. Andrianov: Conversations on Higher and Will in Fairy Tales and Stories. A Guide to Raising Children in the Family and in School

Rating: 4.4

We decided to dilute the rating a bit and include contemporary literature. Mikhail Andrianov’s book consists of the author’s tales. They will teach a child the basics of the science of humanity, tell about the characters of people. The manual will reveal the importance of willpower, will help to form a competent perception of the people around.

A total of 6 books in the series. They are all read with equal interest. Judging by the reviews, parents and children are delighted with the fascinating plot and pleasant style of presentation. Philosophical handbook considered a strand of humane pedagogy. Its aim is to educate a cultured person with a beautiful soul. Age Limit – 6 years and older.

“The Praise of Folly, Erasmus of Rotterdam

Rating: 4.4

The philosophical work “A Praise of Folly” was first published in 1511 in Paris and had many editions – only during the life of Erasmus of Rotterdam there were 40, of which 7 in France. The success of the book seemed unexpected for the author; he considered this work an ordinary literary trifle, written in the genre of satire.

The protagonist Moriah (Foolishness) leads a monologue in which he reveals his secrets, talks about his own achievements, merits, but desperately ridicules various “wise men”. The author touches on all spheres of the spiritual life of society – culture, art, religion. Particularly interesting is the approach to religiosity – the thoughts Moriah presented diverged greatly from the church reality of the time, which was the reason for correcting the original text.

“Anatomy of Human Destructiveness,” Erich Fromm

Rating: 4.3

An interesting work on the subject of rethinking the nature of aggression in humans and society as a whole is Erich Fromm’s The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness. The author combined research in various scientific fields – studying the human origins of anatomy, psychology, physiology and history. It is quite an interesting work, from which you can understand the essence of the behavior of famous “villains” – Hitler, Himmler, the reader can get the impression that the author looks into the very soul of each reader and explains what not every person can admit to himself.