In his Moral Letters to Lucilius, the great Roman philosopher Seneca wrote that study of philosophy can separate you from the crowd and help you rise to the highest human happiness — no matter who you are and where you are. A noble mind, he insisted, is free to all men and women who can meet the challenge at hand and distinguish the good from the bad without relying on popular opinion. Philosophy neither rejects nor selects anyone; its light shines for all. And I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I’m sharing my top pick for the best Western philosophy book for beginners you need to read. Let’s dive in.
1.1. The Dream of Reason: A History of Western Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance
Already a classic, this landmark study of early Western thought now appears in a new edition with expanded coverage of the Middle Ages. The Dream of Reason takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell’s monumental History of Western Philosophy, but Gottlieb’s book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship.
1.2. The Dream of Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Philosophy
In his landmark survey of Western philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance, The Dream of Reason, Anthony Gottlieb documented the first burst, which came in the Athens of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Now, in his sequel, The Dream of Enlightenment, Gottlieb expertly navigates a second great explosion of thought, taking us to northern Europe in the wake of its wars of religion and the rise of Galilean science.
In a relatively short period―from the early 1640s to the eve of the French Revolution―Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, and Hume all made their mark. The Dream of Enlightenment tells their story and that of the birth of modern philosophy. As Gottlieb explains, all these men were amateurs: none had much to do with any university. They tried to fathom the implications of the new science and of religious upheaval, which led them to question traditional teachings and attitudes.
Complement with Aristotle on living a good life.
I’m a freelance writer with 6 years of experience in SEO blogging and article publishing. I currently run two websites: MindfulSpot.com and OurReadingLife.com. While you’re here, get the latest updates by subscribing to my newsletter.
