since beginning this channel the questions which i am most frequently confronted with regarding
philosophy are undoubtedly these where do I begin, who should I read first, and how should I go about
approaching something as ambiguous as philosophy? These are understandable questions to which even
the esteemed professors of philosophy can relate. Something fantastic and one of the great things
about philosophy is that it is open to all human beings as human beings the knowledge
offered to us so lavishly by our predecessors is offered equally to anyone willing to sit
down for a while and listen. Even without access to a curriculum or spending a hundred thousand
dollars you can rise to those heights through your own dedication and stand beside giants.
Let us proceed first with a question to yourself,
what do you hope to gain from this endeavor into philosophy and what are you willing to give?
some outspoken friends or family will undoubtedly inform you, with all their wisdom, of the
uselessness of philosophy. We should not take this personally as most think in terms of financial
gain, but my guess is that riches are not the reason for your interest. If they are then I regret
to inform you that while some material gain may come in later years as a result of your studies it
should not be expected. In most cases I would guess it is truth that you seek, simply an answer to your
questions, to find some order and semblance in this maelstrom which we call life. Whether or not this
is something you will gain varies from person to person; some claim to have found it while others
seem to find more perplexities than truths. What I can promise is that while on this journey you will
gain the joy that comes with understanding and perhaps even calm in the face of the inevitable.
You may run into hurdles here and there but press on and you will find yourself a little greater
than you were before. Philosophy will not cost you significant amounts of money, but what you
will be required to exchange is your time, which in most cases is worth more than any currency.
Are you willing, each day, to give an hour or two, to give your undivided attention to
some long past sage? If you have met this prerequisite then I will give my method.
First, if I can echo the great 20th century philosopher George Santayana,
I would tell you to let others clean better, if they can, the windows of their soul that
the variety and beauty of the prospect may spread more brightly before them.
By this I mean claiming philosophical supremacy over another is a vain and trifle thing;
move to the rhythm of your own tune, but let others enjoy that privilege as well.
Some may wish, like myself, to light their candle at every torch while others may prefer a more
solitary path. Whichever you choose be sure to not just read and study the philosophies,
but also the philosophers who generously left them behind. Read actively and consider if what you have
read relates to your own life experiences, not all that you come across will be worthy of archiving,
but being able to separate what is important to you and what is not is a valuable tool to acquire.
There are countless books and individuals to choose from all of which, I think, have something of
value to offer us. I will give my recommendations, but remember if you find one of interest or which
you feel better suits your own path then do not hesitate to follow it, where it takes you
may be of better use to your own life goals. I would also add that this path is a continuous one,
philosophy deals with the inexact, which means that the finish line may be only an illusion;
you may find that you have more questions the further down you go.
This I hope will not be an exhaustive list only a few recommendations to help you along
until you find your own philosophic path. Let us begin, start by sitting down a while and engaging
in dialectic conversation with Plato, here you will be introduced to metaphysics, theology,
ethics, theory of education, theory of statesmanship, and theory of art.
Once you have wholly or at least partly absorbed the radiating passion of Plato
move on to the sobering stoics; Zeno, Chrysippus, Cicero, Epictetus, Seneca, Rufus, or Marcus Aurelius.
All of these men will heed your call and all will help you to withstand the prose of life.
If we forget to mention a few of the eastern stages then what kind of list would this be?
So invite Laozi to sit with you, the old master would lovingly welcome another student to study
in the way. Also seek out Confucius, a man who has helped shape an entire nation's culture
will certainly, with his golden rule, help to shape your own ethical ideals.
Move on to the middle ages and immerse yourself in the Italian renaissance,
here you will discover Machiavelli. What he offers us is a political philosophy which will focus upon
how individuals of the ruling class actually behave, not how we think they should behave.
Once you have had your fill of the Italian renaissance try your hand at that of France. Here
the garrulous Montaigne has left behind his Essays which is one of the greatest works of the age.
Do you wish to converse with one of the greatest minds history has bore ,
replete with endless wit, then pick up a copy of Voltaire's Candide or Zadig. I would rank these
among the best fictional philosophical writings which have been penned by the hand of man.
Take your leave from the French and spend some time with the Germans. Things may become slightly
confusing here so when you come across Kant you may feel yourself lost among the metaphysical
clouds, in this case enlist some help from William Wallace, the philosopher, not the revolutionary.
Perhaps the most popular of history's philosophers, at least if we poll those in our time, Friedrich
Nietzsche also hails from Germany. Here is genius so prominent that it drove the man insane, adding
a copy of Beyond Good and Evil and thus Spake Zarthustra to your library will sit well among
the other names which i've given. I'd be ashamed if I didn't add my personal favorite philosopher
to this list so when you are ready join Spinoza in ferreting out the ultimate nature of things.
When you read his ethics make sure to read it in small portions, it will at first bring
confusion, but after some time and repetition I think you will find yourself amply satisfied.
Finally, season your philosophy with the lessons of history. By reading history as
well as philosophy we allow ourselves the ability to humanize our knowledge,
the ability to compare our thoughts to the way that history has behaved time and time again.
There are so many who can deliver these great lessons to you but the one who I owe the most to
is without question Will Durant. When someone spends half a century writing an 11 volume
history of civilization there's no question he will have many valuable lessons to share.
Now I would ask the listener to, if they can, add a name to my list in the comments below, who knows
there may be some that will benefit from your recommendation. Many of the names I've
spoken about here in this video are covered in brief videos on my channel, check in the
description below if you're interested in learning more about these philosophic giants.
If you are interested in entering the world of philosophy then consider subscribing to my channel,
here my goal is the illumination and exaltation of history's greatest philosophic minds and ideas.
As always, thank you for talking philosophy with me, until next time.