The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books - by James Garvey (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The essential guide to the top twenty greatest books in philosophy for those who have just never quite found the time to read them.

In this witty and engaging book, James Garvey offers an introductory account of the must-read books from the whole history of philosophical writing. From Plato to Popper, Descartes to Wittgenstein, the greatest books in philosophy have had a huge impact on the development of contemporary society, politics, economics and culture. This entertaining and intelligent guide introduces the philosophical questions central to these books that are of genuine interest to the general reader and opens up often complex and challenging ideas for wider debate.

This is the ideal book for those coming to philosophy for the first time. Garvey introduces the key themes and terms in philosophy before exploring each of the twenty great philosophy books with humour and clarity. The book presupposes no background in philosophy and encourages the reader to actively engage in philosophical thinking. The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books is the essential guide for anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.

The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books are Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Descartes's Meditations on First Philosophy, Hobbes's Leviathan, Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge, Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Rousseau's Social Contract, Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation, Marx's Communist Manifesto, Mill's Utilitarianism, Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra, James's Pragmatism, Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Ayer's Language, Truth and Logic, Sartre's Being and Nothingness, de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, Popper's The Logic of Scientific Discovery.

Review Quotes

"James Garvey's lucid, elegant and insightful book should be read by anybody who wants to know how the great books of philosophy have shaped the history of the discipline." --Jeremy Stangroom

"To come from Julian Baggini, Jeremy Stangroom, Anthony O'Hear (Director, Royal Institute of Philosophy), Ted Honderich, Tim Crane" --Blurb from reviewer

""Any collection strong in philosophy, especially at the introductory and high school level, should have a copy of The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books on the shelf: it covers the works of Descartes, Hobbes, Plato, Sartre and others and reviews the major points of these philosophers, surveying their works, thinking, and influence on fellow philosophers and the course of the genre as a whole. A top pick for any beginner who would build a definitive foundation of philosophy titles." - Midwest Book Review, California Bookwatch" --Midwest Book Review, The

About the Author

James Garvey is Secretary of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, UK. He is the author of The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books and The Ethics of Climate Change, also published by Continuum.