I'd like to read some philosophy, any reccomendations?

[iahag]

Im looking for some inspiring phlosophical books to read in an effort to boost my enthusiasm and knowledge of fundamental science/math. Does anyone have any reccomendations?

...

I feel this laborious indoctrinity of lectures could be somewhat more satisfying If I actually cared to listen what the 'lecturer' was dictating. God it makes me sick.

I need some enlightenment. Please help! I lack faith! Free cookie for suggestions!

Some insight; Two men I greatly admire is Richard P Feynman and Einstein. If there were any philosopher similar to the train of thoughts of these two men, I'd definitely read some of there material.

[Zinkovich]

Try reading Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World: Science as A Candle in the Dark. It's a book meant to explain the scientific method and skepticism to the currently uninitiated, but it is also so well-written that I have no doubt you'll be able to draw some further enthusiasm for science from it.

I also enjoyed reading Boorstin's The Discoverers, which is an elegant, well-put-together historical tome that recounts discoveries throught the ages and how they have impacted humanity's view of the world and the universe. It starts with, believe it or not, the interesting account of the clock's impact on human perspective. His other two books along the same themes, The Seekers and The Creators, are also two book I cannot recommend enough.

If you want some actual science, I'm sorry, but the best way to get an idea is to gain access to an area where you can read some academic papers and peer-reviewed studies. Believe it or not, it's actually quite interesting most of the time and easy enough to read if you have the whole of the internet to look up what you don't understand. IF you plan on doing this, though- I recommend starting with works on either psychology or philosophy- you don't need absurd amounts of knowledge of chemistry to read either subjects' academic material, so they would probably act as the best starting point.

[PatrickHenry]

I recommend a concise history of philosophy.
Here: History of Philosophy

[Osborn F Enready]

Some of my personally considered, essential readings:

Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged
Ayn Rand: The Romantic Manifesto (currently reading, and loving it)

[iahag]

Thanks for your suggestions. I was quite surprised to learn that most works of philosophy are quite often 'disputed' and people read to pick and choose what they take on board and what they brush aside. I' am so used to reading absolute rigour that I' am now quite reluctant to read any philosophy in fear of its indoctrinity values! Any dogma and I shall throw the book out the window.

[TheColdTruth]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready Some of my personally considered, essential readings: Ayn Rand: Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand: The Romantic Manifesto (currently reading, and loving it)

Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are the two most important pieces of philosphy you'll ever read, until I become a writer.

I strongly suggest reading Ayn Rand. The Lexicon is also invaluable.

[Osborn F Enready]

Yes, I too want to read the Lexicon and some more Rand books I recently reviewed on their write-ups.

There is a lot of philosophy out there to pick from, and even more authors, but I think Rand is superb in both areas.

[pam699]

yes read colin leslie dean
his views have completly demolished all the poeple on this forum they just cant refute him SERIOUSLY
go here and download his books for free
Gamahucher Press Catalogue

[Slevin57]

Read the foundations! Aristotle, Newton, etc.,

[pam699]

LOOK COLIN LESLIE DEAN REFUTES NEWTON AND ARISTOTLE
even Einstien as well seriously no one in the philosophy forum can refute dean they are at their wits end completly unable to counter hm-if u dont belive me go look at my posts about deans philosophy in the philosophy forum

i suggest you read his "meaninglesness of mathematics and science...." first
seriuously no one in the forum could refute him all they did was present evidence to prove deans claims

[Chris the Chees]

Quote by: TheColdTruth Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are the two most important pieces of philosphy you'll ever read, until I become a writer. I strongly suggest reading Ayn Rand. The Lexicon is also invaluable.

Important in what sense? My personal opinions on Rand are that she was a truly awful writer and in that respect on a par with individuals such as Adolph Hitler; very poor writing style. I honestly think you could edit Atlas Shrugged into a book a quarter of the size and still have all the salient points in considerable detail - she really was not not concise.

[grandpa]

A brilliantly written piece on Anarcho-Syndicalism my Rudolf Rocker:
Anarchosyndicalism by Rudolf Rocker - Chapter 1

The economic dictatorship of the monopolies and the political dictatorship of the totalitarian state are the outgrowth of the same political objectives, and the directors of both have the presumption to try to reduce all the countless expressions of social life to the mechanical tempo of the machine and to tune everything organic to the lifeless machine of the political apparatus. Our modern social system has split the social organism in every country into hostile classes internally, and externally it has broken the common cultural circle up into hostile nations; and both classes and nations confront one another with open antagonism and by their ceaseless warfare keep the communal social life in continual convulsions. The late World War and its terrible after effects, which are themselves only the results of the present struggles for economic and political power, are only the logical consequences of this unendurable condition, which will inevitably lead us to a universal catastrophe if social development does not take a new course soon enough.

It's rock solid.

Grandpa h.

[nm420]

Quote by: iahag Im looking for some inspiring phlosophical books to read in an effort to boost my enthusiasm and knowledge of fundamental science/math. Does anyone have any reccomendations?

For science, I would recommend anything from Daniel Dennett. "Consciousness Explained", "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" or "Freedom Evolves" are all wonderful modern philosophical treatises. I'm in the process of reading "Process and Reality" by Whitehead, which is generally concerned with the "science/math" realm, though I must say it is thick reading. Somewhat lighter, though still slightly dense, is "Godel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas Hofstadter.

While you didn't ask for it, I still have to give a shout out to "On Liberty" by John Stuart Mill. It concerns political philosophy, though it's a quick yet inspiring read.

[pam699]

but colin leslie deans books refute most of all this and the foorum members have been unable to refute deans arguments

[Osborn F Enready]

pam said: but colin leslie deans books refute most of all this and the foorum members have been unable to refute deans arguments

Is it that, or that wading through the "presenters" posts is more of a chore than its worth, since the poster obviously has absorbed as much as possible from that source, and denies all else, or surfactorily so anyhow?

While I am never one to say "no" I won't read something, before even looking into it.... if all the supporters post in that fashion, I won't be making a line to the bookstore anytime soon.

[pam699]

quote
While I am never one to say "no" I won't read something, before even looking into it.... if all the supporters post in that fashion, I won't be making a line to the bookstore anytime soon.

gee what a closed mind

the issue is really iahag that they cant face the devestatiingdestruction of every thing they believe so hide behind arguments about poor expression

go read yourself if you want inspiration
these people are like old religous thinkers when faced with the destruction of their beliefs refused to read the works which destroyed their whole system of thought so they just attacked personally the authors of such works because they could not refute the arguments

[iahag]

Quote by: pam699 quote While I am never one to say "no" I won't read something, before even looking into it.... if all the supporters post in that fashion, I won't be making a line to the bookstore anytime soon. gee what a closed mind the issue is really iahag that they cant face the devestatiingdestruction of every thing they believe so hide behind arguments about poor expression go read yourself if you want inspiration these people are like old religous thinkers when faced with the destruction of their beliefs refused to read the works which destroyed their whole system of thought so they just attacked personally the authors of such works because they could not refute the arguments

Well, Ill hold judgement until I read such works. Indeed, I know that everything we percieve and see is merely that - and nothing more. Science is the study of what is and what isnt. Appreciation of the fact that what we can only see what we can see and what we cant see is what we cant see surely throws any sort of duobt of what we inherently determine the be the truth?

It is in that breath that I take the stance of Richard Feynman - in which he condemns such thoughts since they are wholely anti productive and indeed very primitive in the sense that it is very subjective - as before - some gold nosed genious suggested that we actually measure the position of the celestual bodies! It was in that thought that modern science was born and before then, physics did not exist. Indeed, philosophy may be interesting, but it is so so skeptical that is shall not ever produce anything to aid the determination of future events.

Why am I making statements about something I have not read about! I condemn myself in this manner! Sure enough, these are just my first impressions, no doubt I will soon be enlightened - and in that honest breath, all the dicks who think they are smarter than me will seek to proclaim themselves more gifted than I! And that will piss me off, which is another reason why I work out ... hohoho.

And if still you seek to lay me ignorant (and indeed Iam in many topics), then I shall remind you that this quote still remains one of my favourite.

But as for certain truth, no man has known it, nor will he know it; neither of the gods, Nor yet of all things which I speak. And even if by chance he were to utter The perfect truth, he would himself not know it: For all is but a woven web of guesses.

- Xenophas

[gw120]

I don't know if it counts as philosophy but you should read the Communist Manifesto, as should everyone, doesn't matter whether or not you are a communist or a capitalist or in between. Das Kapital is also a very good read.

[ZNFYRH]

"The Communist Manifesto" is perched proudly on my bookcase between my copies of "Civilization and Its Discontents" and my "American Polity Reader" from college.

[Wizzle]

The History Of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell.