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8 Transformative Philosophy Books That Will Change How You Think

Life’s most intriguing questions deserve a lot more than a passing thought from you. But if the task seem too daunting or you fear you’re ill-equipped to broach the subject matter in question, these intriguing books show you the ropes and introduce you to the exciting world of philosophy.

Humans occupy the top of the totem pole precisely because, amongst other things, we innately yearn for satisfactory answers to questions (with a famous exception of course). Today, and following several centuries of philosophy as a mainstream discipline, there is no shortage of materials on most questions regarding knowledge, reality, and existence.

However, the vast majority of them may appear intimidating or downright excessively complicated to the uninitiated. If relatively bite-sized articles, podcasts, and other more accessible media do not cut it for you—and/or you need something more concrete directly from those who’ve devoted their professional lives to the field’s progress—you wouldn’t go wrong with any of the best philosophy books shared below.

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#1 The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer

Twenty-seven thousand children die of poverty every day – from hunger or preventable and treatable diseases. What are you doing about it? Peter Singer’s book The Life You Can Save introduced these tough questions. Singer, a bio ethicist and utilitarian, argues that when it comes to giving of our time and resources, we are being immoral by not giving more. That it is our moral obligation as Western citizens to give as much as we can to help save the lives of those facing extreme poverty and disease. Singer’s work and The Life You Can Save inspired a movement – effective altruism – that asks us not just to give more but to give better. 

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Contributor: Kelsey Timmerman from KelseywTimmerman

#2 A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

My recommendation for anyone willing to give it a try and to take in as many different philosophers work in order to decide which one you'd like to learn more about is Bertrand Russel's A History of Western Philosophy. Russel does a great job covering all of the famous philosopher's from the beginning of time up until 1945 and is an awesome summary of the different ideals and the time period that shaped them.

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Contributor: Elizabeth Jenkins from Source Capital Funding, Inc. and Texas Hard Money

#3 Meditations by Marcus Aureliu

I love Roman History and there is no greater figure in my opinion than Marcus Aurelius. His book meditations is an amazing piece of work and still very applicable today! In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius writes about the importance of inner peace in a chaotic and constantly changing world because inner peace is the only thing that you can control. A great lesson in everyday life today!

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Contributor: Christian Schauf from Uncharted Supply Co

#5 The Apology by Plato Plato

The Apology is arguably the first stop in anyone's journey into philosophy. The groundbreaking work is Plato's recounting of the judicial proceedings against his teacher and the father of philosophy, Socrates. The infamous trial and dialogue help the reader gain insight into the unfathomable greatness of Socrates and his remarkable mastery of logic and language.

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Contributor: Samantha Morrison from Glacier Wellness 

#6 The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoyevsky is one of the world's foremost philosophers that not enough people read. The Brother Karamozov is a story of three brothers and their father, the father a drunken fool, one atheist good-hearted brother, one pious good-hearted brother, and one violet good-hearted brother. The story covers all manners of philosophy, from societal structures to questioning the existence of God, as well as why and how everything is connected.

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Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics 

#7 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace is a period piece about Napoleon, the French revolution, the nature of power, and the complexity of the movements of history. War and Peace is another example of the Russian writer’s belief in the nobility of fiction, to tell a story, not for entertainment value but to describe why life unfolds the way it does.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

#8 Maps of Meaning by Jordan B. Peterson

Maps of Meaning is a deep dive into human consciousness in congruence with anthropology. This heavy read describes the complexity of archetypes in the face of meaning. In the book, Peterson covers thousands of years of history and religion meticulously explaining the archetypal value and how humans have used it to take the next step in human development.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics

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Written by Taegan Lion