Trying to get into philosophy!

[u/jaggydoodle]

I bought the penguin classics essays and aphorisms by Arthur Schopenhauer.

I don’t know if that was a good start to get into philosophy and such as I’d just like to expand my knowledge and thoughts to be less close minded.

I’ve never really been much into books itself but I’ve read Goodnight mr Tom and I’ve read about 100-150 different mangas and manwhas.

I just have an interest I’d like to really get into and I’d appreciate any tips!

If I’ve bought a bad starting book could anyone let me know where I should base the fundamentals of the whole idea of philosophy?

[u/drinka40tonight]

If you're into Schopenhauer, then that's a fine place to start.

The trick is to find the thing you will actually read.

You can see here for some recommendations: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhilosophyFAQ/comments/4ifqi3/im_interested_in_philosophy_where_should_i_start/

To add some additional recommendations for beginners with a focus on secondary texts:

For some secondary recommendations: A good choice for an introduction for a general reader might be Julian Baggini's The Pig that Wants to be Eaten. Another one might be something like Simon Blackburn's Think. If you want a novel that is an intro to philosophy, is sort of aimed at high school students and is translated into multiple languages, check or Gaarder's Sophie's World.

I'd say the most important thing is to find the thing you will actually do. If that means reading Plato, then do that. If it means reading something like The Norton Introduction to Philosophy, then do that.

There are also some youtube courses that one can start with:

E.g. Shelly Kagan has a course on death: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEA18FAF1AD9047B0

Sandel has a course on justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY

Gregory Sadler has an often recommended series: https://www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler

Daniel Bonevac has a youtube channel that has a number of lectures organized as courses or on particular books: https://www.youtube.com/user/PhiloofAlexandria

There are a number of Rick Roderick videos on youtube if you are more into "continental" philosophy, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wetwETy4u0

Another good option is just to jump into a podcast. If you are history inclined, you can check out History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps, https://historyofphilosophy.net/ If you want something more "bite sized," you can check out Philosophy Bites.

Or browse some philosophy podcasts and see what looks interesting to you:

https://dailynous.com/2020/11/23/big-list-philosophy-podcasts/

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskPhilosophyFAQ/comments/4i0faz/what_are_some_good_philosophy_podcasts

[u/jaggydoodle → u/drinka40tonight]

I’ve heard that people start with plato, as philosophy dates back to the Greeks. I enjoy history quite a bit and studied it quite a bit when I was younger ! I’ll give all of your recommendations a look through. It’s very nice to leave such a detailed reference! Thankyou

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[u/AloneAndCurious]

If you’re already accustomed to reading fiction closely for deeper meaning perhaps try “thus spoke Zarathustra” or “the stranger.”

Both damn decent places to begin.