philosophy

Great Readings

This document consists of great books or articles on Philosophy. Some are here because there is a course covering the same material; some are just great books that you should read at some point in your career.

Once you have made it through most of the curriculum, knowing whether a book is worth your time will become easier. Or, if you are struggling in one of the courses, perhaps reading a book on the subject will help.

Name Author(s)
A History of Western Philosophy Anthony Kenny
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy (various volumes by subfield) Oxford University Press
The Elements of Philosophy Tamar Gendler (ed.)
Mind and World John McDowell
Reasons and Persons Derek Parfit
The Conscious Mind David Chalmers
The Problems of Philosophy (free) Bertrand Russell
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (free) David Hume
Meditations on First Philosophy (free) René Descartes
Being and Time Martin Heidegger
The Second Sex Simone de Beauvoir
The Ethics Benedict de Spinoza
The Concept of Mind Gilbert Ryle
On Liberty (free) John Stuart Mill
The Republic (free) Plato
Critique of Pure Reason Immanuel Kant
The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy Audi (ed.)
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (free) N/A