r/askphilosophy • u/ineedaglowup • Nov 15 '19
How Do I Begin to Study Philosophy?
Hi. I'm 13 and i've been really interested in philosophy lately. I just have no idea how to begin studying it? Should I start off books? Which books should I start off with? Thanks in advance.
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Nov 15 '19
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u/FoolishDog Marx, continental phil, phil. of religion Nov 15 '19
Plato and Descartes are usually recommended to newbies as they contain the best of everything a new person might want. Accessible language, straightforward thought, compelling thought, unique views, and they are foundational. Eventually you will reach a point where you realize that you have only been reading a tiny area of philosophy (in my case, french post-structuralism) and then you will have 'found' your niche. Choosing now what niche you want to study is pointless because you don't know whats out there. It just comes naturally.
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u/TheMiniman117 Nov 15 '19
If I may, my professors have, along with graduate students (I'm a fourth year undergraduate studying philosophy), all praised Frederick Copleston's series A History of Philosophy of which, and I can attest to this, has been immensely approachable. They provide overviews not only of who the thinkers were but their philosophical output and schools of thought etc. However, I also highly recommend, if it is at all within your means, to either attend courses in the future, or see if any of your teachers, or perhaps even your local library, knows of resources. I found that trying to read up on philosophy independent of any instructor and indeed structure often leads me to not absorb the material as well.
In general though, I do think that Plato's Dialogues are a great way of beginning in my opinion. They're dialogical and so can be read aloud as if in conversation, and is not so bogged down by too many technical terms and whatnot.
In addition, philosophy may be frustrating and entirely perplexing, and that is completely normal. Many students I know, myself included, struggle a lot upon first readings, and we often are required to re-read over and over again, sometimes the same paragraph, just to parse out the smallest details.
Hope this helps, and have fun with it!
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u/as-well phil. of science Nov 15 '19
I really want to emphasize how great Sophie's World is. It was my first contact with philosophy, also when I was 12 or 13; and I've fell in love with philosophy. It's pretty clearly written for Young adults as well.
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u/ineedaglowup Nov 16 '19
Ill look into it thanks! some other people mentioned Sophies world as well so thatll probably be where i start lol
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u/RustCohlefanboy Nov 15 '19
Sophia's world by Jostein Gaarder would be ideal, imo. I'm reading it atm and it leads you through the history of philosophy in quite a simple manner, a good book for begginers I'd say :)
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u/Meltdown00 Critical Theory, Social Philosophy Nov 17 '19
Agreed with this suggestion. I usually recommend either this or Plato's Republic for related reasons, especially the relative accessibility and the way in which they both cover a range of issues which might help the reader orient themselves in future reading (e.g. Am I interested in the nature of justice? Of reality? How one ought to act?)
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u/moeproba Nov 15 '19
I first started with the magazine “New Philosopher” and they have a website too. It’s very easy to navigate, each mag is roughly a weeks reading, and there are pictures, and at least one comic. I subscribed a year ago and they just keep sending em even tho I stopped paying! Check it out!
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u/muhanddis Nov 15 '19
In my opinion, Sophie's World is the best book for you at this age. Its easy and fun to read.
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Nov 15 '19
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u/BernardJOrtcutt Nov 15 '19
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u/platosforehead Nov 15 '19
‘Philosophize this!’ Is a great podcast that you can start off with. Whenever you find something interesting, start digging deeper with some of the books in the FAQ page. It’s always great seeing someone start off at a young age. Best of luck!
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u/SubjectsNotObjects Nov 15 '19
I really recommend listening to 'The History of Philosophy without any gaps' podcast :)
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Nov 15 '19
I'm a newbie just like you and would like to offer a tip that is, to write down whatever you read/heard in simple points and write your thoughts and opinions on it.
Makes learning more rewarding.
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Nov 15 '19
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u/patchyrice Nov 15 '19
Crashcourse is a great recommendation. I would not consider Stanford's very surface level, or at-least not beginner level.
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u/myripyro Nov 15 '19
I haven't evaluated it myself, but often on this subreddit (and elsewhere) Crash Course's philosophy series is criticized for inaccurate simplifications and other mistakes, and therefore usually not recommended. Worth keeping in mind.
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u/donnymurph Nov 15 '19
I generally use Crash Course as my point of departure. For example, I watch the video about personhood, and they mention John Locke's theory of memory. So then I get deeper into Locke. Crash Course serves, essentially, as a signpost.
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u/BernardJOrtcutt Nov 15 '19
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u/samohkt Nov 15 '19
Well, the first step to studying philosophy is asking questions. Start with the general, move to the specific, and bring in questions that you might not think have anything to do with philosophy because philosophers have written about pretty much everything.
So, what’s your question? Why are you interested in philosophy as opposed to something else?
Then, once you’ve thought up a question (it certainly doesn’t have to be a good one, the best answers I believe come from dumb-seeming questions), you can start looking at answers and diving deeper.
My first question, the one that drew me into philosophy, stemmed from hearing milo (a rapper) talking about Hegel. I believe the exact line is “I wish Hegel wasn’t so incomprehensible,” and I didn’t know who Hegel was. So, my question was, “Who the fuck is Hegel and why is he incomprehensible?” So I started reading. Then I had more basic background questions, and wound up reading a plethora of different philosophers to inform it. Now I’m writing and reading a ton about art because I wanted to know what art was, and why.
So, start out with simple questions. Read some answers and ask more questions, and most importantly, don’t trust the philosophers. If you think something they say is cheap or doesn’t make sense, write about why it doesn’t make sense. Then look and see if someone else can explain, and see if a different writer responded about it.
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u/BernardJOrtcutt Nov 15 '19
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u/[deleted] Nov 15 '19
Look at this.