Who should you read before Descartes?

If you have to read Descartes before Kant, and Aristotle before Descartes, and so on, you will have been lost or sidetracked before you ever reached the people like Nietzsche and Kierkegaard who first drew your attention. Demanding a strict chronological reading list is impractical.

Which philosophy books should I read first?

The Best Philosophy Books for Beginners

• Plato: Five Dialogues by Plato.
• The Emperor’s New Mind by Roger Penrose.
• Mengzi: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries translated by Bryan W.
• Meno by Plato.
• Republic by Plato.
• Discourse on Method by Rene Descartes.
• Symposium by Plato.
• The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.

Can you start philosophy with Descartes?

Descartes took from them the message that he should set out to reform all knowledge. He decided to begin with philosophy, since the principles of the other sciences must be derived from it (6:21–2).

What is self for Descartes?

In the Meditations and related texts from the early 1640s, Descartes argues that the self can be correctly considered as either a mind or a human being, and that the self’s properties vary accordingly. The self is constituted by the beings that jointly produce this mental life, and derives its unity from it.

Why should I read Descartes?

In order to attain absolute certainty Descartes devises the Method of Doubt. This is not only a logical exercise, but a psychological course to follow. Some of the beliefs subject to this doubt may be true, but that does not matter: if they may be considered false then they are thought of as false.

Who am I Rene Descartes?

In his Meditations, René Descartes asks, “what am I?” His initial answer is “a man.” But he soon discards it: “But what is a man? Shall I say ‘a rational animal’?

What is the philosophy of Rene Descartes?

Descartes’ dualism of mind and matter implied a concept of human beings. A human was, according to Descartes, a composite entity of mind and body. Descartes gave priority to the mind and argued that the mind could exist without the body, but the body could not exist without the mind.

What is reality Rene Descartes?

Descartes applies objective reality only to ideas and does not say whether other representational entities, such as paintings, have objective reality. The amount of objective reality an idea has is determined solely on the basis of the amount of formal reality contained in the thing being represented.

Which Descartes book should I start with?

I recommend beginning with Descartes’ Discourse on Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason since this gives you some insight into who Descartes is, where he’s coming from in his work, and how he thinks, argues, and writes.

Why should I Read Rene Descartes?

Beyond that, do what you will! Descartes was a brilliant thinker and is cited as being the father/founder of modern philosophy, and his work is a pleasure to read because of the way in which he combines substance and worthwhile points with a (relatively) interesting style of writing. Meditations with a good companion guide.

What is the best book to read about Western philosophy?

Featuring classic quotations by Aristotle, Epicurus, David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell, Michel Foucault, and many more, A History of Western Philosophy in 500 Essential Quotations is ideal for anyone looking to quickly understand the fundamental ideas that have shaped the modern world.

Is the third edition different from the first edition?

The translation featured in the Third Edition has been thoroughly revised from the 1979 First Edition and includes page references to the critical edition for ease of comparison.