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Philosophy: books to read

These books are less about systems than about arguments you can carry around: Plato's «Dialogues» stage Socrates asking what justice and wisdom actually are, while Epictetus in «Short Works» turns a freed slave's hard-won calm into plain rules for keeping your own mind when other people hold the rest. You come to them when you want company in thinking, not a verdict.

A page that shows it

When reality seems like a mere shadow projected onto a cave wall.

Book VII. And now I will describe in a figure the enlightenment or unenlightenment of our nature:—Imagine human beings living in an underground den which is open towards the light; they have been there from childhood, having their necks and legs chained, and can only see into the den. At a distance there is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners a raised way, and a low wall is built along the way, like the screen over which marionette players show their puppets. Behind the wall appear moving figures, who hold in their hands various works of art, and among them images of men and animals, wood and stone, and some of the passersby are talking and others silent. “A strange parable,” he said, “and strange captives.”
— Dialogues, Plato (-347)

  1. Dialogues

    Plato, -347

    A deep dive into the questions that define civilization: what is justice, what is wisdom, and what happens to the soul after death.

  3. Analects

    Confucius

    A collection of small, sharp conversations on how to live with other people, mostly remembered because they refuse to be simple rules.

  5. Short Works

    Epictetus, 125

    A freed slave's short, sharp rules for staying free inside your own mind—written for anyone whose peace depends on other people.

A taste of the feed

  1. The hour when the world admits how deep it is.

    O man! Take heed! What saith deep midnight’s voice indeed? “I slept my sleep—, “From deepest dream I’ve woke, and plead:— “The world is deep, “And deeper than the day could read. “Deep is its woe—, “Joy—deeper still than grief can be: “Woe saith: Hence! Go! “But joys all want eternity—, “—Want deep, profound eternity!”

    Thus Spake Zarathustra · Friedrich Nietzsche

  2. A sentence of exile, met with a dinner reservation.

    It is just to commend Agrippinus for this reason, that though he was a man of the highest worth, he never praised himself; but even if another person praised him, he would blush. And he was such a man (Epictetus said) that he would write in praise of anything disagreeable that befell him; if it was a fever, he would write of a fever; if he was disgraced, he would write of disgrace; if he were banished, of banishment. And on one occasion (he mentioned) when he was going to dine, a messenger brought him news that Nero commanded him to go into banishment; on which Agrippinus said, Well then we will dine at Aricia.

    Short Works · Epictetus

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