Curricula Philosophae - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

zharvey · 02-24-2006, 06:55 AM

So I am completely science/math-oriented, but in the last few years I've began to find a greater and greater attraction towards the social sciences, particularly philosophy. And this weekend I was riding up a ski lift with a philosophy professor at a nearby college, and he made it all sound so clear:

Quote:

Mathematics and all the applied sciences deal with values they assume to be true...they take these values for granted. But with philosophy, you are questioning the value of value itself!

I always read for about 40 minutes every night, and I am usually reading books on martial arts/eastern philosophy, seeing that I am involved in those sort of things.

I would like to compile a list of all the "hailed" philosophy texts and authors, and simply, read them ALL. In other words, by the time I finish two or more years from now, I want to have read every notable philosopher's writings, and furthermore have a great and comprehensive understanding of all the many "school of thought" in ancient, classic and contemporary philosophical thought.

I am already off to a good start: a little innovation this weekend got me a list of about 50 books - all the "big" ones (The Republic, The Prince, The Wealth of Nations, etc.) I also went to wikipedia's Philosophy section, which is a massive compilation that will take me a lot of time to read.

Does anybody have any suggestions for me? I am looking, more or less, to build my own philosophy curriculum; which after completion, will give me both a broad and deep understanding of all the many different ways great people have explored this "value of value."

The_Jazz · 02-24-2006, 07:15 AM

There are a few that I'd point you to - Lenin's "Imperialism, the Highest State of Capitalism" with Khrushchev's Secret Speach to the 20th Party Congress as a counterpoint. Basically, Lenin's book is a how-to for implementing socialism and communism in the real world including some interesting commentary on the value of the individual in the Marxist world. You can see the beginnings of the cult of personality that Stalin managed to hone to such a fine point. The Secret Speach is probably one of the most important documents in the 20th Centurty since it was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union with it's rejection of the cult of personality generally and Stalin in particular. It's also interesting since Khrushchev himself was absolutely complicit in the crimes he acused Stalin of. I'm assuming that The Communist Manifesto is already on the list.

Mao's Little Red Book is also pretty interesting.

Jonathon Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a hilarious read and is starting point for modern satire, IMO. Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" is the basic foundation of modern Western enomic philosophy. The last one is Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream" speach.

CSflim · 02-24-2006, 01:19 PM

Betrand Russell's History Of Western Philosophy is a great read due to the huge range that it covers. You get to read the history of philosophy in the words of a great writer who is also a very influencial philosopher himself. Goes all the way from the pre-Socratic philophers of ancient Greece, right up to the mid 20th Century (Russell's time).

One complaint is that due to it's massive scope much is glossed over (by neccessity). But if you would like to get an overview of philosophy before you start reading the primary sources, I would reccommend it. It will also help you to have read a book like this before you read the primary texts, as it will mean that you will be able to put the work in context, and understand its influence and its influences (none of which are likely to be obvious just from reading the texts themselves).

Also, since you are coming from a background of science and appear to be interested in the contrast between science and philosophy you would probably be interested in the Philosophy of Science - the two major works that need to be read are The Logic Of Scientific Discovery by Karl Popper and The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn.
Make sure to get revised edition of Kuhn's book (third edition), as there is much clarification to be made by him in the appendices. Also, Kuhn is an author that has to be read first hand. 90% of what is written about 'what Kuhn says' is total nonsense.
A great 'non-primary text'(?) for the philosophy of science is What's This Thing Called Science? by A. F. Chalmers.

Finally - every major philosophical work read in two years? That's a lot of reading! You could take pretty much any one of the many philosophical problems and very easily spend two years reading about it! But hell - there's nothing wrong with being ambitious!

EDIT: also, maybe you would like to provide us with your current reading list that you have compiled so far. This will stop others reccommending a book that you already have - plus it would be an interesting resource for other TFPers.

politicophile · 02-26-2006, 03:31 PM

In my personal experience (as a philosophy major), it is often difficult to extract the most out of a difficult text without talking to others who have read it. For whatever reason, it seems like no single person is able to extract all the meaning singlehandedly. Thus, I suggest that you find some intelligent, like-minded individuals to discuss what you are reading. I'd also be happy to provide a list of good reads after you post what is already on your list.

asaris · 02-26-2006, 11:34 PM

If you want, I can post the list of things I read for my history comprehensives back when I was in grad school. It's a bit long (actually, it's very long), but it's, can I say, comprehensive.

02-24-2006, 07:15 AM	#2 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	There are a few that I'd point you to - Lenin's "Imperialism, the Highest State of Capitalism" with Khrushchev's Secret Speach to the 20th Party Congress as a counterpoint. Basically, Lenin's book is a how-to for implementing socialism and communism in the real world including some interesting commentary on the value of the individual in the Marxist world. You can see the beginnings of the cult of personality that Stalin managed to hone to such a fine point. The Secret Speach is probably one of the most important documents in the 20th Centurty since it was the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union with it's rejection of the cult of personality generally and Stalin in particular. It's also interesting since Khrushchev himself was absolutely complicit in the crimes he acused Stalin of. I'm assuming that The Communist Manifesto is already on the list. Mao's Little Red Book is also pretty interesting. Jonathon Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is a hilarious read and is starting point for modern satire, IMO. Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" is the basic foundation of modern Western enomic philosophy. The last one is Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream" speach. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

02-24-2006, 01:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
CSflim Sky Piercer Location: Ireland	Betrand Russell's History Of Western Philosophy is a great read due to the huge range that it covers. You get to read the history of philosophy in the words of a great writer who is also a very influencial philosopher himself. Goes all the way from the pre-Socratic philophers of ancient Greece, right up to the mid 20th Century (Russell's time). One complaint is that due to it's massive scope much is glossed over (by neccessity). But if you would like to get an overview of philosophy before you start reading the primary sources, I would reccommend it. It will also help you to have read a book like this before you read the primary texts, as it will mean that you will be able to put the work in context, and understand its influence and its influences (none of which are likely to be obvious just from reading the texts themselves). Also, since you are coming from a background of science and appear to be interested in the contrast between science and philosophy you would probably be interested in the Philosophy of Science - the two major works that need to be read are The Logic Of Scientific Discovery by Karl Popper and The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn. Make sure to get revised edition of Kuhn's book (third edition), as there is much clarification to be made by him in the appendices. Also, Kuhn is an author that has to be read first hand. 90% of what is written about 'what Kuhn says' is total nonsense. A great 'non-primary text'(?) for the philosophy of science is What's This Thing Called Science? by A. F. Chalmers. Finally - every major philosophical work read in two years? That's a lot of reading! You could take pretty much any one of the many philosophical problems and very easily spend two years reading about it! But hell - there's nothing wrong with being ambitious! EDIT: also, maybe you would like to provide us with your current reading list that you have compiled so far. This will stop others reccommending a book that you already have - plus it would be an interesting resource for other TFPers. __________________ Last edited by CSflim; 02-24-2006 at 01:25 PM..

02-26-2006, 03:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
politicophile Addict	In my personal experience (as a philosophy major), it is often difficult to extract the most out of a difficult text without talking to others who have read it. For whatever reason, it seems like no single person is able to extract all the meaning singlehandedly. Thus, I suggest that you find some intelligent, like-minded individuals to discuss what you are reading. I'd also be happy to provide a list of good reads after you post what is already on your list. __________________ The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

02-26-2006, 11:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
asaris Mad Philosopher Location: Washington, DC	If you want, I can post the list of things I read for my history comprehensives back when I was in grad school. It's a bit long (actually, it's very long), but it's, can I say, comprehensive. __________________ "Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht." "The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm." -- Friedrich Nietzsche