What is philosophy? This is a very complex question but a short answer to this would go something along the lines of: “Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence“.
Now that we have a vague understanding of what philosophy is, how would one go about studying it? In this post, I will try and answer that question by giving you a roadmap for learning about philosophy.
I’ve structured this post into three separate sections and we will start off by setting the foundation for the rest.
Foundation: where to start before starting?
There are a couple of things we should first learn about, before going into any major philosophical works. The first book you should read is a comprehensive look at the main philosophical ideas throughout history. This is so you can have an overview of all the ideas and concepts humanity has so far philosophized about.
Afterward, there are three main branches of philosophy that you should familiarize yourself with. These are Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Ethics. By having a good understanding of these three fields, you will be primed and ready to go and tackle on your own most of the primary texts philosophy has to offer.
Father of Philosophy
“All of Western philosophy is a footnote to Plato.” –Alfred N. Whitehead
After we have set a strong foundation with secondary literature. it is time to start reading some of the primary texts as well. There is no better place to start with than Plato, the man whose work has inspired all of Western philosophy.
The origin of almost all major philosophical ideas can be traced back to Plato. His work forms one of the best overviews of philosophical thought and reading it is a must for anyone who wishes to call themselves a philosopher.
People who like consuming audio content on top of reading can check out the following video. It is a 1-hour overview of Plato’s philosophy and life.
Philosophizing with a hammer
The last part of this roadmap can be any philosopher of your choice. The point is that you pick one and study him in depth. I’ve personally decided on Nietzsche.
So why did I pick Nietzsche? I’ve picked him because I’ve always been fascinated by his ideas and him as a person. I couldn’t understand him fully and to some extent, it intrigued me and motivated me to dig deeper.
I was fascinated by his ideas of an Overman and immediately started trying to interpret what he meant by that word. Who is that person? Is it someone worth being? Could I one day become an Overman? This isn’t just specific to this one example, but his philosophy as a whole, and for those reasons I decided to get to know him better.
Where to start before starting?
Before digging into his work, you should first read a secondary piece of literature to prime yourself for Nietzsche’s own books.
After you have finished the previously listed book, take a look at the schema below. I advise you to read all of Nietzsche’s works and follow the exact order that is shown.
Once again, below is a list of video summaries for each of the books so feel free to watch them before starting reading. They are best used as short introductions.
Conclusion
And that completes the philosophy roadmap. It truly doesn’t matter if you decide to read Nietzsche or someone else. What matters is that you now have a very deep understanding of philosophy and its ideas through history.
Through this journey, you will become an educated person with a mind sharpened for critical thinking. Finally, I will leave you with a quote that I hope, will convince even the biggest skeptics about the importance of philosophy.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” -Socrates.