<p>My neighbor asked me to recommend some books for her son to read this summer who will be taking a lot of Philosophy and Literature/English classes this fall. English is his second language (moved here from Eastern Europe when he was in late Elementary school). </p>
<p>Any must reads out there for Philosophy? Would you recommend novels (Ayn Rand…Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintence) or basic Philosophy books.</p>
<p>Thank you for the help!</p>
<p>My favorite, “Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exup</p>
<p>Alan Watts wrote several books that he would find interesting.</p>
<p>Sophie’s World, by Jostein Gaarder. It’s a novel that explains basic philosophical concepts very well, and is also fun to read.</p>
<p>Please do not introduce him to Ayn Rand. ;)</p>
<p>Definitely Ayn Rand :)</p>
<p>Booklady-- why not Ayn Rand?</p>
<p>A better question would by WHY Ayn Rand.</p>
<p>[The</a> One Argument Ayn Rand Couldn’t Win – New York Magazine](<a href=“http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/60120/index1.html]The”>http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/60120/index1.html)</p>
<p>Ayn Rand was a dingbat cultist who supposedly based her “philosophy” on pure reason, but who rejected modern physics, cognitive science, genetics and evolution because they all cast doubt on her beliefs. Though an atheist, she was as anti-science crazy as any creationist fundamentalist Christian.</p>
<p>Not that I have a strong opinion about her…;)</p>
<p>There are SO many and i pushed most of these on he kids at one time or another: any Ayn Rand, Little Prince, Camus The Stranger or The Plague, The Art of War, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Beyond Good and Evil, Walden, Crime and Punishment, Kafka Metamorphosis… all come to mind and he’ll probably read some of these in philosophy classes. My oldest also loved Gravity’s Rainbow which I read in college and gave to him when he was looking for something to read in college… which isn’t really philosophy, but a very mind full book. I loved, loved, loved my college philosophy and religion classes.</p>
<p>IF you want something really contemporary, yet gives a sense of philosophy over time, I’d recommend Michael Sandel’s “Justice”:</p>
<p>[Justice:</a> What’s the Right Thing to Do?: Michael J. Sandel: 9780374532505: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Justice-Whats-Right-Thing-Do/dp/0374532508/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373588769&sr=1-2&keywords=michael+sandel]Justice:”>http://www.amazon.com/Justice-Whats-Right-Thing-Do/dp/0374532508/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373588769&sr=1-2&keywords=michael+sandel)</p>
<p>My idiosyncratic views…</p>
<p>First, while they might make good novels, I’d skip Ayn Rand, Quinn (Ishmael), Pirsig (Zen and the art…) as philosophy. Novels are usually preachy and, since they can set up the world any way they like, a pretty poor medium for informed philosophical thought.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, I think Voltaire is an exception (he’s a good writer and is mainly satirizing philosophical movements). I like Voltaire’s writing and he makes me think. Micromegas and Candide are good.</p>
<p>On philosophy itself, I like books on cognition and the concept of self, so I’d recommend anything by Oliver Sacks (The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat) and for real philosophy (heh) Reasons and Persons by by D. Parfit.</p>
<p>I was really boggled by the application of game theory to theology, such as Steven Bram’s Superior Beings. If they Exist, How Would we know? (or Google ‘game theory’ and religion).</p>
<p>Finally, if you like stuff that is… out there, [url=<a href=“http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/research/featured-publications/]Publications”>http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/research/featured-publications/]Publications</a> | Future of Humanity Institute<a href=“Future%20of%20Humanity%20Institute”>/url</a> at Oxford has a lot of writing on speculation on the future of the human race (and possible extinction).</p>
<p>I totally agree with you musica.
These are a few of my favorites.
Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Heart of Darkness- Joesph Conrad
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
1984 George Orwell
The Giver Lois Lowry
The Stranger Albert Camus
The Alchemist Paul Coleho
Slaughterhouse five- Kurt Vonnegut
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
Crime & Punishment Foydor Dostoyevsky
Lord of the Flies William Golding
The Republic Plato
Against Intrepretation & other essays Susan Sontag
The Metamorphosis Franz Kafka
The Prophet Kahlil Gibran
Candide - Voltaire</p>
<p>I like philosophical novels but my mother had a psychotic break when she was reading Zen & Motorcycles, which freaked me out.
Love most of the books on my list though.</p>
<p>If he really wants to read a philosophy book that will blow his mind he should read The Philosophy of Time. </p>
<p>[The</a> Philosophy of Time (Oxford Readings in Philosophy): Robin Le Poidevin, Murray MacBeath: 9780198239994: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Philosophy-Time-Oxford-Readings/dp/0198239998]The”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Philosophy-Time-Oxford-Readings/dp/0198239998)</p>
<p>If he reads this book, he will never need to take drugs.</p>
<p>He also might like MindWalk a film with Sam Waterston, John Heard & Liv Ullman, which was filmed at Mont St Michel.</p>
<p>Not sure if this is appropriate, given that he is a young man rather than young woman, however. </p>
<p>When I was around that age, and interested in thought, I came across the autobiographies of Simone de Beauvoir. Four volumes. The first two in particular, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter, and The Prime of Life, are very interesting, if long, as the depictions of the process of becoming an intellectual, as well are a writer are skillfully drawn. The second volume, which deals with the 20s through WWII in Paris, and life with Sartre, is an interesting view into the lives of some of the philosophers he’ll be studying in college as well as a significant time in Paris. Check out the Amazon reviews.</p>
<p>Confessions of St. Augustine
Rule of St. Benedict</p>
<p>For political philosophy, this ([Social</a> and Political Philosophy: Readings From Plato to Gandhi: John Somerville, Ronald Santoni: 9780385012386: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Social-Political-Philosophy-Readings-Gandhi/dp/0385012381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373602760&sr=1-1&keywords=social+and+political+philosophy]Social”>http://www.amazon.com/Social-Political-Philosophy-Readings-Gandhi/dp/0385012381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373602760&sr=1-1&keywords=social+and+political+philosophy)) is an excellent anthology. The selections are well chosen, and the excerpts tend to include the most crucial bits. A terrific greatest hits package.</p>
<p>If you want to introduce Libertarian ideas, I’d skip Ayn Rand in favor of the classic Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Nozick ([Amazon.com:</a> Anarchy, State, and Utopia (9780465051007): Robert Nozick: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465051006/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1373602943&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Anarchy-State-Utopia-Robert-Nozick/dp/0465051006/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1373602943&sr=1-1)). It is well complemented/countered by Rawls’ A Theory of Justice ([A</a> Theory of Justice: John Rawls: 9780674000780: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/A-Theory-Justice-John-Rawls/dp/0674000781/ref=tmm_pap_title_0]A”>http://www.amazon.com/A-Theory-Justice-John-Rawls/dp/0674000781/ref=tmm_pap_title_0)). I concur with the Sandel recommendation above.</p>
<p>If you want an orientation to the focus of American academic philosophy departments, these would be a good start. In academia, Eastern philosphy is a side show, the Continental guys–Sartre, Heidegger, and Husserl are not much better, and it’s Ayn Rand, who?</p>
<p>A Brief History of Western Philosphy by Anthony Kenney is manageble summer residing at 300 something pages.</p>
<p>A History of Western Philosphy by Bertrand Russell is quirky and prejudiced and as one of my professors said, “Russell treats the history of philosophy as all leading up to Russell.” But he’s a great writer and funny. </p>
<p>And not strictly a history and only 144 pages, this is a good intro to the themes and questions, and it covers the historical bases. Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Edward Craig</p>
<p>For fiction with a strong grounding in philosophy that is nevertheless accessible to teenagers, I’d recommend:</p>
<p>Notes from the Underground</p>
<p>Death of Ivan Ilyich (sp?)</p>
<p>Death in Venice</p>
<p>All of Camus</p>
<p>Kafka</p>
<p>Waiting for Godot</p>
<p>Other works by Beckett</p>
<p>No Exit by Sartre</p>
<p>Donald Barthelme stories (again sorry for spelling).</p>
<p>Margaret Atwood</p>
<p>A Clockwork Orange</p>
<p>Lots if books on the high school curriculum: A Brave New World, George Orwell, etc.</p>
<p>The Name of the Rose</p>
<p>If On A Winter’s Night A Traveller</p>
<p>Borges stories (of course).</p>
<p>Really the list could go on and on: Daniel Deronda; North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell; Hard Times by Dickens; Dr Faustus; Frankenstein, etc. etc. </p>
<p>Really, just anything besides the pulp fiction of Ayn Rand.</p>
<p>For a delightful philosophically oriented essayist, I highly recommend Alain de Botton for teenagers (and adults). His book on airports is especially engaging for that age group. </p>
<p>And Plato. But then, every teenager who reads Plato (rightfully) decides that he/she wants to be a philosophy major and is sorely disappointed by the time he/she us forced to slog through Heidegger.</p>
<p>^really nice list.</p>
<p>Pass the popcorn.</p>
<p>The Nature of Existence (netflix, hulu. [The</a> Nature of Existence | Watch Free Documentary Online](<a href=“http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/nature-existence/]The”>http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/nature-existence/)
Philosphy and the Matrix ([Philosophy</a> and the Matrix - Return to the Source (Full Documentary) on Vimeo](<a href=“http://vimeo.com/53000177]Philosophy”>http://vimeo.com/53000177))
American Philosopher ([American</a> Philosopher | Watch Free Documentary Online](<a href=“http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/american-philosopher/]American”>http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/american-philosopher/))
An Introduction to Western Philosophy ([An</a> Introduction to Western Philosophy | Watch Free Documentary Online](<a href=“http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/great-philosophers-introduction-western-philosophy/]An”>http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/great-philosophers-introduction-western-philosophy/))
Blaise Pascal (hulu)
Rene Descartes (hulu)
I Heart Huckabees
Blade Runner (book: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep?)
Lathe of Heaven (book is good too)
Open Your Eyes (if you can’t find it, Vanilla Sky was a remake)
Waking Life
Memento
Inception
Rashomon
The Seventh Seal
Being John Malkovich</p>
<p>Back to books, science fiction as a genre relies heavily on themes from philosphy–the nature of perception and reality, personal identity, are robots and animals persons? utopian and dystopian societies, how do we know what we know, time travel paradoxes.</p>