Philosophy Books: 12 Best Philosophy Books Of All Time

Best Philosophy Books of All Time

1. The Republic by Plato
2. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
3. A History Of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
4. Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
5. Beyond Good And Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
6. World As Will And Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer
7. Descartes: Meditations On First Philosophy by Rene Descartes
8. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
9. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel
10. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
11. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
12. Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching by Laozi

1. The Republic by Plato

Plato’s Republic is unparalleled in its coverage of all areas of life.

While Plato addresses metaphysical issues, he does so with language and analogies that most people can grasp with studious reading.

But Plato talks about much more than metaphysics. Marriage, music, war, kings, procreation and more are all topics of discussion for Plato’s dialog.

2. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s guiding question is: what is the best thing for a human being? His answer is happiness, but he means, not something we feel, but rather a specially good kind of life.

Happiness is made up of activities in which we use the best human capacities.

Both ones that contribute to our flourishing as members of a community, and ones that allow us to engage in god-like contemplation.

3. A History Of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Since its first publication in 1945 Lord Russell’s A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject

Unparalleled in its comprehensiveness, its clarity, its erudition, its grace and wit.

4. Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

In his autobiographical first novel, Pirsig wrestles both with the ghost of his past and with the most important philosophical questions of the 20th century.

Such as why has technology alienated us from our world?  What are the limits of rational analysis? If we can’t define the good, how can we live it?

An interesting examination of these questions in this well loved popular philosophy book.

5. Beyond Good And Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

Beyond Good and Evil confirmed Nietzsche’s position as the towering European philosopher of his age.

The work dramatically rejects the tradition of Western thought with its notions of truth and God, good and evil.

Nietzsche demonstrates that the Christian world is steeped in a false piety and infected with a ‘slave morality’.

6. World As Will And Representation by Arthur Schopenhauer

If you are clever enough to shave away the nagging scientific details which have expired with time (as they all do), as well as the great philosopher’s personal opinions, you will find this to be one of the greatest works ever written.

For me, it was the end of philosophy; good answers to the questions I have always wrestled. An important thing to remember about Schopenhauer is that, as far as I know, he is the last great system-builder, the last philosopher in the traditional sense, who set out to create an entire picture of the world.

His concept of the will, when fully grasped, is powerful and very simple.

7. Descartes: Meditations On First Philosophy by René Descartes

The book is made up of six meditations, in which Descartes first discards all belief in things which are not absolutely certain, and then tries to establish what can be known for sure.

The meditations were written as if he were meditating for 6 days. Each meditation refers to the last one as “yesterday”.

Well worth trying.

8. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Written by an intellectual Roman emperor, the Meditations offer a wide range of spiritual reflections developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and the universe.

Marcus Aurelius covers topics as diverse as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods, and his own emotions, spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation.

A great work to learn more about Stoic philosophy.

9. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael Sandel

A must-read for anyone who has ever debated morality over dinner or questioned the fairness of the world around them. Michael Sandel draws on real-life dilemmas, historical context, and sharp reasoning to explore what justice really means.

From Aristotle to Rawls to modern-day politics, Sandel shows how philosophy isn’t just academic—it’s deeply personal and undeniably relevant.

10. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn

This groundbreaking work reshaped how we think about science and progress. Thomas Kuhn introduces the concept of “paradigm shifts”—those rare but powerful moments when the entire framework of knowledge changes.

Far from being a slow, steady climb, scientific advancement is more like a revolution. Dense but rewarding, this book is essential reading for anyone curious about how human understanding truly evolves.

11. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel set in 19th century Russia, that enters deeply into the ethical debates of God, free will, and morality.

It is a spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, and reason, set against a modernizing Russia.

12. Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching by Laozi

Lao-tzu’s Tao Te Ching, or Book of the Way, is the classic manual on the art of living and one of the wonders of the world.

In eighty-one brief chapters, the Tao Te Ching looks at the basic predicament of being alive and gives advice that imparts balance and perspective, a serene and generous spirit.

This book is about wisdom in action.