10 Best philosophy books to read in 2022

Philosophy is a field everyone can learn from since we all strive to live a leading life. In case you are of the opinion that some philosophy books are better than others, then you should be reading our analysis of the best philosophy books to read in 2022. Regardless of the specification, however, note that these books are ever valid.

Philosophy being the mother of several other disciplines entails having knowledge of many other academic fields, so most philosophers don’t care what genre of book they lay hands upon. Nonetheless, it is indispensable that you start the journey with an in-depth understanding of the discipline.

With the assumption that you are ready to get them, the following are the best philosophy books you should not miss out on. 

Best philosophy books to read 

• Republic by Plato 

Learn from one of the world’s top philosopher’s points of view about what a true republic means. The book examines what justice and other terms in their truest form mean. 

If you have heard of Aristocracy, Timocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy, and Tyranny as the five regimes of Plato, then this will make a good read for you because the terms are well discussed in it. 

• Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle

In this awesome book, Aristotle describes how happiness is the ultimate goal of every human relationship, stressing that it is the reason we make friends and keep different companies. 

This to him, however, is not the true source of joy, so he told how happiness is derived. 

• Man’s Searching for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

If you think with your predicaments, you have seen it all then I bet you haven’t read Frankl’s Man’s searching for meaning. It is an awesome book you will always want to read as it talks about the true experiences of Frankl’s fate while he was enslaved. 

Despite losing his parents and siblings, Frankl was known to find meaning in suffering – because he developed a strong why for his fate.  Please get this book. 

• The Stranger by Albert Camus

This 1942 book I bet is one of the best books you will be reading in philosophy. The writer, Albert Camus will open your eyes to the emptiness of the world, proposing that life is rarely meaningful since we all will die. 

He further noted that how and when a person will die doesn’t matter since death is evitable. Through Meursault, the protagonist in this book, Camus made us see a lot you don’t want to miss out on about life. 

• Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre

Are human consciousness and free will an aspect of philosophy that interests you? Being and Nothingness by Sartre is not a book limited to these areas but it majors there – making it a good option you should go for. 

• The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh

Here is one of the greatest books that boost self-reflection. Yes, of all time. It is a good read that can help you better understand yourself as you plan on becoming a philosopher. 

As a result of the theme of this book, many have argued that it should be taught perhaps as a course in schools. 

• A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine

You will have a better knowledge of what Stoicism is all about in this book. If you dream of being a stoic in the near future then you can start with this book. To hit the point of living a good life, William unpacks and relates the works of other philosophers like Marcus Aurelius in this book. 

• Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant

In this book, you will get to see the world from an entirely different perspective as Kant argues that nothing is higher than reason and that we cannot experience anything directly. 

Immanuel Kant is known to be one of those philosophers who promote respect for humanity. He has emphasized in most of his philosophies that rather than seeing people as mere means to achieve our goals, they should be treated as humans. 

• Beyond Good And Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

This 1886 book talks about good and evil as the title implies. In it, Friedrich criticises philosophers for thinking that good is the direct opposite of evil. He feels that there should be some other theories about what is good and evil on the other hand – not to keep building on what other philosophers have said. 

• Discourses of Epictetus

Discourses of Epictetus is one of the best Philosophy books anyone interested in philosophy should read. Recall that Epictetus is unlike most of the ancient philosophers, a less privileged being. He was enslaved before he majored in philosophy – after gaining freedom. 

In this book, he talks about the things that are beyond one’s control and those that are under it. As simple as this may sound, they are things you need to read about. 

Why should you read philosophy books? 

The chances that you don’t mean to read this piece or that you stumbled on it accidentally are low but it may happen. As a result, you would need to know some of the reasons for this composition. They are:

1. Reading for the love of wisdom; the greatest goal of philosophy. 

1. Whoever intends to major in philosophy definitely must get to read many philosophy books. As a result, knowing the best of these books to start your journey as a philosopher properly is essential. 

1. You need to read philosophy books if you intend to make a great professional teacher. The reason is that philosophy, like psychology and sociology among others, teaches how to manage human beings as well as the entirety of life. Because of this, philosophy is one discipline that should be deployed to improve technology in education. 

1. Philosophy books are a good genre of books you should read if you aim at improving your problem-solving ability. The reason is that philosophy books, unlike mere literature (drama, poetry & prose), focus on the facts and teach the truth. 

1. Reading a philosophy book can make you many times better than your original self, ranging from learning from different people’s points of view and becoming more of a philosopher yourself. Your mindset will be changed so that you think better than many other ordinary thinkers. 

CONCLUSION

Understanding that you are not the first person who would be facing the problems you are passing through, will give you a better insight on why to get some of the best philosophy books to read. It stands to reason that you would learn a lot since the books were written by people who have most likely found solutions to a challenge you are battling. 

It may not directly have to do with the solution to certain problems in your life, but rest assured philosophy can help you understand many commonly faced problems better.