Finding a bookstore in New York City isn’t hard, but finding one with an exciting and affordable Philosophy section definitely is. This list is for both those who are new to philosophy but don’t quite know where to start, and for those who find themselves constantly muttering, “That’s it?” under their breath at the sight of a stark selection that only ever contains Plato’s Republic and Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Tag Archives: philosophy
Weekly Thinker: Friedrich Nietzsche
To most, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is simply known
as “that-‘God-is-dead’-guy.”
While he did in fact first proclaim that with a roar in his 1882 work The Gay Science, it’s important to give equal attention to his critiques of morality, religion, and art, and to recognize the impact they had on Western philosophical thought. Whether this influence was for better or worse, well, it really depends on who you ask.
Plato’s Phaedrus, Over 2000 Years Later
In a warm, bright room overlooking rows of trees and historic brownstones of Hamilton Heights, philosophers, professors, and philosophy students engaged in a casual and passionate discussion about Plato’s Phaedrus, a dialogue that concerns itself with beauty, love, and rhetoric. As Ancient Greek terms shot around the room with ease, the atmosphere of the small room tucked away in CCNY’s philosophy department felt closer to that of Athens circa 370 BCE than that of the technologically-riddled century we currently find ourselves in.