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Philosophy

Philosophy: Brief Bookchad Guide

Alright lads, it's time to get bookpilled! Ignite your neurons and let's plunge into an ocean that is philosophy - the unsung gigachad among sciences, grand as old Father Time himself.

Ever considered how a normie perceives a pizza? It’s just dough, cheese and toppings. But harness the power of philosophy, flip the switch in your mind palace, and start pondering why a pizza is what it is – you're flirting with philosophy.

Countless souls are too engrossed swilling down mainstream media coolaid or getting drenched in conspiracy theories about Rokfellers, they rarely find time to glimpse at their own mental mirror. Philosophy doesn't just provide profound quotes for your next PowerPoint presentation or Tinder bio; more than that - our daily skull sweat questioning existence’s mechanics and finding meaning amidst this chaos we call life.

Why does anything exist? What's life's purpose? Why do emotions hit us differently than Stacy from next door who goes teary-eyed watching kitten videos on loop? Sound like you've challenged God for 4D chess match but hold onto your horses my friend: This means Philosophy got its claws sunken deep into your consciousness.

Look around gents! The acceptance of gender identities beyond binary norms, heated debates over digital privacy rights or even wild-eyed SJWs marching under rainbow banners trace roots back to philosophical soil. Who'd bet these squabbles would mould our world today?

Alright then, it's time to explore the lesser-known 'hoods of our beloved subject. Off the beaten path, you will encounter various BASIC branches of philosophy that are as intriguing as they are diverse:

1. Metaphysics: This isn't about some pseudoscience charlatan promising to read your future in tea leaves or Tarot. Nay! Metaphysics hunts bigger game and asks questions like: What is reality? What does it mean for something to exist?

2. Epistemology: Ever caught yourself debating if we can actually 'know' anything at all or if everything is just a figment of our imagination, possibly stimulated by some jabroni with divine level hacking skills meddling with cosmic code? That’s epistemology flirting with you!

3. Ethics: No gents, this ain't about those pesky virtue-signaling SJWs berating you for not recycling your soda cans while they guzzle down latte from Starbucks single-use cups every day! It's a study of morality and what constitutes right conduct.

4. Logic: The brainchild behind every debate born on 4chan—logic deals with valid reasoning—and let me tell ya—it could make sense outta even most chaotic threads on /pol/.

5. Aesthetics: Think aesthetics is just about posting moody snapshots on Instagram using #deep filters? Hah! Welcome to philosophy where aesthetics delves into beauty, art and taste looking beyond mere visual appeal.

Remember mates - Philosophy challenges norms, tosses Molotov cocktails into comfort zones and crafts individuals ready to question societal order while fuelling meaningful conversations.

Heaps of folks feel tripped up when their boss behaves like an alpha Chad but pays like a miserly Scrooge. Or perplexed by Stacy choosing Tyrone over them despite their sincerest efforts. These social conundrums all boil down to principles rooted firmly within philosophical thought.

Unzip those jackets fellow netizens: Winds bearing news of philosophical enlightenment promise an invigorating yet challenging voyage across inner depths often left unexplored due daunting vastness they encompass.

Mandatory reading

These five (three, if you just want just to briefly learn basics - watch for stars) books will make your path to Philosophy clearer and better.

The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten

Reading stats and download
Hours to read 4.71
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P/S/W 374/3948/84731
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 7.2

A proper brain-gym is The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair Philosopher by Julian Baggini. It's a buffet of philosophical nuggets, each one ready to yeet your comfy worldviews into the abyss. From ancient paradoxes like Zeno's tortoise to modern moral dilemmas involving three criminals on trial, this book forces your noodle into overdrive.

Each bite-sized thought experiment, 100 in total if you can count that high (just joshing), churns up debates and quandaries faster than a 4chan thread at 3 am. Are we mere puppets dancing to the tune of experts' opinions? Can Achilles ever outrun that pesky tortoise Tarquin? Heck, how do we reconcile with our own complicity when judicial systems screw up big time?

Baggini doesn't dish out answers like hot cakes; instead he slaps down perplexing conundrums and wishes you good luck. His aim isn’t to spoon-feed solutions but redpill readers with jaw-dropping insights that’ll keep you thinking long after closing the book.

It ain't just for philosophy nerds either - law professionals and psychiatrists will find their grey matter stimulated by real-world scenarios woven into his wild narratives.

Pig or not, whether this book 'wants' to be eaten is irrelevant…because once you start reading dear user, I assure ya it'll gobble YOU up whole.

Plato's Five Dialogues

Book stats and download
Hours to read 4.31
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P/S/W 168/2998/77590
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 7.9

Plato's Five Socratics Dialogues -- a true OG of philosophical brain-benders. It's the bluepill turning you redpilled as you dive into Socrates' final days.

First up: Euthyphro. Just before his trial, Socrates bumps into this know-it-all and debates him on piety. They're aiming to define it but end up chasing their tails in a circular argument. Guess it isn't as simple as reading an internet definition, huh?

Then enter Apology - the courtroom drama of ancient Athens where our main man defends himself against charges like not believing in Gods and corrupting hot-blooded Athenian youth. Spoiler alert: he loses but makes some sigma male level speeches along the way.

Next up is Crito; showcasing a bro code that transcends life itself when homie Crito tries to talk Socrates out of accepting his death sentence for the sake of friendship--but nah, Socrates would rather face the reaper than run like a beta-cuck from Athenian law…what a chad.

Meno stirs things up with questions about whether virtue can be taught or if it’s all just one big cosmic crapshoot. But don’t hold your breath cause they don't reach any solid conclusions—your move, armchair philosophers.

Lastly comes Phaedo – that’s right kids; we’re talking last words here before Socrates drinks that deadly hemlock cocktail like it’s Friday night at the Agora! It's spirituality versus cynicism debating if soul exists and what happens after kicking the bucket–get ready for some existential dread!

Each dialogue should be treated more like an adrenaline shot to your mind than text on paper -- Plato ain't fooling around normies when he drops these knowledge bombs! Can you handle being this woke? Damn right you can…you wouldn’t have asked otherwise.

History of Philosophy

Book stats and download
Hours to read 14.12
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P/S/W 534/9660/254096
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 11.5

Frederick Copleston's "History of Philosophy" is not for normies who only skim the surface. It’s a behemoth tallying 534 pages that demands your full attention, so if you’re ready to level up from a philosophy noob to a seasoned veteran, this is your ticket in.

First off, Copleston doesn't play around – he delivers what he promises. His journey through Western philosophy from the Pre-Socratics to Neo-Platonism schools is comprehensive and enlightening. He digs into some deep philosophical lore like Plato’s "“Doctrine of the Forms.”" He also debunks modern misinterpretations - say hello to the true Epicureanism that prefers lasting over transitory pleasures.

Copleston's origins as aiming to supplement Catholic seminary texts make this book lean toward Christian philosophers towards its conclusion—an aspect secular readers might find irksome. This background info reveals his possible bias but doesn't dismiss the value he brings by placing each philosopher within their historical context thereby enriching understanding—just like understanding character backstories enhance one's gameplay experience.

But remember fellow truth-seekers: No book can be perfectly objective just like how no game world can satisfy every player's tastes fully; it ultimately boils down to personal preference and where you're coming from on your philosophical journey

What is Philosophy?

Book stats and download
Hours to read 5.89
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P/S/W 276/3197/106107
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 13.9

Let's dig deeper into Deleuze and Guattari's brainchild - "What is Philosophy?"

In their swansong collaboration, they redefine what seems like a simple question: 'what is philosophy?' Viewing it as an art form that crafts concepts. They don't keep philosophy on some high pedestal; instead, it forms the very crux of living a fulfilling life.

Their unique perspective is where philosophy doesn't exist in isolation but shares a symbiotic relationship with science and art. Each one fulfilling its distinct role—philosophy ponders upon thoughts, science deals in facts and data, while art is our inherent instinct to create.

But take note: their magnum opus isn't just an exposition on the concept of 'thinking.' It offers something more profound—it speaks about learning which is central to implementing philosophy in life. The essence being: engage not just absorb! This manual for intellectual growth suggests we should actively interact with knowledge rather than passively consuming it.

Understanding this, you approach life differently—not as a mere spectator but as an active participant shaping your own understanding of existence itself.

The Problems of Philosophy

Book stats and download
Hours to read 8.43
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P/S/W 124/1478/151665
Flesch-Kincaid Grade 29.8

Bertrand Russell's "The Problems of Philosophy" is for those who are truly woke, ready to ingest the red pill and plunge into the rabbit hole of philosophical contemplation. This ain't no light Sunday read; it grapples with gnarly questions about reality and our perception of it.

Russell takes a page from Descartes' book, questioning everything, even that table in his room. He wrestles with how we can know anything at all given that our experience revolves around 'sense-data.' It sounds like some new age woo-woo but stick with him – he's not your run-of-the-mill twitter philosopher.

He isn’t buying into that idealist claptrap either that says everything known to exist must be mental. Instead, he lays out the existence of both universals - qualities or relations like “whiteness" or "being to the left", and particulars - physical objects located in one place at any given time.

One thing I personally reckon is cool about Russell’s approach? His breakdown between knowledge by acquaintance and by description – direct awareness of sense-data versus an inferential understanding from descriptions. It's like comparing first-hand 4chan trolling against reading about it on TV.

A credible account of a priori knowledge, acknowledgment of intuitive truth claims alongside logical arrangements involving universals and particulars form the foundation stones for this treatise. You might need a dictionary (or ten) handy as it gets pretty darn technical when he broaches propositions: complex expressions linking objects & their relations!

But don’t you think for a second that Mr Russell was having just another mundane intellectual monologue here; instead, picture this as an engaging pot-stirring dialogue where ideas are subjected pedantically--it’s his contribution to keep us critical thinkers on our toes.