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> Are there any books that are considered a must for someone new to the field of philosophy? > Mental models address a lot of 'practical' situations but I am re
by disown 6y ago
> Are there any books that are considered a must for someone new to the field of philosophy?
> Mental models address a lot of 'practical' situations but I am realizing that they fall short when it comes to bigger questions of life.
> What path did you follow to develop a personal philosophy?
The "field of philosophy" is different from "spirituality/personal philosophy/meaning of life/etc". If you want an introduction to philosophy, you could start with logic/reasoning/plato/pre-socratics/etc. It will help you think rationally and logically. But it won't give you answers to "life's bigger questions". It'll give you tools to think about them and introduce you to what others think/believe/etc.
If you want the answers to "life's bigger questions", then you are really talking about religion rather than philosophy.
- dr_dshiv 6y agoIt's hard to see how Plato doesn't address "life's bigger questions".
- disown 6y agoWhere did I said he didn't? My point was that it ( philosophy ) "... won't give you answers to "life's bigger questions". It'll give you tools to think about them and introduce you to what others think/believe/etc." Philosophy can lead you to what plato/socrates believed, but it itself won't give you the answers. People who want answers to life's big questions are really seeking religion rather than philosophy. People who want to think about it/explore/etc seek philosophy. Hope that helped.