What is the most recent work of philosophy that you have read?

[probablylost]

And what was your favorite takeaway?

I recently read Ernest Becker's Denial of Death, and it was a pretty interesting read, despite the fact that I didn't agree with many of his conclusions. I really enjoyed his analysis of mental illness, though he admitted it was flawed, in trying to be too general about the such a concept. I find psychoanalysis interesting, though I'm a bit skeptical of something that can't really be falsified. At the same time, though, I think you can find some truth and insight in these types of thought systems.

As a side note, it's hard to find a thread on here that doesn't already have a lot of responses! I didn't find a thread like this one, but are we allowed to make posts that might be similar to ones that are dormant? I'm worried I'll either duplicate a post or, if I comment, say something that was already said in the first 300 messages.

This thread may or may not be my selfish attempt at finding new books/articles to read.

 

[Pin]

The Ego and Its Own by Max Stirner

Takeaway: always do what's best for you and never trust a spook.

 

[Wyote]

As a side note, it's hard to find a thread on here that doesn't already have a lot of responses! I didn't find a thread like this one, but are we allowed to make posts that might be similar to ones that are dormant? I'm worried I'll either duplicate a post or, if I comment, say something that was already said in the first 300 messages.

Don't hesitate to jump in an old thread or start a new one even if it is similar to an old one

 

[probablylost]

That looks interesting! Thanks for sharing!

And sounds good, Wyote , thanks!

 

[jkxx]

Hmm.. most recently, The Astrologer, the Counsellor and the Priest (Juliet Sharman-Burke/Liz Greene) with some interesting thoughts on why people go into the helping professions (it's not an astro book primarily) as well as how to do in a way that's more beneficial for everyone
takeaway: it is better to be honest than to give others false hope (as well as some others)

 

[Ren]

Great thread!

The last proper philosophy book I read was Philosophy of Logic by W.V.O. Quine.

The takeaway was that I need to get better at logic, as there were parts I really struggled to understand. So I've been digging into logic more since. After that I think I'll read Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico Philosophicus again for the third time, with the help of my new logical insights hopefully. I still feel like the Tractatus is holding secrets I haven't excavated yet.

Somewhere in the future (not too far into the future) I'm hoping to finally read Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra and also Deleuze's Difference and Repetition. I have an Ni hunch that both works will be important for my own development as an amateur philosopher.

 

[Tin Man]

Well I've recently read quite a few books with interesting philosophical ideas, but the last book dedicated to Philosophy, would be Schopenhauer's World as Will.

I haven't read all of it, just some essays here and there. What I find really interesting are his ideas on introversion, and consciousness, and how he even touches on a shared sense of consciousness. I actually came at Schopenhauer's works thinking it would be similar to Nietzsche's Will to Power, but he takes a very different approach. One I find enlightening.

 

[AUM]

My big toe(theory of everything)-Thomas Campbell

Quite an interesting read if you're open to the idea that we may be living in a virtual reality. Even if you aren't so open to the idea, it's still quite a fascinating science fiction story to read.

He also has a youtube channel if you prefer that medium instead of reading his vast trilogy on the subject.

(In fact, if you know anything about it, you might now something about my username)