Recommendations based on Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedoby Plato

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Trial and Death of Socrates

    by Plato
    A philosophical dialogue into the life and death of the philosopher Socrates.

    Plato is among the most influential philosophers of all time. Along with his teacher Socrates and his pupil Aristotle, he can be said to have laid the foundations for Western philosophy, science and ... (Goodreads)

  2. Gorgias

    by Plato
    Philosophical dialogue on the nature of justice and power of rhetoric.

    Taking the form of a dialogue between Socrates, Gorgias, Polus and Callicles, GORGIAS debates perennial questions about the nature of government and those who aspire to public office. Are high moral ... (Goodreads)

  3. Plato: Complete Works

    by Plato
    Collection of ancient Greek philosopher Plato's dialogues, discussing morality, knowledge and truth.

    Outstanding translations by leading contemporary scholars–many commissioned especially for this volume--are presented here in the first single edition to include the entire surviving corpus of works ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Second Treatise of Government

    by John Locke
    A philosophical inquiry into the nature of government and the rights of citizens.

    The central principles of what today is broadly known as political liberalism were made current in large part by Locke's Second Treatise of Government (1690). The principles of individual liberty, ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Nicomachean Ethics

    by Aristotle
    An exploration of virtue and morality, providing guidance on how to live a good life.

    ‘One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy’ In the Nicomachean Ethics , Aristotle sets out to ... (Goodreads)

  6. Meditations

    by Marcus Aurelius
    Reflections on Stoic philosophy, exploring the nature of existence and how to live life.

    Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual ... (Goodreads)

  7. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy

    by René Descartes
    Philosophical treatise on the nature of knowledge and reality, examining the limits of human understanding.

    La figura de Descartes como filósofo no ha sido objeto de unánime interpretación. Sobre todo en la actualidad se juzga y pondera su obra. no menos que su personalidad, de manera diferente. Para ... (Goodreads)

  8. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

    by David Hume
    Analysis of the nature of human understanding, challenging existing philosophical and religious beliefs.

    An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, is a book by the Scottish empiricist philosopher David Hume , published in English in 1748. , It was a revision of an earlier effort, Hume's A Treatise of ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

    by Immanuel Kant
    Examination of the foundations of moral philosophy, focusing on the nature of moral obligation.

    Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals ranks alongside Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics as one of the most profound and influential works in moral philosophy ever ... (Goodreads)

  10. Meditations on First Philosophy

    by René Descartes
    Reflection on the nature of reality and human knowledge.

    Descartes's Meditations on First Philosophy , the fundamental and originating work of the modern era in Western philosophy, is presented here in Donald Cress's completely revised edition of his ... (Goodreads)

  11. On the Genealogy of Morals / Ecce Homo

    by Friedrich Nietzsche
    Philosophical examination of power, morality, and the history of human values.

    The Genealogy of Morals consists of three essays exploring morality and its origins where Nietzsche makes ample use of his training as a philologist. These works contain Nietzsche's most thorough and ... (Goodreads)

  12. The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction

    by Michel Foucault
    Examination of the power dynamics and social constructions of sexual behavior.

    Michel Foucault offers an iconoclastic exploration of why we feel compelled to continually analyze and discuss sex, and of the social and mental mechanisms of power that cause us to direct the ... (Goodreads)

  13. Democracy in America

    by Alexis de Tocqueville
    A study of the political and social structure of the United States and its implications.

    Democracy in America has had the singular honor of being even to this day the work that political commentators of every stripe refer to when they seek to draw large conclusions about the society of ... (Goodreads)

  14. Politics

    by Aristotle
    Analysis of the structure and nature of governments and the pursuit of justice.

    What is the relationship of the individual to the state? What is the ideal state, and how can it bring about the most desirable life for its citizens? What sort of education should it provide? What ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Prince

    by Niccolò Machiavelli
    A timeless political treatise on the art of acquiring and maintaining power.

    Machiavelli needs to be looked at as he really was. Hence: Can Machiavelli, who makes the following observations, be Machiavellian as we understand the disparaging term? 1. So it is that to know the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Critique of Practical Reason

    by Immanuel Kant
    Kant's examination of the nature of practical reason and its role in guiding human action towards moral ends.

    This seminal text in the history of moral philosophy elaborates the basic themes of Kant's moral theory, gives the most complete statement of his highly original theory of freedom of the will, and ... (Goodreads)

  17. Tao Te Ching

    by Lao Tzu
    A collection of wise sayings and reflections on the nature of existence.

    A lucid translation of the well-known Taoist classic by a leading scholar-now in a Shambhala Pocket Library edition. Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching , or -The Classic of ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Complete Essays

    by Michel de Montaigne
    Collection of essays exploring diverse topics, from philosophy to morality.

    Michel de Montaigne was one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance, singlehandedly responsible for popularising the essay as a literary form. This Penguin Classics edition of The Complete ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Ego and the Id

    by Sigmund Freud
    A psychoanalytic exploration of the three facets of the human psyche, and how they interact.

    The Ego and the Id ranks high among the works of Freud's later years. The heart of his concern is the ego, which he sees battling with three forces: the id, the super-ego, and the outside world. Of ... (Goodreads)

  20. Critique of Pure Reason

    by Immanuel Kant
    Exploration of the limits of human reason and its limitations in understanding nature.

    'The purpose of this critique of pure speculative reason consists in the attempt to change the old procedure of metaphysics and to bring about a complete revolution', Kant's Critique of Pure Reason ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Autobiography of Malcolm X

    by Malcolm X
    A gripping account of one man's transformation from criminal to civil rights leader.

    Alternate cover for ISBN 9780345350688 Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. In this riveting account, he tells of his ... (Goodreads)

  22. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

    by Michel Foucault
    Examines the emergence of the modern prison system and its effects on society.

    Librarian note: an alternate cover for this edition can be found, here,. Barely two hundred and fifty years ago a man condemned of attempting to assassinate the King of France was drawn and quartered ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Way Things Are

    by Lucretius
    A poetic exploration of the nature of reality, life, and the universe.

    ..". [captures] the relentless urgency of Lucretius' didacticism, his passionate conviction and proselytizing fervour.' –The Classical Review ... (Goodreads)

  24. Letters from a Stoic

    by Seneca
    A collection of Stoic philosophies and advice on living a meaningful life.

    The power and wealth which Seneca the Younger (c.4 B.C. - A.D. 65) acquired as Nero's minister were in conflict with his Stoic beliefs. Nevertheless he was the outstanding figure of his age. The ... (Goodreads)

  25. Confessions

    by Augustine of Hippo
    A spiritual autobiography tracing Augustine's journey from youthful excess to Christian faith.

    Augustine's Confessions is one of the most influential and most innovative works of Latin literature. Written in the author's early forties in the last years of the fourth century A.D. and during his ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Origins of Totalitarianism

    by Hannah Arendt
    Analysis of the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe, and their consequences for the modern world.

    Hannah Arendt's definitive work on totalitarianism and an essential component of any study of twentieth-century political history The Origins of Totalitarianism begins with the rise of anti-Semitism ... (Goodreads)

  27. On Bullshit

    by Harry G. Frankfurt
    A philosophical exploration of the concept of bullshit, and its implications in society.

    One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people ... (Goodreads)

  28. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

    by Ludwig Wittgenstein
    A philosophical treatise on language, logic, and the limits of human understanding.

    Perhaps the most important work of philosophy written in the twentieth century, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was the only philosophical work that Ludwig Wittgenstein published during his life. ... (Goodreads)

  29. Pensées

    by Blaise Pascal
    Reflections on faith, reason and the human condition, presenting a defense of Christianity.

    Blaise Pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of Descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the Christian religion upon which his reputation ... (Goodreads)