Summary of "The 20 Greatest Philosophy Books"

Summary of The 20 Greatest Philosophy Books Video

The video explores the difficulty of creating a definitive list of the most important philosophy books in history, beginning with Plato’s Republic as the foundational text. The creator critiques and expands upon James Garvey’s book The 20 Greatest Philosophy Books, offering alternative selections and a broader, more inclusive perspective on philosophical works from various cultures and historical periods.

Main Ideas and Concepts

1. Plato’s Republic as the Starting Point

Widely regarded as Plato’s masterpiece.
Centers on Socratic dialogue about justice, the just city, and philosophical utopia.
Introduces Plato’s taxonomy of government forms: democracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, tyranny.
Contains the famous allegory of the cave.
Has had an unparalleled impact on Western philosophy and political theory.

2. Critique of James Garvey’s List

Ambitious but overly focused on Western philosophy.
Includes Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics but omits Metaphysics, which arguably had greater influence.
Picks Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica as the third work, but omits many important works between Aristotle and Aquinas.

3. Expanding Beyond Western Philosophy

Includes key Chinese philosophical texts:
- Confucius’s Analects (virtue and governance).
- Laozi’s Dao De Jing (Daoist ethics, governance, metaphysics).
Does not include singular Buddhist or Indian texts like the Upanishads due to lack of a single defining text analogous to Republic or Analects.

4. Inclusion of Augustine of Hippo

Marks the transition from ancient to medieval philosophy.
Synthesizes Platonism and Christianity.
Recommended work: Confessions (blend of autobiography, prayer, and philosophical discussion on time and Neoplatonism).

5. Thomas Aquinas and the Summa Theologica

Comprehensive Christian theological summary.
Influenced by Aristotle, Apostle Paul, and Islamic philosopher Averroes.
Famous for the “Five Ways” arguments for God’s existence.
Central to scholastic philosophy and Catholic theology.

6. Overemphasis on Modern Philosophy in Garvey’s List

12 of 20 books come from a 250-year period (1641–1885), disproportionate given 2500 years of philosophy.
Omissions include Neoplatonism, Islamic philosophy, and key medieval thinkers.
Suggestion to add The Incoherence of the Incoherence (Ibn Rushd/Averroes) to represent Islamic philosophy.

7. Revised Modern Philosophy Selections

Keep:
- Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy (rationalism, radical doubt).
- Hobbes’s Leviathan (social contract theory).
- Hume’s Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding (empiricism, skepticism).
- Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (critical philosophy).
- Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit (German idealism).
- Mill’s Utilitarianism (ethical consequentialism).
Add:
- Spinoza’s Ethics (geometric method, systematic philosophy).
Replace:
- Marx’s Communist Manifesto with Capital (more philosophically substantial).
- Sartre’s Being and Nothingness with Heidegger’s Being and Time (more foundational phenomenology).
- Popper’s and A.J. Ayer’s works with Frege’s Foundations of Arithmetic (early analytic philosophy).
Keep:
- Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (feminist philosophy).
- Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations (philosophy of language).

8. Final Revised List of 20 Greatest Philosophy Books

Plato’s Republic
Aristotle’s Metaphysics
Confucius’s Analects
Laozi’s Dao De Jing
Augustine’s Confessions
Aquinas’s Summa Theologica
Ibn Rushd’s The Incoherence of the Incoherence
Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy
Hobbes’s Leviathan
Hume’s Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Spinoza’s Ethics
Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit
Mill’s Utilitarianism
Marx’s Capital
Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra - (Alternatives: Beyond Good and Evil or Genealogy of Morals)
Frege’s Foundations of Arithmetic
Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex
Heidegger’s Being and Time
Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations

9. Additional Notes

Encouragement to buy physical books over ebooks due to concerns about digital ownership.
Promotion of Nebula, an independent streaming service for educational and creator-owned content.

Detailed Methodology for Curating a Philosophy Book List

Start with foundational works that have had wide and lasting influence (e.g., Plato’s Republic).
Consider the historical impact of works, not just personal preference or popularity.
Limit to one major work per philosopher to keep the list concise and representative.
Include non-Western philosophy to broaden perspective (e.g., Chinese classics).
Include transitional figures who connect major periods (e.g., Augustine bridging ancient and medieval thought).
Address omissions and biases in existing lists by:
- Adding Islamic philosophy (The Incoherence of the Incoherence).
- Balancing medieval, ancient, and modern works.
Be critical of works considered propaganda or political tracts (e.g., replacing Marx’s Communist Manifesto with Capital).
Recognize philosophical schools and movements through representative texts (e.g., rationalism, empiricism, idealism, phenomenology, analytic philosophy).
Allow for some flexibility in selections where multiple works could qualify (e.g., Nietzsche’s works).
Be aware of recency bias and attempt to balance representation across centuries.
Consider the influence on multiple disciplines, including philosophy, theology, political theory, ethics, feminism, and social sciences.

Speakers / Sources Featured

James Garvey – Author of The 20 Greatest Philosophy Books, whose list is critiqued and revised.
Plato – Republic
Aristotle – Metaphysics and Nicomachean Ethics
Confucius – Analects
Laozi – Dao De Jing
Augustine of Hippo – Confessions
Thomas Aquinas – Summa Theologica
Ibn Rushd (Averroes) – The Incoherence of the Incoherence
René Descartes – Meditations on First Philosophy
Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan
David Hume – Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Baruch Spinoza – Ethics
Immanuel Kant – Critique of Pure Reason
G.W.F. Hegel – Phenomenology of Spirit
John Stuart Mill – Utilitarianism
Karl Marx – Capital (replacement for Communist Manifesto)
Friedrich Nietzsche – Thus Spoke Zarathustra (with alternatives noted)
Gottlob Frege – Foundations of Arithmetic
Simone de Beauvoir – The Second Sex
Martin Heidegger – Being and Time
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations

This summary captures the core ideas, critiques, methodology, and final recommendations presented in the video, providing a comprehensive overview for anyone interested in the most influential philosophy books across history and cultures.