They changed my perception of life.

3 Philosophy Books I Wish I Had Studied Earlier

Looking deep into the pores of time, we see that we are not alone in our search for truth and the meaningfulness of life.

Hundreds and thousands of people have spent their lives searching for answers to the enigmatic questions we all face in life.

Who are we? Why we are here? What’s meaning and truth? What’s the purpose of life? What are death and life?

The abstract and material and all other aspects of these questions have teased the minds of great philosophers since ancient times.

Yet the search for meaning never ends.

I have always wondered what’s the purpose of philosophy and doubted its benefits. That’s why I have avoided reading philosophy books.

But I was fascinated a lot by philosophy when I started reading the Heart of Philosophy by Jacob Needleman.

Of all the books I have read on philosophy, these three remain on my best philosophy books list, and I wish I had studied them earlier because they have provided me with so much value and changed my perception of life.

The Heart of Philosophy by Jacob Needleman

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If you are trying to find meaning in life and question your existence, you are on the right path. This is an integral part of the human conscience to travel on the path of self-inquiry, meaning of life, dreams, and all other strange phenomena that happen around us.

Our minds are teased by the constant abstract questions that we can’t answer ourselves alone. We need to study books that provide answers to our never-ending questions about our purpose and meaning in life.

Jacob Needleman has provided satisfying answers to all such questions that we can’t figure out ourselves.

As a philosophy teacher in a high school, Jacob answered the unexpected and unconventional questions of philosophy in plain beautiful language.

Starting from Socrates, Plato, and Pythagoras, and coming down to Kant, Hume, Descartes, and our own time, the writer provides an intimate portrait of the truth that penetrates flesh and blood and touches the hearts.

His dealing with philosophy brings us to a point where we understand the function of philosophy.

Philosophy As a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot

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Do you think philosophy is a theoretical academic subject to be taught in schools alone?

Reading this philosophy book by Pierre Hadot completely changed my perception of life and philosophy.

I have always thought that philosophy is an abstract academic subject that only benefits those who love to discuss abstract ideas.

But this book opened my eyes and taught me that philosophy is a practical way of life.

Philosophy was considered a way of life in ancient times. But gradually, with the introduction of Christianity in Western society, the role of practical philosophy diminished to theoretical teaching.

Philosophy is considered a detached phenomenon from life in modern times, but in ancient times; it was an integral part of life and a way of life.

Pierre Hadot, a Frech philosopher, argues that philosophy was not a subject of study alone; it was considered an art of living.

Philosophy was practiced to relieve self-suffering and to shape one’s life according to the ideals and wisdom of philosophy.

The ancient saw philosophy as a transformative force and a spiritual exercise. It provided humans a path to self-conversion, self-shaping, and adopting a certain way of life.

The author of the book discusses how practical philosophy lost its worth and got a diminished position as only an academic subject after Christian Emperor Justinian closed the Athenian Academy of philosophy.

The book is worth investing your time in if you want to change your life and transform it according to ancient wisdom. It is written in a moving language that captivates the heart and soul.

Ultimate Questions by Bryan Magee

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We are born and die, but we can’t control it. We are utterly helpless in these two situations.

I read this eye-opening book and was amazed at how lost we are. We aren’t lost in the dark; rather, we are lost in daylight.

I reached a different conclusion about understanding the big question in life. The meaning of life and existence get changed after reading the Ultimate Question.

The book helps you understand the predicament of life we face.
But we have a fundamental need to understand what is this world and why we live here.

No matter how powerful our faculties of reason are and how far they may take us into the limitless domain of thinking; still, mysteries remain, and we can’t answer all the questions.

Bryan Magee, a modern great philosopher, argues that our reasons fall short of fathoming our natures and finding answers to the big questions.

He is of the view that we should mindmap the boundaries of meaningfulness. The book helps us find our lost selves.

The book opens our eyes, and we see that we are not in the dark, but standing right in the middle of light and wisdom.

We sensed the darkness around us because we didn’t know to open our eyes and find meaning in the broad daylight of wisdom and peace.

Final Words

Learning about the unknown and the abstract things that we can’t easily perceive is always a part of human nature.

Since our childhood, we get fascinated by how the mysteries of the world unfold themselves in front of us, which makes us curious to know more.

This urge for knowing more lead us on the path of self-inquiry and to search for meaning in life.

Many have gone on this long journey of self-awareness and search for truth and meaning and have provided us with their personal experiences in the form of books.

They have learned and transformed their lives and the lives of millions of others through their words that contain the wisdom of ancient philosophy.

Some of them have reached a level where they found the true meaning of life, yet other enigmatic questions still remain to be answered.

Will you answer them?