Philosophical reading

[liam]

David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (I've learned that his best arguments are split among the Treatise and Enquiry)
Immanuel Kant, Critique Of Pure Reason
Schopenhauer, The World As Will And Representation
Gottlob Frege (no specific work, there is a good Frege reader)
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Early and Late (Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations)

And from there it wasn't certain; tentatively I had acquired some of Quine's work in the absence of better wisdom.

In addition to being sidetracked by other matters, I've also developed an interest in Greek philosophy, notable Heraclitus and Democritus among the pre-Socratics, and the Stoics, Skeptics, Cynics and Epicureans. Not all that interested in either Plato or Aristotle.
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Quite the list, I've yet to delve into mathematical philosophy as the actual mathematical knowledge required to fully understand it is beyond my grasp, so no frege just yet, I intend to intriduce myself to set theory through russell and slowly learn maths. I am no real fan of plato or aristotle, they may have started the majority of philosophical inquiries but there is something so rudimentary about their work that just seems unbearable to read. However, they are in need of their due and it is certainly given in my mind The stoics and epicurians were interesting philosophers and I admire their moral perspectives a damn sight more than some others i could mention *cough*JEREMYBENTHAM*cough*

I very much enjoy Sartre's particular brand of existentialism such that it has been quite influential in the way in which I look at the world. I'm in the process of reading B&N myself after having read several of his other papers and works. His writing can be a little thick, too.

As for Nietzsche, his writing is indeed a little difficult to work through; it takes a careful reading to understand all of what he says.

Indeed, Sartre can be think but with enough post-it notes and time you can eventually dig through die spiele, I've never really had the same understanding of nietzsche, he seems to write in such a contrived manner as to put me off entirely. He is reputedly very good though so I suppose I shall have to force myself through his work someday