This is a list of important publications in philosophy , organized by field.
Some reasons why a particular publication might be regarded as important:
Topic creator – A publication that created a new topicBreakthrough – A publication that changed scientific knowledge significantlyInfluence – A publication which has significantly influenced the world or has had a massive impact on the teaching of philosophy .
Historical texts [ edit ] Western philosophy [ edit ] Ancient philosophy [ edit ]
Plato , Charmides Plato, Lysis
Plato, Laches
Plato, Protagoras
Plato, Euthydemus
Plato, Cratylus
Plato, Phaedrus
Plato, Ion
Plato, Symposium
Plato, Meno
Plato, Euthyphro
Plato, Apology
Plato, Crito
Plato, Phaedo
Plato, Gorgias
Plato, The Republic
Plato, Timaeus
Plato, Critias
Plato, Parmenides
Plato, Theaetetus
Plato, Sophist
Plato, Statesman
Plato, Philebus
Plato, Laws
Aristotle , Organon Aristotle, Physics
Aristotle, On the Heavens
Aristotle, On Generation and Corruption
Aristotle, Meteorology
Aristotle, Metaphysics
Aristotle, On the Soul
Aristotle, Parva Naturalia
Aristotle, On Breath
Aristotle, History of Animals
Aristotle, Parts of Animals
Aristotle, Movement of Animals
Aristotle, Progression of Animals
Aristotle, Generation of Animals
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle, Politics
Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians
Aristotle, Rhetoric
Aristotle, Poetics
Lucretius , On the Nature of Things Epictetus , Discourses Epictetus, Enchiridion
Marcus Aurelius , Meditations Plotinus , Enneads Parmenides , Ontological Poem
Medieval philosophy [ edit ]
Augustine of Hippo , Enchiridion Augustine of Hippo, Confessions
Augustine of Hippo, The City of God
Boethius , Consolation of Philosophy Maimonides , Guide for the Perplexed Maimonides, Mishneh Torah
Yehuda Halevi , Kuzari Saadia Gaon , Emunoth ve-Deoth Al-Ghazali , The Incoherence of the Philosophers Averroes , The Incoherence of the Incoherence Thomas Aquinas , Summa contra Gentiles Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae
Anselm , Proslogion
Other medieval philosophers who wrote important works include Avicenna , Peter Abelard , Albert the Great , Pseudo-Dionysius , Johannes Scotus Eriugena , Duns Scotus , William of Ockham .
Modern philosophy [ edit ]
Title page of
Advancement of Learning by Francis Bacon
Niccolò Machiavelli , The Prince (De Principatibus / Il Principe)Sir Francis Bacon , Advancement of Learning Sir Francis Bacon, Novum Organum
René Descartes , Discourse on Method (Discours de la méthode)René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy (Meditationes de prima philosophia)
Thomas Hobbes , Leviathan Blaise Pascal , Provincial Letters (Lettres provinciales)Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Baruch Spinoza , Ethics (Ethica, ordine geometrico demonstrata)John Locke , Two Treatises of Government John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Gottfried Leibniz , Discourse on Metaphysics (Discours de métaphysique)Gottfried Leibniz, New Essays Concerning Human Understanding (Nouveaux essais sur l'entendement humain)
Gottfried Leibniz, Théodicée
Gottfried Leibniz, Monadology (Eclaircissement sur les Monades; Lehrsätze über die Monadologie)
George Berkeley , Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge David Hume , A Treatise of Human Nature David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
Jean-Jacques Rousseau , Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (Discours sur les sciences et les arts)Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile: or, On Education (Émile, ou De l’éducation)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract (Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique)
Adam Smith , The Theory of Moral Sentiments Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Immanuel Kant , Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinen Vernunft)Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten)
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (Kritik der praktischen Vernunft)
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Judgement (Kritik der Urteilskraft)
Mary Wollstonecraft , A Vindication of the Rights of Women Johann Gottlieb Fichte , Foundations of the Science of Knowledge (Grundlage der gesammten Wissenschaftslehre)Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel , Phenomenology of Spirit (Phänomenologie des Geistes)Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Science of Logic (Wissenschaft der Logik)
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, The Philosophy of Right (Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts)
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, The Philosophy of History (Vorlesungen über die Philosophie der Weltgeschichte)
Arthur Schopenhauer , The World as Will and Representation (Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung)Søren Kierkegaard , Either/Or (Enten – Eller. Et Livs-Fragment)Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Frygt og Bæven)
Søren Kierkegaard, The Concept of Anxiety (Begrebet Angest)
Max Stirner , The Ego and Its Own (Der Einzige und sein Eigenthum)Karl Marx , The Communist Manifesto (Manifest der kommunistischen Partei)Karl Marx, Das Kapital
John Stuart Mill , On Liberty John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill, Harriet Taylor Mill , The Subjection of Women
Friedrich Nietzsche , Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Also sprach Zarathustra)Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (Jenseits von Gut und Böse)
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals (Zur Genealogie der Moral)
Other modern authors who wrote significant philosophical works include Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling , Henri Bergson , Nicolas Malebranche , Thomas Reid , Marsilio Ficino , Ludwig Feuerbach , Auguste Comte , Charles Sanders Peirce .
Eastern philosophy [ edit ] Buddhist philosophy [ edit ] Confucianism [ edit ] Hindu philosophy [ edit ] Chinese Legalism [ edit ] Contemporary philosophy [ edit ] Epistemology [ edit ]
Bertrand Russell , The Problems of Philosophy G.E. Moore , A Defence of Common Sense Edmund Gettier , Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? Richard Rorty , Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature Alain Badiou , Being and Event Roderick Chisholm , A Theory of KnowingAlvin Goldman , Epistemology and CognitionJohn McDowell , Mind and WorldSusan Haack , Evidence and EnquiryLaurence Bonjour , The Structure of Empirical Knowledge.Stephen Stich , The Fragmentation of ReasonTimothy Williamson , Knowledge and its LimitsKeith DeRose , The Case for ContextualismJason Stanley , Knowledge and Practical InterestHilary Kornblith , Knowledge and its Place in NatureJonathan Kvanvig , The Value of Knowledge and the Pursuit of Understanding.David K. Lewis , 'Elusive Knowledge'Willard van Orman Quine, 'Epistemology Naturalized'
Metaphysics [ edit ]
John Dewey , Experience and Nature William James , Pragmatism G. E. Moore , The Refutation of Idealism Ludwig Wittgenstein , Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus The Tractatus )Alfred North Whitehead , Process and Reality Martin Heidegger , Being and Time A. J. Ayer , Language, Truth, and Logic Rudolf Carnap , Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology D.M. Armstrong , Universals and Scientific Realism W.V.O. Quine , Two Dogmas of Empiricism W.V.O. Quine, On What There Is
Saul Kripke , Naming and Necessity Derek Parfit , Reasons and Persons David Kellogg Lewis , On the Plurality of Worlds Gilles Deleuze , Difference and Repetition Alain Badiou , Being and Event John McDowell , Mind and World Quentin Meillassoux , After Finitude.Graham Harman , The Quadruple ObjectTimothy Williamson , Modal Logic as MetaphysicsStephen Mumford , Dispositions.Theodore Sider , Writing the Book of the World.David Chalmers , Constructing the World.
Philosophy of biology [ edit ] Philosophy of chemistry [ edit ] Philosophy of mind [ edit ]
David Chalmers , The Conscious Mind The Character of Consciousness Daniel Dennett , Consciousness Explained Edmund Husserl , Ideas Edmund Husserl , Logical Investigations Thomas Nagel , What Is it Like to Be a Bat? Hilary Putnam , The Meaning of Meaning Gilbert Ryle , The Concept of Mind Wilfrid Sellars , Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind John Searle , IntentionalityRoger Penrose , The Emperor's New MindRuth Millikan , Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories.Jerry Fodor , The Language of ThoughtJerry Fodor , The Modularity of MindAndy Clark , Supersizing the MindTyler Burge , 'Anti-Individualism and the Mental'Paul Churchland , 'Eliminative Materialism and Propositional Attitudes'Stephen Stich , From Folk Psychology to Cognitive ScienceDavid K. Lewis , ‘An Argument for the Identity Theory’.DAvid Armstrong, 'A Materialist Theory of The Mind'
Philosophy of physics [ edit ] Philosophy of psychology [ edit ] Philosophy of religion [ edit ]
Alvin Plantinga , God and Other Minds Alvin Plantinga, 'Is Belief in God Properly Basic', 1981
Richard Swinburne , The Existence of God , 1979William Lane Craig , The Kalam Cosmological Argument , 1979J. L. Mackie , The Miracle of Theism , 1982Jordan Howard Sobel , Logic and Theism , 2004Norman Malcolm, 'The Groundlessness of Religious Belief'
Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, 'Religion Without Explanation'
William Rowe, 'The Evidential Argument from Evil: A Second Look', 1996
Philosophy of science [ edit ]
Karl Pearson , The Grammar of Science Nelson Goodman , Fact, Fiction, and Forecast Karl Popper , The Logic of Scientific Discovery Thomas Samuel Kuhn , The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Hans Reichenbach , The Rise of Scientific Philosophy Paul Feyerabend , Against Method : Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of KnowledgeBas C. van Fraassen , The Scientific Image David K. Lewis , 'How to Define Theoretical Terms', 1970.Larry Laudan, 'The Demise of the Demarcation Problem', 1983
Ethics, value, and social philosophy [ edit ] Aesthetics [ edit ]
G. E. M. Anscombe , Modern Moral Philosophy Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari , Capitalism and Schizophrenia Philippa Foot , Virtues and Vices Natural Goodness David Gauthier , Morals by Agreement Alan Gewirth , Reason and Morality Allan Gibbard , Thinking How to Live Susan Hurley , Natural Reasons Shelly Kagan , The Limits of Morality Christine Korsgaard , The Sources of Normativity John McDowell , Values as Secondary Qualities Alasdair MacIntyre , After Virtue J. L. Mackie , Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong G. E. Moore , Principia Ethica Martha Nussbaum , The Fragility of Goodness Derek Parfit , Reasons and Persons Derek Parfit , On What Matters Peter Railton , Facts, Values, and Norms W. D. Ross , The Right and the Good Thomas M. Scanlon , What We Owe to Each Other Samuel Scheffler , The Rejection of Consequentialism Peter Singer , Practical Ethics Michael A. Smith , The Moral Problem Bernard Williams , Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy Jeremy Bentham , The Principles of Morals and Legislation
Freedom and responsibility [ edit ] Bioethics [ edit ] Business ethics [ edit ]
Tibor R. Machan , The Morality of Business: A Profession for Human Wealthcare (2007)
Feminism [ edit ] Existentialism [ edit ] Philosophy of economics [ edit ] Philosophy of education [ edit ] Philosophy of history [ edit ] Philosophy of law [ edit ] Political philosophy [ edit ] Postcolonialism [ edit ] Logic, language, and mathematics [ edit ] Logic and philosophy of logic [ edit ]
Charles Sanders Peirce , "How to Make Our Ideas Clear "Gottlob Frege , Begriffsschrift Bertrand Russell and Alfred North Whitehead , Principia Mathematica Kurt Gödel , "On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems ", 1931Saul Kripke , "Semantical Considerations on Modal Logic "Alfred Tarski , "The Concept of Truth "Hans Georg Gadamer , Truth and Method Donald Davidson , "Truth and Meaning "
Philosophy of language [ edit ]
Gottlob Frege , "Sense and Reference "Bertrand Russell , "On Denoting "Ludwig Wittgenstein , Philosophical Investigations J. L. Austin , "A Plea for Excuses "Saul Kripke , Naming and Necessity H. P. Grice , "Logic and Conversation "Michael Dummett , Frege: Philosophy of Language Jacques Derrida , Of Grammatology Robert Brandom , Making it ExplicitDavid K. Lewis , 'General Semantics'David Chalmers , 'Two Dimensional Semantics'
Philosophy of mathematics [ edit ] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ]
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