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Modern Western philosophy

Philosophy

Holds philosophers from Montaigne and Descartes to Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein, Camus and Sartre, plus Emerson, Thoreau and Girard.

41 books on Modern Western philosophy, 1 of them tier 1, recommended by 35 people including Patrick Collison and Patrick O'Shaughnessy.

41 books · 35 experts

Start here

  1. The Complete EssaysMichel de Montaigne, 1958
  2. Tractatus Logico-PhilosophicusLudwig Wittgenstein, 1921
  3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceRobert M. Pirsig, 1974
  4. Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the WorldRene Girard, 1978
  5. The New AtlantisFrancis Bacon, 1627

The best books on Modern Western philosophy 41

The Complete Essays
T1 The Complete Essays
Michel de Montaigne · 1958
Montaigne on self-knowledge and the unreliability of one's own judgment
Open Library
Recommended byNassim Nicholas Taleb
Tractatus Logico-PhilosophicusTractatus Logico-Philosophicus
T2 Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
Ludwig Wittgenstein · 1921
The limits of language and what can be said precisely
Open Library
Recommended byReid Hoffman
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
T2 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert M. Pirsig · 1974
Philosophical inquiry into quality and how to reason about systems
Open Library
“If you pick it up and read it, I suspect most of you will give up before you get to the end—but please try.”Mohnish Pabrai
Recommended byBrad FeldMohnish PabraiNick SleepAusten AllredBryan JohnsonDavid PerellDrew HoustonEv Williams+3 more
Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the WoThings Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
T2 Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
Rene Girard · 1978
Girard's mimetic theory in full; desire copied from other people
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonPeter ThielEric Weinstein
The New AtlantisThe New Atlantis
T3 The New Atlantis
Francis Bacon · 1627
Bacon's utopia of organised research; science as an institution
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonPeter Thiel
Resurrection from the UndergroundResurrection from the Underground
T3 Resurrection from the Underground
Rene Girard · 1963
Girard reading Dostoevsky; mimetic rivalry and resentment
Open Library
Recommended byPeter Thiel
Counsels and MaximsCounsels and Maxims
T4 Counsels and Maxims
Arthur Schopenhauer · 1851
Open Library
“I mean, there's ancient wisdom in Schopenhauer, read Counsels and Maxims.”Naval Ravikant
Recommended byNaval Ravikant
Self RelianceSelf Reliance
T4 Self Reliance
Ralph Waldo Emerson · 1900
Open Library
Recommended byNat EliasonPatrick O'Shaughnessy
Process and RealityProcess and Reality
T4 Process and Reality
Alfred North Whitehead · 1929
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
In Praise of IdlenessIn Praise of Idleness
T4 In Praise of Idleness
Bertrand Russell · 1935
Open Library
Recommended byNat EliasonPatrick CollisonEd Cooke
The Myth of Sisyphus
T4 The Myth of Sisyphus
Albert Camus · 1955
Open Library
Recommended byNat Eliason
The World as Will and Representation
T4 The World as Will and Representation
Arthur Schopenhauer · 1966
Open Library
Recommended bySheryl Sandberg
Essays and AphorismsEssays and Aphorisms
T4 Essays and Aphorisms
Arthur Schopenhauer · 1970
Open Library
Recommended byRyan HolidayPatrick O'Shaughnessy
To Have or to Be?To Have or to Be?
T4 To Have or to Be?
Erich Fromm · 1976
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The GrasshopperThe Grasshopper
T4 The Grasshopper
Bernard Suits · 1978
Open Library
Recommended byJane McGonigal
The Timeless Way of BuildingThe Timeless Way of Building
T4 The Timeless Way of Building
Christopher Alexander · 1979
Open Library
“A recommended favorite; Alexander's pattern thinking strongly influences Perell.”David Perell
Recommended byDaniel BurkaDavid Perell
When Nietzsche WeptWhen Nietzsche Wept
T4 When Nietzsche Wept
Irvin D. Yalom · 1992
Open Library
Recommended byTim O’Reilly
The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo EmersoThe Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
T4 The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson · 2000
Open Library
Recommended byTony Robbins
Straw DogsStraw Dogs
T4 Straw Dogs
John Gray · 2003
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonAntonio García Martínez
The Complete Works (Everyman's Library)The Complete Works (Everyman's Library)
T4 The Complete Works (Everyman's Library)
Michel de Montaigne · 2003
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Alexandre Kojève: Wisdom at the End of HistoAlexandre Kojève: Wisdom at the End of History
T4 Alexandre Kojève: Wisdom at the End of History
James Nichols · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byMarc Andreessen
On UglinessOn Ugliness
T4 On Ugliness
Umberto Eco, Alastair McEwen · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
An Enquiry concerning Human UnderstandingAn Enquiry concerning Human Understanding
T4 An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding
Peter Millican · 2008
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
How to LiveHow to Live
T4 How to Live
Sarah Bakewell · 2010
Open Library
“I also recommend Derek's other books (How To Live is especially good).”Andrew Wilkinson
Recommended byAndrew WilkinsonPatrick CollisonMarc AndreessenRyan Holiday
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
T4 René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Wolfgang Palaver · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byNaval Ravikant
Maxims and ReflectionsMaxims and Reflections
T4 Maxims and Reflections
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · 2019
Open Library
Recommended byNat EliasonEd Cooke
The Entrepreneur's Weekly NietzscheThe Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche
T4 The Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche
Brad Feld, Dave Jilk · 2021
Open Library
WantingWanting
T4 Wanting
Luke Burgis · 2021
Open Library
“He has championed René Girard's theory of mimetic desire "and how we can use it in our lives as founders.”Garry Tan
Recommended byAndrew WilkinsonChamath PalihapitiyaGarry TanKeith WassermanRyan Peterson
Beyond Good & Evil
T4 Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
unverified
Recommended byMarc Andreessen
Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison
T4 Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison
Michael Foucault
unverified
Recommended byNat Eliason
Escape From FreedomEscape From Freedom
T4 Escape From Freedom
Erich Fromm
unverified
Recommended byNat Eliason
Essays: A Selection
T4 Essays: A Selection
Michel de Montaigne
unverified
Recommended byRyan Holiday
Montaigne: Complete EssaysMontaigne: Complete Essays
T4 Montaigne: Complete Essays
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
SchopenhauerSchopenhauer
T4 Schopenhauer
unverified
Recommended byPatrick O'Shaughnessy
The Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau
T4 The Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
unverified
Recommended byRicardo Semler
The Confessions
T4 The Confessions
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
unverified
Recommended byPaul Graham
The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; The Art o
T4 The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; The Art of Literature
Arthur
unverified
Recommended byPatrick O'Shaughnessy
The Gay Science
T4 The Gay Science
Friedrich Nietzsche
unverified
Recommended byNaval Ravikant
The Second Sex
T4 The Second Sex
Simone de Beauvoir
unverified
Recommended byArianna HuffingtonLaura R Walker
The Wisdom of LifeThe Wisdom of Life
T4 The Wisdom of Life
Arthur Schopenhauer
unverified
Recommended byPatrick O'Shaughnessy
Walking (Annotated Edition)Walking (Annotated Edition)
T4 Walking (Annotated Edition)
Henry David Thoreau
unverified
Recommended byPatrick O'Shaughnessy

Experts 35

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 1

Brad Feldwrote 1 book here

Recommenders 35

Patrick Collisonrecommends 9 books here
NE
Nat Eliasonrecommends 6 books here
PO
Patrick O'Shaughnessyrecommends 6 books hereRyan Holidayrecommends 4 books hereMarc Andreessenrecommends 3 books herePeter Thielrecommends 3 books here
MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 3 books hereNaval Ravikantrecommends 3 books herePaul Grahamrecommends 2 books here
AW
Andrew Wilkinsonrecommends 2 books here
DP
David Perellrecommends 2 books here
EC
Ed Cookerecommends 2 books here
Show all 35
Nassim Nicholas Talebrecommends 1 book hereBrad Feldrecommends 1 book here
NS
Nick Sleeprecommends 1 book hereReid Hoffmanrecommends 1 book here
RS
Ricardo Semlerrecommends 1 book here
AG
Antonio García Martínezrecommends 1 book hereArianna Huffingtonrecommends 1 book here
AA
Austen Allredrecommends 1 book hereBryan Johnsonrecommends 1 book hereChamath Palihapitiyarecommends 1 book hereDaniel Burkarecommends 1 book hereDrew Houstonrecommends 1 book hereEric Weinsteinrecommends 1 book hereEv Williamsrecommends 1 book here
GG
Gaby Goldbergrecommends 1 book hereGarry Tanrecommends 1 book hereJane McGonigalrecommends 1 book here
KW
Keith Wassermanrecommends 1 book here
LR
Laura R Walkerrecommends 1 book here
RP
Ryan Petersonrecommends 1 book hereSheryl Sandbergrecommends 1 book hereTim O’Reillyrecommends 1 book hereTony Robbinsrecommends 1 book here
See all 35 in the Experts tab →

More philosophy: ← Meaning and the good life · Moral and political philosophy → · All philosophy