Secondary school and university students, as well as teachers
Welcome to Philosophers.world!
What Is Philosophy?
To philosophise is to bring the known back to the unknown.
This aphorism contrasts the scientific approach, which seeks solutions, with the philosophical approach, which is concerned with problems. The philosopher is one who delights in being gripped by a problem, in exploring and unpacking it, in grasping its complexity and its tragic nature, since there will probably never be an answer.
Philosophers thus show that what appears known, familiar and reassuring is in fact uncertain, unclear and unsettling. In doing so, they rediscover the full depth of the world and its tragic beauty.
In this way, they distinguish themselves from doctrines, sometimes religious, which offer ready-made solutions and definitive answers.
Philosophical doubt tends to disarm violence by calling into question the certainties and prejudices upon which it rests.
With philosophical doubt come tolerance, serenity, laughter and freedom… and in this sense philosophy is above all a psychological transformation of one’s personality.
Ultimately, one might define philosophy as a critical reflection on the world, knowledge and existence, which consists in questioning what we believe we know and in allowing oneself to be set alight by insoluble problems.
Why This Website?
To philosophise is like venturing into a vast labyrinth. One is at first overwhelmed by the sheer mass of material: Plato, Kant, Nietzsche… Which author should you choose? Moral philosophy, aesthetics, political philosophy… the range is immense! And it is easy to become discouraged.
This site has been designed to help you find your way through this labyrinth. In a sense, it provides you with Ariadne’s thread: follow the guide!
In practice, you can navigate this site in different ways: it all depends on what you are looking for.
Works: Symposium, Nicomachean Ethics, The Social Contract...
Do you have to read a philosophy book as part of your studies but are struggling to understand what the author is trying to say? Don't worry: this is precisely what this site is here for... to help you understand and rediscover the pleasure of reading.
To do this, click on 'Works' in the menu, and choose the work that interests you: Aristotle's Physics, Epictetus's Enchiridion, Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws... numerous summaries and introductions are available.
The Great Philosophers: Plato, Descartes, Nietzsche...
Or perhaps you are interested in the life of one of the great thinkers who have shaped the history of philosophy: Plato, Spinoza, Bergson...
Then click on 'Authors' in the menu: for each of these philosophers you will find a biography, a bibliography, an introduction to some of their works and to those of commentators, and a selection of insightful videos.
Themes: Moral Philosophy, Aesthetics, Politics...
Perhaps you are interested in a specific theme... You'd like to learn about the philosophy of law, cinema or neuroscience, for example.
Simply click on "Themes" in the menu. This will give you access to a wide range of resources on these key areas of philosophy.
Trends (Phenomenology, Pragmatism, Stoicism, etc.), disciplines (philosophy of mathematics, history, psychiatry, etc.) and concepts (medical ethics, feminism, technology, etc.) are explored in this section.
The Collection
Some books are particularly complex: Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, Heidegger's Being and Time, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, Rousseau's Social Contract... It is difficult to dive into these works on your own!
For these readers, we have decided to launch a collection of non-fiction books, with line-by-line commentary and explanation.
The books can be downloaded immediately in PDF format.
We take great pleasure in guiding you through the text.
The Agora
You may be thinking of studying philosophy... but what are the prospects? This is a legitimate concern, and one that can put many people off.
In fact, there are many possible career paths, and this section explores them.
While some people have gone into teaching, others have turned to practical work: philosophy in the workplace, running workshops for children or adults, philosophical counselling...
Others have taken different paths: journalism, publishing, communications... but philosophy has played a decisive role in their development, and sometimes in their new career.
Contact
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to contribute an article or a book that you think might be relevant to a particular section!
We will be delighted to publish your article online, helping visitors to explore the vast labyrinth that is philosophy!
Latest News
The Philosophers.world website has just gone live.
Let us hope it has the same success as its older sibling, Les Philosophes!
Eventually, it will host versions in the main European languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, etc.
A lot of work ahead!