10 Best Philosophy Books in India 2021 (Aristotle, Boethius, and more)

It is said that "All of philosophy is a footnote to Plato", meaning that every philosophical idea after Plato is a reaction to Plato's work. The Republic is considered Plato's best work. This book is a series of dialogue between Plato and other Athenians about justice and a just individual.

This book is written in a Socratic manner, which means that there is a line of questioning that Plato addresses. They discuss various regimes and different cities to realise a utopian state ruled by philosophers. It is probably the most read philosophical book in the world.

Aristotle is regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of all time and has left a lasting impression on particular Western thought. In this book, he discusses the true nature of happiness. He argues that happiness lies in moral virtues such as courage and generosity and intellectual virtues such as knowledge and wisdom. This is a fascinating take on happiness - one that makes you think.

This book also discusses the true nature of practical reasoning. Aristotle talks about the importance of objects of pleasure, different forms of relationships and friendships, and individual virtue. This book is a typical example of the Aristotle school of thought, something that every seeker should read.

We cannot get over this book and its significance! Bhagavad Gita can be categorised under Philosophy because it is filled with questions about life and existence. In a way, it reflects the Hindu or Sanatani philosophy in a nutshell. Arjuna was facing a lot of predicaments when he entered the battlefield against his cousins. Krishna, his chariot driver, answers these questions in the midst of chaos and guides him towards the right thing to do at the time.

Almost everyone turns towards philosophy to find answers to life's meaningful questions. The dialogue in this book between Krishna and Arjuna will make you feel like you are asking the questions. It is a great book for a true seeker of knowledge. This book is known to declutter your mind and do things of value.

Epictetus gives a great insight into the Stoic ideals. Stoicism is a system in the philosophy that logically explains the significance of being immune to any emotion. This might sound coldhearted, but Epictetus reflects on his life and how he used the power of will to do the impossible.

He was a slave who was exiled by Emperor Domitian. His pupils then transcribed his ideas on ethical dilemmas. He cleverly uses humour, imagery, and analogies to connect with a broad audience. His teachings result in universal justice and calm indifference in a painful experience.

Confessions is one of the most influential works of Latin literature. The author, Saint Augustine, wrote this book in his forties. He reflected on his past life to see what shaped his mind. Augustine believed that Virgil and Cicero, Neoplatonism, and the Bible gave structure to his thought.

He was a skilled writer and has skillfully explained his philosophical and theological questioning of the concept and idea of God. In this memoir, he goes on to discuss what is it to be a human being. This book is quite popular among students of Latin literature, theology, and church history.

The circumstances that this book was written in makes it particularly interesting. Boethius was an eminent figure in the regime of Theodoric, the Gothic emperor. He got involved in a conspiracy that led to his execution by the emperor. Before his execution, Boethius found solace in Greek philosophy.

This book is a dialogue between him and the philosophical books that he read during that time. This book is written in a prose and verse form, in which he takes instructions from philosophy about fortune, happiness, good, evil, fate, and free will. It is said that after getting answers to these questions, he restored his health and got enlightened.

These three dialogues are renowned for their dialectical structure and linguistic precision. He discusses the definition of freedom of choice as the power to preserve morally correct behaviour. Anselm talks about the fascinating implications of God, human beings, and angels. 

Each of the three dialogues in this book is a conversation between a teacher and a student and begins with a quote from the Bible. The intention of this book is clearly of understanding the idea of God and existence.

Mary Wollstonecraft is considered a pioneer in the women's rights movement. At a time when women were seen as docile, she laid out the principles of equality for them. She strongly voiced her opinions on education for boys and girls and end of prejudice. She can be termed as the first "feminist" in the world.

She vouched for the increased representation of women in society. She also stressed treating women not as women but as human beings first as, according to her, this would naturally create an equal society with time. Many modern-day feminists use Wollstonecraft's ideas and ideals to push their causes.

This book by the renowned Friedrich Nietzsche discusses the history of morals and ethics. He believes that ethics come from a history of cruelty, which led to the exposure of Judaeo-Christian values - compassion, equality, and justice. Many disquieting issues are discussed in this book about the violence of ethics and interpretation.

He even goes as far as claiming that religion and science do not have authority over absolute truth. Nietzsche's other works also question the lineage of every behaviour or tradition. The Genealogy of Morals was written to question his own presuppositions. It is a highly acclaimed book even by modern thinkers.

This book has six meditations, out of which the first one throws every belief out of the window. This book is written in a way that it seems like the author had meditated for six days, and each meditation refers to the previous one as "yesterday". He tries to bring his metaphysical state and form it into a philosophical one.

Further, he tries to understand the human mind and its various urges. Discussing God, he also expresses his realisations of truth and false. It is a very interesting read and is still read by a lot of intellectuals, who consider this as a philosophical guidebook.