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I have had another student ask “What should I read?”.  I posted on this before, but the stream quickly devolved (or evolved, depending on how you want to look at it) into what people “like”.  I am too sensitive about such things, but I was actually scandalized by some of the lists.  Oh well.  Point here is that what my students are asking for is a list of western philosophers one should read in order to be well read in the western tradition.  So this post is not asking for what you like, or what speaks to you, or even what you find interesting.  It is asking, “what do I need to read in order to be conversant in the western philosophical tradition?”  I will reframe the question a bit as well.  My student asked me, what should I read this summer?So let’s assume this:  You have 3 months to live.  On your “bucket list” was becoming well read in the western philosophical tradition.  What books do you read in those 3 months?The list will be more narrow than before.  “Plato” is too broad, what dialogue would you read?  And while I hope there are primary texts, I think it is fair game to put secondary sources (for instance, a good book on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason since trying to read the Critique would occupy the entire 3 months).

Test yourself here.

Here is an article about a recent book on J.S. Mill, which raises interesting points about public debate.

The author of the book thinks Mill would be pleased with various bans on public smoking, which made me think about ASUSU’s recent ban on smoking on USU’s campus. What do people think about this ban? My own view — and yes, I am a pipe smoker! — is that the ban wasn’t really driven by public health concerns. To get harmed by second-hand smoke, the research says that you need to be about 18 inches from the smoker and inhale deeply for a long time. Walking past at a 10-foot distance really doesn’t harm you; sunburn should be a far greater concern. Anyway, I think the ban was lifestyle-driven: mainly, self-righteous LDS students, in conjunction with ill-informed public-health zealots, put the hurt on counter-cultural smokers. Tyranny of the majority, as Mill would say.

There have been some very interesting lists of “great 8” philosophers offered in response to Kleiner’s post — check them out! It leads me to raise a related question: what is your list of philosophers whom you think really are valuable and important but who are either unknown, or are wrongly neglected, or at any rate should be more widely read?

Here is a link to an interesting essay about the human ability to perceive and play with patterns, and the way in which it has led us to invent stories. The author contends that the art of making up stories and science are both based on the same phenomenon: that humans are born patternmakers.