Recommended books: philosophy

The Nature of Personal Reality by Jane Roberts

This is one of nine books "channelled" by an entity named Seth through the trance medium Jane Roberts. Every one of the Seth books is a classic but The Nature of Personal Reality is my favourite and also serves as a good introduction to Seth material.

Seth's philosophy was unique and revolutionary when this book was first published in 1974, and even today it continues to be the best treatise on many of the concepts introduced, most notably the doctrine of responsibility assumption, something I fully align with.

If you've ever wondered where Richard Bach came up with his ideas for Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions, now you know. In the late 1960's Bach attended several of the Seth sessions held at Jane Robert's house. And, inspired by what he had heard, he wrote his two bestsellers, both of which I also highly recommend.

Book of the Law by Aleister Crowley

I consider Aleister Crowley's famous tenet "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" to be the single most important philosophical sentence ever published. The problem is that it took me 15 years to fully understand what it means. Until then, it just sounded hollow and "selfish". And, what's more, I didn't really get to the point of understanding it from reading Crowley. But this may have been just due to my personal path of learning. In any case, Book of the Law, written in 1904, is where this phrase and its associated prose was first published.

Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947) was undoubtedly a genius of the highest caliber. And this entry really stands for his vast literary output in its totality, rather than for any single work. But, even then, Book of the Law is the foundational piece.

I have to be honest and say that it is unlikely that a casual read of this book will do much. The situation is a bit like being at the passageway leading to paradise but with the door locked and you don't know the combination. But with persistance, this book, and Crowley in general, will keep on giving.

Actually, I recommend that anyone just getting into Crowley read the book The Law Is For All instead of Book of the Law. For this is a special version of the latter with commentary and explanatory text by Crowley himself. Most readers consider the commentary helpful in understanding the original text.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged has been referred to as the most controversial novel of the 20th century. But also, a joint survey conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club found it to be the second most influential book for Americans today, after the Bible. [ Most controversial and most influencial—as you can see, I'm not picking just any random pulp for you here. ]

I am recommending Atlas Shrugged in my list of philosophical books because it is the best introduction to Ayn Rand's unique philosophy called Objectivism. Now, we know that not everyone will align with Ms. Rand's Laissez-faire style ideas. But it is necessary for everyone to find out whether they do. The risk of missing out on what could be the biggest change in one's thinking is too big. And a simple way to find out is by reading this entertaining novel.

A true intellectual treasure awaits for the one who not only take's Rand's philosophy home, but is able to see how it relates to Seth's more spiritual idea of total responsibility (see above).

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne

This book is not only a classic work on the subject of personal liberty but it is unusually practical and readable for such a book. Mr. Browne was a masterful writer and an unusually clear-headed thinker. As a result, this book, while not a self-help book as such, probably has affected people's life decisions more than any book belonging to that genre.

Click the link above for a thorough discussion on its contents. For now I'll just say this: Should you decide to go with only one of the books I am recommending here, this would be the safest bet. It is the most easily applicable and caters to the widest audience.

Harry Browne (1933 – 2006) was a U.S. Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000. It is mind boggling to think how the world would have been different now had he been elected for President. For one, tens of thousands of lives in Iraq, Afganistan and Lebanon would have been saved. But, of course, that's not the way things work on this planet.