Genre

Philosophy

The philosophy shelf is the hardest part of any public-domain library to use without guidance, because the books were written for very different audiences: Marcus Aurelius was writing notes to himself, Plato was writing dialog, Mill was writing for a general Victorian readership. We have added reading notes to each title so you know what you are picking up.

Where to start: Meditations and Candide can be read by anyone. The Republic and The Prince reward a slower pace and a companion guide.