/lit/ - Literature

Realistically, who are the most important influential authors? I'm talking biggest impact on the world. Greatest significance to mankind. I'd guess Plato, Shakespeare, and Newton.

My favorite philosophies are Stoicism and Taoism and Hinduism. What other types of philosophy should I check out?

Aside from Freud and Jug, who are the most important psychological authors?

Who is the last greatest, in the cannon, philosopher? I'd guess someone like Deleuze or Foucault but I'm wondering if there's anyone after them.

>>16987305
unironically start wherever but get this. Certain works are harder for some people, easier for others. Individuals have certain specific works which they understand better then normal because they're on the same wavelength as the author. So, what author are you most likely to be on the same wavelength on? That's why they say read who interests you. If they write about topics which interest you, you certainly have a connection of sharing interests. So check out a few lists like
> J Adlers reading list
>Harold Blooms reading list
Get a few, only the most interesting.
Here's my reccs for good starter points
>First Philosophers by Waterfield,
>Plato - Five Dialogues (Skip Meno)
>Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching
>Aristotle For Everybody (only secondary material I like. Simplifies his key ideas)
>Aurelius - Meditations
>Schopenhauer - Art Of Literature (his other works are great too but not beginner friendly)
>Epicurus - Essentials

Read the tao te ching today. Felt it was pretty good. Primo Chinese mysticism. I'm into it. Felt some stuff didn't make much sense. Felt other stuff made too much sense, too real, really strikes right at it. Like these are some of the best lines I can find online.
“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true intelligence.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true strength"
and
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”

>>16674924
A Confederacy of Dunces

>>16562640
rolling for a hero in our time

>>16539410
My ass, because americans can only make shit

I'm writing a philosophical book. I'm looking for books about similar topics. Here's the basic ideas.
>People seem to me to all live in little reality tunnels which are basically just representations of their own self and apply their filter to all information. I see an unwillingness between individuals to consider other viewpoints on topics which they unconsciously look for conformation to their belief.
> Nobody seems to mention the following two things: The fact that we exist and the strangeness of that, nor mention the magical nature of being, how life is like a weird long dream, or some kind of twilight zone episode. Life is like a Lovecraftian creature, present before us.
>A person can alter and control their perception of reality in imagination. What they think they prove, and so many mistakenly think they can't, because that is the prevailing reality tunnel, not just of today, but throughout all time. They have tricked themselves into thinking their imaginations can't overlay their regular senses, yet they can.
>We all are bonded to this reality through our chosen belief that it is what we perceive. But if we imagine ourselves elsewhere, this reality fades quickly, and newer, sometimes more real realities, can be enjoyed. That is to say, if decided, things in imagination can be seen, heard, felt, ect, with greater clarity then our actual perceptions.
Any authors that discuss these sorts of things?

I was born with legitimate and unironic autism. Diagnosed by the brain looker guy.
>Failed school in third grade because my parents didn't want to put me in special ed and I couldn't understand material. Teachers sometimes talk really fast.
>Failed online school soon after because computers are hard.
>Shipped from school to school, psych to psych. Got speech therapy and writing tutoring, both teachers quit eventually because I was too difficult to work with.
>Loaded up with early proto-Adderall, which was basically diet meth. Took it daily for long time. It made me feel like I was in a safe hole in my head and didn't need to worry about my body. Don't take it anymore but still have my safe hole.
>my IQ is unironically 99
>Literally never had real friends except my imaginary ones. I don't get upset anymore by that. I just think about happy things but I'll admit it does not always work. Imaginary friends help lots.
>Imaginary friends are real because they, with Gods help, cause synchronicities to occur around me like the advertisements responding to what I thought and saying what my imaginary friend would say in response to what I though
I read Catcher In The Rye and The Stranger but they were sad. Too sad, not for me. I like happy stuff. I wanted to start reading because I know that's what smart people do. Newton, Vinci, Gallieo. Those are my idols. They read every day probably until they all died defidently. I can't believe I'm going to die too, so I'll be like them in at least one way. Exciting ! But can I be like them in other ways, before I die? That's my main question. What books would you recc for a fool like me?

Im just gonna say it

The new testament

OOOOOOOOHHHH

What sort of mindset should I be in when reading authors like Lao Tzu, Confucius, Buddha, and other esoteric aphoristic stuff like Gita and Upanishads?

Looking for authors who write about meditation (specifically Pranyama and the kind where you look up as far as you can at your third eye, forget name) and also anything about thought experiments, mind games, and occult magick. Give me your wildest, most out-there stuff. I'm open minded.

>>16056346
Idk bro, enlightenment artists were probably elitist as fuck. You kind of have to be in order to produce those kinds of art works. The Enlightenment ideal isn't that everybody IS equal per-se, but that society should strive to be the tide that raises all boats, to uplift every soul to a higher and higher station through the advancement of human consciousness.

I read Gravity's Rainbow and I'm in the middle of reading Mason and Dixon...

Should my next Pynchon be V or Against the Day?

>Start an argument with anon
>have no idea what I'm talking about, start getting BTFO
>Leave the thread, never enter it again
>dont even look at the thread in the archives
>start the very same argument in the future when the chance arises despite making no effort to actually learn about the topic

>>15109693
god is a faggot

>>15099003
>META-IRONY GANG

>>15058370
Too long, did not read ;)

>Author breaks the 4th wall in the middle of the story and has a supernatural figure appear before the characters to give shout outs to his 100 favorite contemporaries, dedicating an 8 line stanza to each of them

I say to you all, for all those among you whom order, truth, and decorum concerns, call me a Young Nigger, for that is indeed what I am.

>>13961764
The nigger smell and the nigger stank, the odious odor of a nigger doth rank odious indeed, under the nostrils of the lay-folk. I reckon it is true what they say: "Fuck niggers and fuck jews." Indubitably so.

>>13620209
>e-every one I dislike is incel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, tranny.