/lit/ - Literature

buddhist texts changed me, then nietszche showed me what a weak pussy I had become.

Stoicism has most likely had the biggest impact on my life.

Reading Joseph Campbell also had a profound effect on the way I viewed religion, mythology and spirituality. I'm an atheist and had a deep distaste for anything otherworldly, but now have a much greater appreciation for religion now that I'm able to read the metaphors of religion in terms of their connotations, and not their denotations, in terms of poetry rather than prose.

>>4204094
yes would you like to know what i beleive as a philosophy?

>>4204153
Sure, shoot.

>>4204155
I beleive in times before the first civilization there were an alien species came to our planet and bioengineered the highest intelegent animal on the planet (nianderthas) to use us for mining gold (the egyptians) the made and breed the human race to follow them as a god thus forming the idea of religion and follow a set rules under them. i dont know if they are still here or left already.if they have a hand in our destiny or we are just alone on earth being visited by other life form or future selfs

>>4204168
If the aliums were advanced enough to take part in interstellar travel and advanced genetic bio-engineering, don't you think they could manage something as simple as mining without going through a bunch of complicated shit like constructing an intelligent being?

Also, they'd have to have prior knowledge that the neanderthal would eventually evolve into a homosapien who would place enough value on gold to warrant digging it out of the earth, which pretty much knocks your theory on its ass.

>>4204168
if you were a alien or a interdemetional being that had the advanced technology and the intelligence beyond humans, you probably spend most of your time learning about everything. thats probably why they are here, if they do exist.

Buddhist literature and the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

Thomas Mann showed me that Nietzsche is not worth it.

>>4204123
>Joseph Campbell
Though his name rings a bell, I didn't know any of his works. Just looked him up and his work seems to be very interesting. Any recommendations where to start?

I ain't even trolling.

>>4204168
why would they want gold lol

>>4205147
my objectivist nigga

>>4205147
I agree.

>>4204094
The Brothers Karamazov

>>4204168
Why create an intelligent being for mining?

im depressed nothing changes me

The Ethics of Liberty.

Not that I agree with it all, but it made me seriously think about economics and politics for the first time.

>>4204094
Cat's Cradle

>>4205440
wow man you're special uh here have this attention

>>4204094
Gravity's Rainbow, yes I'm one of those guys.

some Heidegger, although slightly.

>>4205128
>Joseph Campbell
>Any recommendations where to start?

Myths to Live By
The Hero with a Thousand Faces

I don't know about life-changing, per se; but, Tractatus made me think the most.

Richard Jeffery's The Story of My Heart

>>4205486
How did reading Gravity's Rainbow change your life?

The little train that could

Plato's Republic, as well as Phaedrus
Huxley's Island
Both of Robert M. Pirsig's books, but esp. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, though that was when I was 15 so...

>>4205931
what is good and what is not good, phaedrus, need we anyone to tell us these things

>>4204094
Atlas Shrugged

Guns, Germs, & Steel by Jared Diamond

Completely changed how I saw the world, human societies, and cultures.

>>4206320
go to bed ted cruz

James Baldwin autobiography helped me understand racism better than any other work, fiction or non fiction ever since. I can't say that Baldwin made me who I am today, but he gave me a reason to want a conscience.

>>4205486
Heidegger solidified my fear of wide-spread trans-humanism.

inb4 shitstorm

>>4206489
>James Baldwin
He wrote an autobiography?

>>4206522
Many of the essays collected in http://www.amazon.com/James-Baldwin-Collected-Library-America/dp/1883011523/ref=la_B000APVA9U_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382507643&sr=1-2 were related to philosophy and Baldwin's own personal experiences.

>>4204123
Right there with you on Joseph Campbell. He's the man

>>4205430
Crime and Punishment right now. I'll say that one.

>>4204094
>Particularly have you ever read any philosophy that had a large impact on your life?
I've read enough philosophy to recognise that this question is invalid. What are we attempting to compare with? A hypothetical, deviating reality? I have no idea what to do with this.

>>4206733
>I've read enough philosophy to be a stickler about language, even when meaning and intent is crystal clear

Dick

>>4206740
Meaning and intent is crystal clear if you contrive of one, which makes the question in itself invalid.

No, you.

>>4206745
I wonder what you say to your mom when she asks you what you'd like for breakfast.

>>4206760
I tell her what I would like for breakfast, then. If my mother asked me, "What would you want for breakfast if you were Napoleon?" I wouldn't be able to answer, in consistent accordance.

Heart of Darkness.

I hope I never read a book with two narrators, written in past tense by a Polish man ever again.

Still a good book though.

>>4206762
The correct answer would be, "I don't think I'd be having breakfast right now if I were Napoleon."

"The Holy Bible" by God

>>4204094
In all honesty, reading Nietzsche changed my life. Especially Beyond Good and Evil.
It helped me understand things much more clearly and also helped me develop the good attitude toward things I have today.

>>4206809
>thinking you can imagine the opinion of someone else, especially when you don't have any insight regarding the accidentally occuring variables such as life-experience in said life
Napoleon was a bad example, though, I give you that. It was an allusion of the aforementioned impossibility of being able to imagine a hypothetical, deviating life of your own to contrast your current philosophy to.

>>4206818
>>thinking you can imagine the opinion of someone else, especially when you don't have any insight regarding the accidentally occuring variables such as life-experience in said life
Actually, it's pretty simple. If you were Napoleon, then you'd be dead. Dead people don't have opinions. QED

>>4206830
Right. As I said, Napoleon was a bad example. It can be added that it was a bad example for a ridiculous quantity of reasons. In the context of which I gave the example, however, it's not as bad.
And that's why I'll have to disagree with, "Actually, it's pretty simple."

>>4206830

>>4206830
Also,
>If you were Napoleon, then you'd be dead.
No. If I were Napoleon I'd have to be alive, seeing as a dead Napoleon is a mere memory/history.

>>4206840
You are just fucking retarded, I'm afraid.

>>4206842
I'm convinced by those hot opinions.

>>4206840
No, you would have viewed the world from the eyes of Napoleon, lived the life of Napoleon, and eventually died in exile as that person. And as such, you wouldn't be here right now, eating breakfast with anons mom. Unless her son is your reincarnation.

>>4206849
Flawed, because "If I/you were Napoleon" is a hypothesis from the get-go, that implicates that I (living in 2013) is Napoleon (died 1821), meaning the two individuals must be illogically unified.

>>4206855
... and this follows that the rules of time-specific events are no longer relevant. If I were Napoleon, I'd be living right now or back then, both alternatives equally valid.

>>4206849
>Napolanon, a novel by /lit/

Anon lives a dignified life in his mothers basement, until, one day she asks him what he would like for breakfast - if he were Napoleon! At that moment, everything comes back to him, the years of his youth, the french revolution, the battle for Europe and those final years of bitter loneliness spent in exile- which, as he is starting to realize, weren't all the bitter and lonely compared to the life he is leading now.

But all that is going to change starting now, because he is Napoleon. And he could really go for some french fries right now!

>>4206874
>'now' three times in that final part.

My bad. Replace 'leading now' with 'currently leading on his own accord', and scratch 'starting now' entirely.

>>4206874
Cool, I'm a protagonist.

the bible

I related heavily to the Notes From Underground guy; it was disgusting. After reading it, I unconsciously became someone else (one might argue that I'm still fundamentally the same.) I stopped being so pedantic, socially dysfunctional and a prick in general. I'm not saying that I've become a 'live erryday like it's your last' sort of person, but I'm not as much of a retarded prick. I stopped ignoring my emotional side and in fact embraced it. I always thought of myself, before reading the book, as an unintentionally stoic person, but now I see that stoicism only harmed me and made me repress what must not be repressed.

>>4204094
Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnest Thing

Sent me falling, and although my acceleration increases and decreases, I haven't stopped ever since.

I agree with some of you guys on Marcus Aurelius. Perfect for a time of my life when I was really down.

>>4206816

Nietzsche is one of the most influential philosophers in history. Nothing to be ashamed of.

>>4205888
Thanks, going to look into it.

>>4207352
You should torrent the PBS series Bill Moyers filmed with Joseph Campbell shortly before his death, it's called "The Power of Myth". It's a really good introduction to his work.

They filmed 24 hours of conversation, and edited it down to 6 hours. I'd really love to be able to see what ended up on the cutting room floor.

>>4205147
What's the problem with this book? Genuine question.

I see nothing but hate for it often from both sides of the political spectrum and yet there are the select few who claim it's a masterpiece.

>>4207393
Sounds really interesting, thank you.

Seneca: On the Shortness of Life.
Though in all all fairness, this is an essay, it does tell you what's what and why you need to take control of your life.
Crime & Punishment I find gains meaning the older I get. It's such a worthwhile read.
I bought Nietzche's Beyond Good & Evil, but found it hard to get into - what's the best approach to finishing it. I'm 5 weeks into a Philosophy BA without much background in reading Philosophy, so please take this into consideration.

>>4207407
Most of the hate stems from the fact that people find Rand's philosophy immoral, the rest is because she wasn't a great fiction writer, or possibly because they feel like the book lacked stringency and could've conveyed its message in far fewer pages.

>>4204094
The Principles That Govern Social Interaction. It's a free e-book that shits on the heads of Feminists, MRAs and PUAs alike while doing the work of saints. Also the authors live debate anybody who disagrees with their views - those who dared so far got destroyed.

>>4207407
Rand ruins what could have been a good novel by artlessly trying to hammer her philosophy into the reader's brain. This severely hurts the characterization (where nearly every character is either good or bad), the imagery (repetitive and predictable), and the writing itself (one character makes a fifty-page speech reiterating nearly all the points that were repeated over and over throughout the book). She tells instead of showing and as a result sacrifices nuance, characterization, and the quality of her writing to shove her ideas down the reader's throat.

>>4204094
Consolation of Philosophy.

>>4207457
>It's a free e-book that shits on the heads of Feminists, MRAs and PUAs alike
How so? I'm interested.

>>4207494
All three are making money by misleading people and making them miserable, just read the damn e-book m8.

The Myth of Sisyphus

I <3 absurdism

lolita.

it basically explained (by providing) aesthetic pleasure. that was basically the moment when literature clicked for me. i'm sure everyone has similar experiences, even in other media.

>>4207506
>The Principles That Govern Social Interaction
>manhood101.com
>manhood academy

Wasn't expecting it to be hosted on those sites after reading your description.

Wasn't expecting it to be hosted on sites like that after reading your description.

Looks like more men's right movement bullshit. They're worse than the feminists they're always crying about. I'm going to pass. I can't take anyone seriously when they're trying to tell me what it means to be a male.

This dude had it all figured out when it came to manhood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQWGIzSGtOc

Watchmen
Even though it's a graphic novel and maybe /lit/ is not that much into commics but it's awesome
>mah truths
>mah heroes
>mah existentialism when the bombs start flying

>>4204094
shooped

>>4206514
Hey guy, I suppose you are referring to the "Question Concerning Technology". Full disclosure, I'm not familiar with H.'s works, but gave that one a quick read/skim. Care to provide a quick explanation of why you say it
>solidified (your) fear of wide-spread trans-humanism.
?
Couldn't stand the endless etymology lecture. Thanks.

Wittgenstein made me realise what philosophy was really for.

Camus made me realise what life was for.

inb4 hate

>>4207537
Yeah nigger and how does the name of the site interfere with its content? It's not a fucking MRA site, those crybabies are adapting to the problem instead of solving it. MRAs as well as PUAs are feminist in nature.

If you're too lazy to read their shit (don't try telling me you're busy motherfucker) check out their youtube channel: lots of entertaining debates and generally shorter explanations. But in favor of avoiding misconceptions and premature judgements reading their e-book is pretty much the best you can do.

>>4204094
Crime and Punishment.

>>4205147
this.
Economics in One Lesson by Hazlitt (got me into economics, which got me into a ton of other subjects)
Cat's Cradle (got me into more serious lit when I was young)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (got me to look deeper into philosophy)

>>4208021
>far right economic theory
>far left literature
>book about an insane kid

wacky stuff

>>4208101
hey, why limit my intellectual curiosity by ideology, ya know?

>>4208236
But you are right into the ideology of consumerism actually. You consume books like any other products.

>>4208285
>implying you can slip free of ideology

trop krek

>>4208285
of course I do. I read books to get some use out of them (enlightenment, entertainment, education, to satisfy my curiosity, etc.). Why else would anyone read a book?

>>4208285
So one should consume fewer books and stay within a narrow slice to avoid...what? Well rounded ideas? Greater understanding? I don't understand what you're saying.

I dont tend to read too much philosophy because when I was in school and in the university I took some courses on it and they were very academic, more semantic than anything. So now what I think about life, I take from books and experiences I have bit by bit only the things that make more sense to me, .

The Jungle turned me into a socialist. Mission accomplished, I guess?

>>4204094
Herman Hesse's Siddhartha totally reshaped the way I look at and think about almost everything I look at by introducing me to the basic concept of infinite interconnections within the universe. Might not have taken away exactly what the author was aiming for with it, but I shudder to think where my intellectual development would be without it.

It is a cliche, but Steppenwolf. The first real book I read. And I love so much because he didn't just tell a story, it was so new to me that I read again and again and again. Until the point I can't reread anymore.

>>4208608
>>4208634

Hesse mind

>>4207492
Just read that. It was very good.

>>4207856
Your eloquence and level-headedness speak of a wisdom and maturity rarely seen. Ypu've sold me. I'll read this book. I'm sure it will be enlightening and serve me well in my fedora debate league.

There are two books which changed my life, and that's "The Alchemist" and "The Book of the New Sun."

The former made me realize what my greatest dream in life is, and the latter permanently expanded my imagination beyond what I thought possible.

>>4204094
Kafka because it was the first "literary" book I read, I was between 11-13 and I didn't really enjoy it, but now he's one of my favourite authors and I wouldn't read anywhere near as much without reading him first.

>>4209329
>the alchemist

>>4209352
tsimehcla eht<

>>4209359

Fox in Sox.

Go ahead laugh. I fucking hate tongue twisters.

>>4209305
And your sarcasm speaks of non-existant balls, fag.