The Greatest Philosophy
This selection of philosophy is based on the continuing research carried out for The Greatest Literature of All Time and additional research into philosophical literature acclaimed by the world's readers, writers, critics and scholars.
The Greatest Philosophy focuses on major works of philosophy, namely book-length publications. It includes both popular works aimed at educating the public on philosophical topics and original research intended to be read by those training or already trained in the field. You may also be interested in The Greatest Nonfiction, The Greatest Philosophical Fiction or The Greatest Science.
The list is continually updated as new works are discovered and appreciation of older works evolves. Please note the revision date when citing the list.
Latest update: July 17, 2025
The 55 greatest works of philosophy
c.399 BCE
Apology
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy, originally Apología Sokrátousalso knowm as Apology of Socrates
c.399 BCE
Crito
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy
c.385–370 BCE
The Symposium
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy
c.380 BCE
The Republic
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy
c.370 BCE
Phaedrus
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy
c.370 BCE
Memorabilia
by Xenophon, Greece
Philosophy
c.360 BCE
Phaedo
by Plato, Greece
Philosophy
c.350 BCE
Nichomachean Ethics
by Aristotle, Greece
Philosophy, originally Ēthika Nikomacheia
c.350 BCE
Metaphysics
by Aristotle, Greece
Philosophy
c.335 BCE
Poetics
by Aristotle, Greece
Philosophy, originally Peri poietikês
c.330 BCE
Physics
by Aristotle, Greece
Philosophy, originally Physica
c.300 BCE
The Mencius
by Mencius, China
Philosophy, originally Mèngzǐ
c.200 BCE
The Analects
by Confucius, China
Nonfiction, also known as Selected Sayings
c.50 BCE
On the Nature of Things
by Lucretius, Rome
Philosophy, originally De rerum natura
65
Letters from a Stoic
by Seneca, Rome
Philosophy, also knonw as Moral Epistles, originally Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium
108
Discourses
by Epictetus, Greece
Philosophy
175
Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius, Rome
Philosophy
397–0400
Confessions
by Augustine of Hippo, Algeria
Philosophy
1265–1273
Summa Theologica
by Thomas Aquinas, Italy
Philosophy
1636
Discourse on the Method
by René Descartes, France
Philosophy, originally Discours de la Méthode pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la vérité dans les sciences
1641
Meditations on First Philosophy
by René Descartes, France
Philosophy, originally Meditationes de Prima Philosophia, in qua Dei existentia et animæ immortalitas demonstratur
1651
Leviathan
by Thomas Hobbes, England
Philosophy
1677
Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order
by Baruch Spinoza, Dutch Republic
Philosophy, originally Ethica, ordine geometrico demonstrata
1686
Discourse on Metaphysics
by Gottfried W. Leibniz, Germany
Philosophy
1689
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
by John Locke, England
Philosophy
1748
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
by David Hume, Scotland
Philosophy
1757-1779
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
by David Hume, Scotland
Philosophy
1762
The Social Contract
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Switzerland
Philosophy, originally Du contrat social; ou, Principes du droit politique
1781
Critique of Pure Reason
by Immanuel Kant, Germany
Philosophy, originally Kritik der reinen Vernunft
1785
Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals
by Immanuel Kant, Germany
Philosophy, originally Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten
1805
Rameau's Nephew, or the Second Satire
by Denis Diderot, France
Philosophy, originally Le Neveu de Rameau ou La Satire seconde
1807
The Phenomenology of Spirit
by G.W.F. Hegel, Germany
Philosophy, also known as The Phenomenology of Mind, originally Phänomenologie des Geistes
1841
The Essence of Christianity
by Ludwig Feuerbach, Germany
Philosophy, originally Das Wesen des Christentums
1843
Fear and Trembling
by Søren Kierkegaard, Denmark
Philosophy
1854
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau, United States
Philosophy
1859
On Liberty
by John Stuart Mill, England
Philosophy
1861
Utilitarianism
by John Stuart Mill, England
Philosophy
1867–1893
Capital
by Karl Marx, Germany
Political economy, originally Das Kapital
1869
The Subjection of Women
by John Stuart Mill, England
Philosophy
1883–1885
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Friedrich Nietzsche, Germany
Novel, subtitled A Book for All and None, originally Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen
1886
Beyond Good and Evil
by Friedrich Nietzsche, Germany
Philosophy, subtitled Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future originally Jenseits von Gut und Böse: Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft
1895
The Antichrist
by Friedrich Nietzsche, Germany
Philosophy, originally Der Antichrist
1921
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
by Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austria
Philosophy
1927
Being and Time
by Martin Heidegger, Germany
Philosophy
1936
The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology
by Edmund Husserl, Germany
Philosophy, subtitled An Introduction to Phenomenological Philosophy, originally Die Krisis der europäischen Wissenschaften und die transzendentale Phänomenologie: Eine Einleitung in die phänomenologische Philosophie
1943
Being and Nothingness
by Jean-Paul Sartre, France
Philosophy
1945
A History of Western Philosophy
by Bertrand Russell, England
Philosophy, fully titled A History of Western Philosophy and Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day
1949
Second Sex, The
by Simone de Beauvoir, France
Philosophy, originally Le Deuxième Sexe
1949
The Concept of Mind
by Gilbert Ryle, England
Philosophy
1953
Philosophical Investigations
by Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austria
Philosophy
1959
The Logic of Scientific Discovery
by Karl Popper, Austria
Philosophy
1962
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas Kuhn, United States
Philosophy
1966
The Order of Things
by Michel Foucault, France
Philosophy, subtitled An Archaeology of the Human Sciences, originally Les mots et les choses: Une archéologie des sciences humaines
1990
Taming of Chance, The
by Ian Hacking, Canada
Philosophy
1991
Consciousness Explained
by Daniel Dennett, United States
Philosophy