About

First Philosophy

Welcome to firstphilosophy.ca, a site dedicated to providing resources for students, novices and autodidacts with a budding interest in philosophy.

We have collected materials to help anyone explore philosophy on their own: recommendations for articles, books, and films; links to online articles, websites, and podcasts dedicated to philosophy; links to websites and podcasts dedicated to fields of inquiry related to philosophy; and links to materials for specific audiences.

Our home page features materials that have been commissioned by firstphilosophy.ca. We have sought out philosophers from around the world to recommend books and films for general readers and audiences. These listings will be updated regularly, with the most recent recommendations showcased as “Recently Added” at the top of the page. But please don’t stop there; click the dropdown menu to find complete lists of recommendations and everything else we have to offer.

Firstphilosophy.ca is grateful for a large and growing squadron of contributors who have shared their recommendations here for free. We are also grateful for the websites to which we provide external links. And, lastly, we are grateful for technical assistance from Dave at Barking Dog Studios.

This is a not-for-profit site; also, we do not take donations, nor do we engage in merchandising or direct commercial promotion. We could not survive without the generous support of our contributors and virtual friends.

Our Logo

Our logo is comprised of two Greek letters, Alpha and Phi. In ancient Greece, Alpha was used to designate “first” and today Phi is often used to designate “philosophy”. Traditionally, philosophers called “first philosophy” that which is conceptually prior to all other areas of inquiry (e.g., for Aristotle it is the study of “being,” and for Descartes it is the study of “knowledge”). Here, however, “first” is used to mean “temporal priority”. This is because we aim to provide materials that will be useful for an early foray in philosophy. To this end, we hope these materials are accessible, and that they spur you to further exploration. Enjoy!

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