Have many philosophical works have you read? / Has any of these changed your life in some way?

I have read: Plato, Aristotle, Lucretius, Hobbes, Spinoza, Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Nietchze, Sartre, Camus, Voltaire, and many more. How could that not change your life?

My favorites:

Plato - The Republic Not all of it is directly applicable to modern society but a surprising amount of it is. This sould be required reading for every modern politician. I absolutely love the allegory of the cave. Plato predicted televesion!

Voltaire - Candide What an amazing blend of humour, satire and yes compassion for the human condition. I reread this one again recently after many years and alternated laughing and crying.

Mishima - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea I read Eastern philosophy too and while this is technically literature, it is a great little insight into the Japanese mind.

Dostoyevsky - The Idiot Again technically not a philosopher but one of the world's greatest novelists and an absolutely wonderful book. Its a wonderful insight into human psychology and relationships. Nietchze said that Dostoyevsky was the only one who ever taught him anything about psychology.

Nietchze - Thus Spake Zarathustra Wow! What can you say. Its half bombast and half absolutely piercing insight.

I could go on and on but I'll stop here. Well, one more. There's a little book of Zen poems that I really like as selected and edited by Peter Harris. I believe that poetry is a better way to study Zen than prose. Anyway there's a taste. There's so much out there...

I have read some philisophical books--but I am really a story/narrative person so I have to say that novels/stories with incorporate philosophy tend to be more life changing. For example when I read Kafka's Metamorphasis and discussed the idea of being a cockroach I felt an uncontrollable need not to be one (and to impress the professor who said I was one) and so I lead a protest about some issues at my college. It made me take a stand. (This is a book about existentialism)

In the same regard, I was taking life way to seriously and very upset about my direction in life and I read the book Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff Christ's Childhood Pal. Granted this book sounds religious and it is actually used as a theology text at some very progressive and fun universities. However, it is very philisophical in nature and it made me see that our paths aren't suppose to be obvious and that we do kind of have to search for answers they don't always just appear--but they are there if we search. It brought me out of some depression I was having and lightened my mood so I could move forward on the path. It made me realize that even though the journey is difficult, we should find joy.

I hope this helps.

The Harvard Classics are of such deep intent that all of us should just take a look at them. They are not just red books with gold printing. They are fabulous and detailed and touch on all of the "meaty" major subjects that are important in life. The Harvard Classics are a fantastic gift to give for any occasion. This is a very intelligent gift to give to anyone. Anyone who receives it will benefit greatly from this exposure. God Bless.

Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl

I was required to read this for a GE philosophy class in college. It is one of my favorite books ever! I cannot recommend it enough. Check it out on Amazon.

Just a few. All they prove to me is that if you are untrue to yourself you can't be true to anyone else. They all pretty much say the same thing, so listen the first time and save yourself lots of confusion later on.

Bertrand Russell's "Why I am Not a Christian" and "Marriage and Morals" certainly have influenced me in life.

I read my own philosophy and it changed my life completely

there is the known and the unkown between them, there is a door