Book · 1999
Think
by Simon Blackburn
Simon Blackburn's Cambridge introduction to philosophy — the book that once prompted one reader to change their major from Business Administration to Philosophy.
What does Reddit think of Think?
Six mentions. Five of them in r/askphilosophy, one in r/philosophy. Sentiment broadly positive across r/askphilosophy, neutral in r/philosophy. The function is consistent: whenever someone asks where to begin in philosophy, someone reaches for Blackburn. The ↑13 r/askphilosophy comment describes it as commonly recommended for undergraduate courses — accessible treatment of epistemology, ethics, mind, and free will in one volume. The ↑14 comment is the most pointed: the commenter read it, changed their undergraduate major, and graduated in philosophy instead of business. That kind of anecdote doesn't show up by accident in a recommendation thread. The ↑35 comment adds the only friction: no book does the thinking for you, and readers who expect instant transformation will be disappointed. The ↑228 reply from the same sub frames the territory differently — meeting a philosopher requires honesty and humility, not the right book. It simply gets recommended, consistently, by everyone who mentions it.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Introduction to philosophy
- · Epistemology and the theory of knowledge
- · Free will
- · Ethics and moral philosophy
- · Philosophy of mind
- · Accessible academic prose
Common praise
- + One r/askphilosophy commenter (↑14) credits it with prompting a full major change from Business Administration to Philosophy.
- + Repeatedly nominated in r/askphilosophy as the first book for anyone asking where to begin.
- + The ↑13 comment calls it commonly assigned in undergraduate courses, consistent with how it appears across threads.
- + The r/philosophy mention (↑16) frames it as a natural fit for readers with zero philosophy background.
Common criticism
- − The ↑35 comment implicitly caps the book's power: no text substitutes for actually doing philosophy, and the recommendation-circuit can make Think feel like a magic pill it isn't.
Who it's for
If you've found yourself in an r/askphilosophy thread asking where to start, someone has already pointed you here. The book suits readers who want a structured tour — knowledge, mind, free will, ethics — without needing a degree first. It works for undergraduates who just declared, and for the person switching careers who wants to know what philosophy actually covers before committing. The ↑14 comment is not an outlier: this is a book that changes plans.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Think?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Well, any decent philosophy professor would not have any issue talking about philosophy with anyone with zero background in it. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, as long as you go in with an open mind. Honesty and humility is the best tact to meet one's girlfriend's dad, regardless what he do…
“Not entirely sure what it is you’re looking for. Are you hoping to improve your capacity and skills in thinking philosophically? Are you hoping to learn about the history of philosophy? Are you hoping to learn about the different branches of philosophy? Let me know! Regardless however, I recommend…
“The search bar above begs Lord Betterthanprevious to use it. Keep in mind, no book will ever make a better "you" just by getting it => reading it. It isn't a magical spell nor a pill with an instantaneous effect. Like when you master demo trading. Even when you get the hang of it, upon entering rea…
“I think you might like this book – "Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy" by Simon Blackburn.
“I started with “Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy” by Simon Blackburn. After reading Think I changed my major and a few years later graduated with a degree in Philosophy instead of Business Administration.
“I would always recommend *Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy* by Simon Blackburn as a starting point*.* This book is commonly recommended for undergraduate philosophy courses and offers an easily accessible introduction to many of the common themes within the subject area of philosophy.
Convinced? Pick up Think
What else does r/askphilosophy read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Critique of Pure Reason
Immanuel Kant
Kant's 1781 attempt to settle the limits of human knowledge — the book that split philosophy in two and still hasn't been fully digested.
The Myth of Sisyphus
Albert Camus
A 1942 essay that opens with the question of whether life is worth living and ends by insisting Sisyphus is happy.
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Wittgenstein built a numbered ladder from logical atomism to the inexpressible, then said the ladder had to be discarded once you climbed it.
Being and Time
Martin Heidegger
Heidegger's argument that human existence only gets its meaning from death — 162 Reddit mentions, mostly from people explaining why it's so hard to read.
Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle
Aristotle's 2,400-year-old argument that living well depends on virtue, leisure, and the company you keep — still the canonical text for the field.
Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
Nietzsche dismantles the moral framework Western civilization built on, then refuses to tell you what to replace it with.
Think — frequently asked
What does Reddit think of Blackburn's Think as a philosophy introduction?+
Broadly positive, though the sample is small. The ↑14 comment is the most vivid endorsement: the commenter changed their undergraduate major after reading it. No thread in the data argues against it.
Is Think by Simon Blackburn actually used in university courses?+
According to the ↑13 r/askphilosophy comment, yes — described as 'commonly recommended for undergraduate philosophy courses.' That claim goes unchallenged across the full dataset, and the pattern of citations in recommendation threads is consistent with that framing.
Should I read Think before moving on to primary texts?+
Depends on your patience for secondary literature. The r/askphilosophy consensus treats it as a starting point, not an endpoint. The ↑35 comment contextualizes that carefully — no book does the thinking for you. Use it to build the map, then go to the sources.
Is Think by Blackburn worth reading with some philosophy background already?+
Probably not much new here. All 6 Reddit mentions position it as an entry point; nobody in the data recommends it to someone past the introductory stage. If you've already covered epistemology and ethics in a formal setting, this is review.