What is a good overview of philosophy? There is a multi-volume series by Frederick Copleston, but what are the better single-volume treatments?
Two of my favorite philosophical works are Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics" and Spinoza's "Ethics" (the original is tough going, but I suggest "Spinoza: An Introduction to His Philosophical Thought" by Stuart Hampshire).
Several posts have mentioned the intersection of religion and philosophy. I read "Atheism: The Case Against God" by George H. Smith in my early 20s. I think it was well-argued, and it confirmed my non-belief.
Tech entrepreneur and essayist Paul Graham has argued that philosophy has largely been a dead end
http://paulgraham.com/philosophy.html , and he has actually read the philosophers he criticizes (he started college as a philosophy major).
