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Companion Guide

Philosophy covers 2,600 years, hundreds of thinkers, and a long list of hard questions. It is easy to lose the thread. The Companion Guide gives you a clear way in. It walks through all seven eras, points you to major thinkers, and shows you what to read first. It also includes timelines, glossaries, journal prompts, and suggested editions.

141 pages · 7 eras · 25 thought experiments · 42 journal prompts · Built for self-study, homeschool, and college students

Grab the free 14-Week Study Plan below.↓

The Companion Guide

A clear path through 2,600 years of Western philosophy

Most introductions to philosophy give you names, dates, and short summaries. This guide gives you a reading path. Each era chapter explains the main questions of the period, introduces the key thinkers, and points you to primary texts with clear starting places.

141 pages7 eras7 reading plans25 thought experiments42 journal prompts
Structured reading plans

Each chapter moves from background to ideas to primary texts.

Timelines and lineages

See how thinkers, schools, and ideas connect across time.

Start Reading Tonight boxes

Get clear edition, translation, and entry-point suggestions.

Journal prompts

Work out your own view instead of only memorizing someone else’s.

Glossary for each era

Learn key terms in plain English.

25 thought experiments included

Each one includes the scenario, major responses, and a YOUR TURN prompt.

Built for self-study, homeschool families, book clubs, and students taking Philosophy 101.

Get the Companion Guide — $19.99

Think for Yourself

Thought Experiments

Philosophy's Great What-Ifs

25 thought experiments, from the Trolley Problem to the Veil of Ignorance, with the scenario, major responses, and a YOUR TURN prompt.

63 pages PDF 25 experiments

Included free with the Companion Guide, or available as a standalone purchase.

25 thought experiments — each with the scenario, major responses, and a YOUR TURN prompt
Covers 2,600 years of philosophy, from Plato's Cave to the Simulation Argument
Living Questions that connect each experiment to life today
Glossary, reading list, and journal prompts
Buy Standalone — $4.99
Your Roadmap

14-Week Study Plan

This study plan moves through the Companion Guide, the site, and selected primary texts. It covers one era at a time and mixes in branch essays and thought experiments. Use it as written or adjust the pace to fit your schedule.

Download Printable PDF
14 weeks · 7 blocks Companion Guide 7 era essays on the site 10+ thought experiments
Weeks 1 – 2

Ancient Philosophy + Ethics

Ancient era →Ethics →

Week 1 · Read & Explore

Read the Ancient chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Ancient era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on virtue, justice, and the good life

Week 2 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Plato’s Apology)
Read the Ethics branch essay on the site
Work through the Ring of Gyges and Trolley Problem in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 3 – 4

Medieval Philosophy + Metaphysics

Medieval era →Metaphysics →

Week 3 · Read & Explore

Read the Medieval chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Medieval era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on faith, reason, and the nature of existence

Week 4 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Anselm’s Proslogion, chapters 2–4)
Read the Metaphysics branch essay on the site
Work through the Ship of Theseus in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 5 – 6

Renaissance Philosophy + Political Philosophy

Renaissance era →Political Philosophy →

Week 5 · Read & Explore

Read the Renaissance chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Renaissance era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on power, humanism, and the individual

Week 6 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Machiavelli’s The Prince, chapters 15–18)
Read the Political Philosophy branch essay on the site
Work through the Veil of Ignorance in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 7 – 8

Early Modern Philosophy + Epistemology

Early Modern era →Epistemology →

Week 7 · Read & Explore

Read the Early Modern chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Early Modern era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on doubt, knowledge, and the mind-body problem

Week 8 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Descartes’ Meditations I–II)
Read the Epistemology branch essay on the site
Work through Plato’s Cave and the Brain in a Vat in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 9 – 10

Enlightenment Philosophy + Political Philosophy

Enlightenment era →Political Philosophy →

Week 9 · Read & Explore

Read the Enlightenment chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Enlightenment era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on knowledge, reason, and human rights

Week 10 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Kant’s Groundwork, Section I)
Read the Political Philosophy branch essay on the site
Work through the Social Contract and State of Nature in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 11 – 12

19th-Century Philosophy + Logic

19th Century era →Logic →

Week 11 · Read & Explore

Read the 19th Century chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the 19th Century era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on ideology, crisis, and the search for meaning

Week 12 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals, First Essay)
Read the Logic branch essay on the site — especially Anatomy of an Argument and Validity, Soundness, and Strength
Work through the Chinese Room in the Thought Experiments guide
Weeks 13 – 14

Contemporary Philosophy + Aesthetics

Contemporary era →Aesthetics →

Week 13 · Read & Explore

Read the Contemporary chapter in the Companion Guide
Explore the Contemporary era page and philosopher profiles on the site
Complete the chapter’s journal prompts on freedom, justice, and the limits of knowledge

Week 14 · Go Deeper

Read a short primary text (start with Sartre’s Existentialism Is a Humanism)
Read the Aesthetics branch essay on the site
Work through the Experience Machine and Mary’s Room in the Thought Experiments guide

The study plan works best with the Companion Guide: seven era chapters plus 25 thought experiments in one volume.

Get the Companion Guide — $19.99

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