Gift Guide for Philosophy Lovers
- Nicole Casal
- Nov 23, 2021
- 2 min read
If you have a philosophy lover in your life that you are struggling to find gifts for, here is my philosophy gift guide to hopefully help you this Christmas/ Holiday season. I’ll also be sending this list to my friends and family.
I purchased a print of this painting in 2016, and it still looks as vibrant as when I first received it. It can be risky to purchase art prints online as you don’t know the level of quality you are receiving. Unfortunately, the real Death of Socrates painting in The Metropolitan Museum of Art was looking cracked and worse for wear when I went to see it. This canvas print serves as a reminder of that inspiring museum visit.
It currently resides in my office above my degree and my other scholarly accomplishments. If you do not have the space for a canvas, there are also high-quality prints available, but I prefer the look of a canvas.
Next to the Death of Socrates painting, I keep a canvas print of the School of Athens painting. While I will always prefer the Death of Socrates painting, they fit well next to each other. This is another painting that I had the pleasure of seeing in person in the Vatican. Unfortunately, the print I bought seems to be oddly cropped and does not show the entire painting, cutting off the arch at the top.
In early 2020 when the COVID pandemic first started, I decided to start completing jigsaw puzzles to keep myself from developing cabin fever, à la Jack Torrance. I used to do a puzzle each weekend with my grandmother when I was a child and since her passing in January, I’ve picked up this hobby as a way to feel more connected to her. My husband bought me this School of Athens 1000-piece puzzle for Christmas, and it was a wonderful challenge. The image is actually a high-quality replication and could be hung up as wall art once you’ve completed it. Of the 50+ puzzles I’ve done in the last year and a half, I enjoy doing fine art recreations the most, as it teaches me more about the painting and helps me commit it to memory.
I bought this plushie for my husband a few Christmases ago, but it now lives on my desk. The Unemployed Philosophers Guild always has adorable gifts. They have other iconic figures in their “Little Thinker Dolls” line. You can explore their Amazon page by sorting through topics like philosophy, art and literature.
Finally, the philosophy lover in your life most likely loves reading philosophy books. I have many blogs on this website about the books I’ve liked, and disliked, that can be used towards a gift guide. I also recommend purchasing books through ThriftBooks, as it is a more environmentally conscious decision and saves you money.
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