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Today's book #Days 01
Sophie's World a novel by Jostein Gaarder
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That tells the story of Sophie Amundsen, a 14-year-old girl who receives mysterious letters from an anonymous philosopher, Alberto Knox. These letters take her on a profound journey through the history of Western philosophy, from the Pre-Socratics to the modern era.
Alberto Knox becomes Sophie's mentor, systematically teaching her key philosophical concepts and thinkers. Sophie learns about:
* Ancient Greek Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle.
* Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoicism, Epicureanism.
* Medieval Philosophy: The influence of Christianity and the synthesis of faith and reason.
* The Renaissance, Baroque, and Enlightenment: Rationalism, Empiricism, and Kant's thought.
* 19th & 20th-Century Philosophy: Kierkegaard, Marx, Darwin, Freud, up to existentialism.
As Sophie delves deeper into philosophy, she also uncovers a mystery about her own existence. It turns out that she and Alberto are characters in a book being written by Albert Knag for his daughter, Hilde Møller Knag.
The novel cleverly blends philosophical lessons with a meta-narrative, questioning reality, perception, free will, and the nature of existence. "Sophie's World" serves as both an engaging coming-of-age story and a comprehensive, yet accessible, introduction to philosophy. 0 reply
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