Title: Sophie’s World (original title: Sofies Verden)
Author: Jostein Gaarder, translated by Paulette Møller
Publication date: 1991 (original Norwegian); 1995 (English translation)
Genre: Fiction; philosophy
What’s it about?
One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen receives two notes, with one question on each: ‘Who are you?’ and ‘Where does the world come from?’ Thus she embarks on a strange correspondence course with a mysterious philosopher called Alberto Knox, who teaches her about the history of philosophy, from the ancient Greeks through to the French existentialists.
As the course progresses, Sophie starts to receive other letters, addressed to another fourteen-year-old girl she has never met and never heard of. Between them, Sophie and Alberto must use their philosophical knowledge to unravel the mystery of Hilde and her father – before their world is changed forever.
Part novel, part philosophy text, this is a fascinating introduction to the history of philosophical thought, intermingled with a thrilling mystery story.
Read more information on Goodreads.
Where did I get hold of the book?
I already owned it. I knew I’d first acquired the book years ago, but a few months ago I realised I couldn’t find it anywhere. Then, by chance, I spotted a secondhand copy in the book shop at my local National Trust property – so I snapped it up.
- Find the book in a library near you.
- Support local independent bookshops by buying the book from Hive (UK).
What did I learn from it?
Wow! What didn’t I learn? The book is a history of philosophical thought, from its very beginnings in ancient Greece (also touching on the Big Bang Theory) right up to the twentieth century. Philosophical systems and schools of thought from names such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume and Kant (to name but a very few) are covered in just enough detail to be comprehensible without being overwhelming. Real-world examples make it easier to understand complex philosophical theories, yet it never feels ‘dumbed down’.
However, whilst I was able to understand all of this while I was reading it, I’m not sure how much has stuck with me now that I’ve finished. If I were genuinely trying to learn about philosophy, I’d need to read it a few times to take everything in – or, better still, use it as a jumping-off point for pursuing further study on each of the philosophers covered.
Even if I haven’t retained everything, I do at least now have a handy guide to refer to if I need to check something out on this topic in future. And ‘knowing where to go’ is probably just as important as ‘knowing’…
How did it make me see the world differently?
This is almost too big a question to answer! Or, the answer is that I now see the world in a myriad of different ways: through the eyes of the materialists, the rationalists, the existentialists, the empiricists, the humanists… and so on.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book was the way in which I felt the urge to see which philosopher’s school of thought rang the most bells with me. What I wasn’t expecting was to find that, as I progressed through the centuries and the pages, each successive theory added to what had gone before, refining the thinking process and presenting new angles. So while I was reading about Socrates, he made great sense; then when I got on to Hume, he made even more sense; and so on and so on until I got to the existentialists, who said that, as life has no inherent meaning or purpose, we are free to create it afresh for ourselves according to our needs. Which, in some ways, makes the most sense of all. It certainly resonates with where I am in life at the moment.
What changes will I make to my life as a result of it?
I will be more aware of different schools of thought the next time I muse on the meaning of life. While this may not sound like much of a practical change, it is quite a step for me. I have so many of my own ideas whizzing round in my head, every minute of every day, that I have a tendency to focus solely on my own thoughts when trying to work out a belief system or critical theory. I suspect this may be one reason I got a Lower Second at university rather than the First my tutor seemed to expect of me (bless him): I spent way too much time reading primary texts and assembling my own views on them, rather than taking on board the variety of other critical opinion out there.
But – obviously – this approach means I miss out on a LOT of useful stuff that I can also incorporate into my own theories. And reading Sophie’s World has reminded me that I need to pay more attention to other views; to use them as a sounding board or a test for my own opinions; to make sure I’ve run my thoughts through the whole gamut of other possibilities out there, so I can be certain I’ve come to the best conclusion for me.
To quote the book (in itself paraphrasing Socrates): ‘Wisest is she who knows she does not know.’
I need to remember that…
Over to you…
Has this post inspired you to read the book for yourself?
If you’ve read it, do you agree with what I’ve said? Did you have insights that I’ve not mentioned?
Please share in the comments below!