Sophie's World (FSG Classics)

I am really looking forward to reading this book and exploring the world of philosophy from a novel standpoint

I have just read this book for the third time. Even though I have read many books on philosophy, including Bertrand Russell’s history, I have enjoyed this book more than any other. This book was chosen by our philosophy reading/discussion group this past semester and the discussion was better than any other book we’ve read.

Sophie’s World is a novel about the history of philosophy. It is also a novel about a young Norwegian girl named Sophie. I can’t give away too much of the structure without spoiling some of the mystery that unfolds over the course of the book, but suffice it to say there are some strange twists to the plot that make the story interesting, if a bit bizarre, and are actually useful in illustrating some of the points of the volume. I am not a philosopher, but I have studied enough philosophy to recognize when a named philosopher is being described accurately. Within the realm of academia, of course, there are heated debates about what Plato really meant and whether the Cynics were always in earnest. However, this book takes the entry level historical discussions of philosophers and presents their perspectives in a recognizable way. Leave it to the college professor to nuance the understanding, and deepen it with more data, but this is Newtonian physics in a quantum world: pretty close to accurate and simple enough to gain a foothold for later exploration. As a Christian theologian, the representations of Christian thinkers was the most distorted. The Christians depicted by Gaarder are flat and lifeless. This is probably the way a philosopher views the explanations of some of the different schools of philosophy. It isn’t debilitating, but it is unimpressive. Some students are likely to gain a little of the famous sophomoric skepticism from reading the book, but a rich immersion in theology afterward is likely to help reinforce sound doctrine. Sophie’s World also has strong preference for the myth of progress. The storyline of philosophy is presented as if each philosopher advanced on the theories of previous philosophers toward some future state when, if Gaarder got his way, everyone would be governed by the United Nations. Considering that this book was originally published by a Norwegian in 1994, that view of things is understandable, but that piece of the story gets a little preachy. Some parents may have concern about a few elements of the story, as well. Throughout the story, the young teenager Sophie lies to her mother (her estranged father is away at sea) and meets up alone with a middle-aged man who becomes her philosophy tutor. Parts of this read like the lead up to a 20/20 episode, but fortunately it doesn’t result in the tragic end that would have made the air. In the chapter on Sigmund Freud there is a reference to a boy dreaming about balloons that are said to represent a girl’s breasts, which is pretty tame as Freud goes. The last couple of chapters dip into the absurd. At Sophie’s philosophy themed birthday party the participants behave bizarrely, with one of Sophie’s friend pouncing on a male classmate with kissing implied and apparent sex in the bushes, off camera. The girl declares that she’s pregnant (absurdly) to reinforce just what’s going on. Of course, what the reader gets from some of these references will depend on what the reader knows, so parents are likely to read more into the stories than an innocent child. In any case, none of these concerns are enough to justify avoiding the book. The questionable content is not extreme, nor is it close to what is available in a lot of young adult literature, but it is easier to know in advance as a parent than to find out after your child points it out. As a vehicle for communicating the history of philosophy, this is an excellent volume. There are points where the text does turn a bit dry and the dialogue does seem more like philosophy notes than conversation, but the novel is a vessel for the content. As a novel, this would not be on my list of top stories, but there is enough story and character to make the drier content more engaging. Taken as a whole, this is a very useful tool for introducing a young student to philosophy in a manageable, reasonably entertaining format. Note: This is an edited version of a review posted at Ethics and Culture.

I bought this for my children. While the content isn't easy for my older elementary and middle schoolers to fully grasp, I think it's a wonderful book that teaches them the importance of thinking for themselves and questioning the world around them. It takes complex philosophical ideas and weaves them into a story, told from the perspective of a girl growing up from childhood to her teenage years. Through her journey, the reader can learn about philosophy and different ways of thinking. I believe this is a book that will have a positive impact on a reader's life for a long time. It's the kind of book I want to re-read multiple times at different stages of my life.

A lot of gifted kids have existential questions at young ages, and I really struggled to find a way to help my daughter through these. This book helped tremendously with my 12 year old, and we integrated it into our homeschool curriculum. She really loves it, and it provides a useful framework to talk about these questions in a productive way, and learn how the greats thought about these issues - without us having to rely on boring, inaccessible tools used in more traditional intro philosophy education.

"Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder is an absolute gem for anyone interested in philosophy or seeking an engaging introduction to the subject. The novel masterfully intertwines the story of a young girl, Sophie, with the history of philosophical thought, making complex ideas accessible and enjoyable. What I particularly loved about this book is how Gaarder weaves philosophical lessons into the narrative, guiding the reader through the thoughts of major philosophers, from Socrates and Plato to Kant and Sartre. The storytelling is captivating, and the philosophical insights are thought-provoking, making it a perfect read for both newcomers and those familiar with philosophy. This book offers a unique experience—it's not just a history of philosophy but an invitation to reflect on life's big questions.

This book is quite original in that it tries to combine philosophical history with a fictional story. I found the factual history to be somewhat clumsily injected into the story and can be a bit of a slog to get through - especially if you want to find out what happens in the story. The story itself is ok, if a little weird and almost a little creepy being that the male of the story is a middle aged man leaving notes for a teenage girl. Overall, this book might be very interesting for a younger reader, but I suspect an adult reader could find it a little tiresome.

Sophie’s World es una obra brillante que combina novela y filosofía de manera accesible. A través de la historia, el lector descubre conceptos filosóficos complejos explicados de forma sencilla y entretenida. Es ideal para jóvenes curiosos o adultos que quieren pensar más profundamente sobre la vida, el conocimiento y la existencia. Una lectura que abre preguntas, amplía perspectiva y deja huella. Muy recomendable como introducción a la filosofía y como historia envolvente.

I like it very much

Francamente, no he leído el libro, ha sido un regalo para mi hija, ella lo tiene en su mesita de noche, no creo que lleve la cuenta de las veces que lo ha releído. Es una gran amante de de la filosofía y esto parece ser una bonita y amena introducción para jóvenes

My favorite book!

I couldn’t stop reading, I was curious like a 5 year old while reading..it enriched my imagination and enhanced my thinking process, really recommend reading

Quando li este livro, há 10 anos, eu estava com a mente muito aberta e ele fez muito sentido. Independente da história da filosofia e das afirmações e preocupações dos filósofos, o que mais me marcou foi aumento da capacidade em realizar análises(dividir assuntos complexos em pequenas partes) e ter um bom senso acima do padrão. Resolvi reler em inglês e tive uma experiência diferente. Hoje eu consigo entender melhor as filosofias porém a história principal já não foi mais tão impactante :( A gente envelhece e perde a magia de se surpreender...