Critique Of Sophie's World, By Jostein Gaarder

When one considers the idea of a philosophical text or piece of literature, many different examples immediately come to mind. Some might imagine the renowned works of philosophy’s past, such as Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, René Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, or Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (to name a few). Others may consider the scholarly articles and texts found in contemporary philosophical journals such as the Philosophical Review and the Journal of Philosophy. Few, however, would likely point to philosophical novels, especially those published in recent history. This is unfortunate, however, because superb novels interwoven with philosophical history, arguments, and ideas continue to be written today, notably

An enjoyable and fruitful exploration of the storied past of philosophical ideas and movements, Gaarder’s Sophie’s World is undoubtedly successful in imparting a solid and enriching foundation for philosophical thinking to its reader. Born on August 8, 1952 in Oslo, Norway, Jostein Gaarder has dedicated much of his life to the dissemination and teaching of philosophical and religious ideas to young students and readers worldwide. Gaarder’s philosophical career began after graduating from the University of Oslo, where he studied the history of philosophy, religion, and Nordic literature. Upon completing his studies in 1976, Gaarder chose to work as a secondary school teacher of philosophy, religion, and literature in the Norwegian cities of Oslo and Bergen. Gaarder’s role as an educator to a

Gaarder’s work reads like a suspenseful and mysterious novel from cover to cover; however, interlaced within Sophie’s story is an easily understandable and well-explained discourse on the progress of Western philosophy through time. The story of the work begins with Sophie Amundsen – a typical, fourteen year old Norwegian girl – discovering two notes in her family’s mailbox, each of which contains a seemingly simple question: the first asks “Who are you?” and the second asks “Where does the world come from?” (Gaarder 9). Though initially unimpressed, Sophie quickly becomes perplexed by the notes and the many questions borne out of her thoughts: “Why was it so difficult to be absorbed in the most vital and, in a way, the most natural of all questions?” (Gaarder 13). Sophie also receives an unexplainable birthday card for a girl named Hilde Møller Knag (who happens to share Sophie’s birthday) before stumbling upon the first of many lessons from a mysterious philosopher by the name of Alberto Knox (Gaarder