The book report

The book report of Sophie's World

Jostein Gaarder was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1952. He is a Norwegian distinguished author. He often writes from the perspective of children, exploring their sense of wonder about the world. Using meta-fiction in his works, writing stories within stories frequently.

Gaarder was born in a pedagogical family. His best known work is the novel Sophie's World, subtitled A Novel about the History of Philosophy. In 1991, when Jostein Gaarder wrote Sophie's World, he believed that a novel on the history of philosophy would appeal only to a specialist readership. In 1995 the book was the most sold novel in the world. To date SOPHIE'S WORLD has been translated into 60 languages and has sold over 40 million copies. An unknown number of pirate editions also exist. Jostein Gaarder's other works, both his children' s books and adult novels such as The Solitaire Mystery, Through a Glass, Darkly, Vita Brevis,The Ringmaster’s Daughter and The Orange Girl have proved hugely popular and been published in a host of countries. Jostein Gaarder has been involved in the promotion of human rights and sustainable development for several years, establishing the Sophie Prize in 1997.

He has also vehemently criticized the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the treatment of the Palestinians. In August 2006, Jostein Gaarder published an op-ed in one of the major daily newspapers in Norway, Aftenposten. This was written in response to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict and condemned certain aspects of Israeli politics and Judaism. Gaarder also argued against recognizing the state of

Israel in its current form. The article described Judaism as \"an archaic national and warlike religion\compassion and forgiveness\". Gaarder disputed allegations of anti-Semitism, and sought to clarify that he didn't mean to offend anyone. He claimed that the piece was written in a state of moral outrage over the death toll in Lebanon. Like his initial piece, his attempts at clarification met with mixed reactions.

The book is a novel ,and it’s through a philosophy teacher to a girl named Sophie to teach philosophy, reveals the development of western philosophy.By former times to Sartre, Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes and Hegel and others thought by the author’s pen vividly , and explained the historical background at that time, fascinating.Critics believe that, for those who have never read philosophy course, the book is the most suitable one, and for those who have ever read some philosophical forgotten, can also wake up the memory there.

Actually, Sophie's World is not only a novel but also a history of philosophy, so it is not strange that philosophy is its main theme. Sophie is the main character. She is the creation of Albert Knag. Along with Alberto Knox, Sophie is a part of Hilde's birthday present. Philosophy is presented not as some complex exercise to be performed by people with free time but rather as something integral to life itself. Sophie and Alberto need philosophy to understand their world, so do we. And we are the same. Their world is created by Albert Knag, but just because we don't know the answer to the question of where our world comes from, it doesn't mean that we are free from asking about it. Actually, as the writer stresses in the book, a philosopher never stops asking questions. Alberto tries to get Sophie to

realize how amazing her own existence is. It does not matter that there may be no answer to our questions. The only question is what makes us human. Why we are here, what makes a good life, and all of the other philosophical questions raised in the book are the most important things we ask according to the writer. Once our physical well-being is taken care of, we must relate ourselves to our mental lives. Life is thrust upon us, and the only way that can mean anything to us is that whether we ask these questions constantly. Philosophy stands alone, outside of other disciplines, because in reality the writer regards it equal to living. If we live without philosophy, then we may deprive ourselves of the greatest pleasure and understanding that we would never come to. Philosophy is an ongoing, lifelong pursuit. We with all the creatures on earth can engage in philosophy. Although it may not make our lives simpler or offer us any easier answers, philosophy will fill us with a sense of wonder about our existence. The writer shows us that even when philosophy is intricately complicated, it revolves around simplicity.

In Alberto's letter to Sophie, he tells her what the aim of philosophy is and why it is important to our lives. Through the book, the writer repeatedly addresses the importance of philosophy and its relation to our everyday life. This is where Alberto first states that idea. Basically, once we have satisfied our basic needs, then we will have further needs that must be met, which are of our mind. We are able to think, and we can contemplate the universe, and if we do not think, it must be a tragedy. It is not simply good for us to ask important philosophical questions; however, it is necessary for us to do so because otherwise our lives to a large extent will have been in vain. The only way that we can find meaning in life is through philosophy. Someone who do not philosophize may think that they have

found meaning but in fact they have just accepted meaning from someone or some theory. But these are things that each person must work out, and that is why it is so critical that all of us engage in philosophical thinking.

This book relates to some philosophy knowledge that we have not learn from our textbooks. I thought is an unreasonable study. However, after reading this book, I find that philosophy is a study which is closest to our lives.philosophy is a subject relates to some question that everybody in the world want to know. The aim of philosophy is to solve some problems that cannot be proved by science, like good and evil, beauty and ugliness, life and death. I think philosophy is not a kind of science because it can not be measured and calculated. Philosophy is a hypothetical interpretation about something that we never know and something we are not sure. It’s also the first step to pursue truth. In our world, we can not avoid disaster and despairing only with science. Science brings us knowledge, but only can philosophy bring us wisdom.

However, it is not enough to that this book be a guide of philosophy only by this. The author uses several clues in this book. In the beginning of this book, we read the story about Sophie, then philosophers. But, suddenly, there is an imaginary girl called Cid, as well as her father who is working Lebanon. Cid’s father is like a god that can be everywhere. He uses every way to show that he exists, but he never that anybody see him. Sophie is thinking about her own world at the same time. Finally, they find the world which she has lived in for 15 years is only an imaginary world by a philosophy book of her father. Her families, classmates, house, pets, garden,and all kinds of feelings and thoughts are created

by her father. Her world is just somebody’s illusion and shadow.

This book made me understand the meaning of philosophy and human life and all kinds of philosophical theory:If the earth is a greater handicap than being a rabbit for magic, we are living in the depths of the rabbit villi cells.We was born on the top of the fuzz, at first we are curious about the magic, and people grow up slowly, curious about the world no longer, went to the depths of the fur, and love the fur in the depth of the life, is no longer in the world.Philosophers who tried, and pull up the others. As long as you have curiosity,and then plusing 50% effort you will become a philosopher. Philosophy of the world, there are too many secret waiting for us to explore. Every found enlightenment is a life.

Thinking philosophically includes questioning. To be a philosopher, we must think and ask some questions. Then we must try to think some explanation for the questions that we asked before. So learning to think is the first step to be a real philosopher. But at the same time, the best way to learn thinking philosophically may be to read some examples from history. And when we study the problems that other philosophers have been faced and the solutions that they have come up with, then it is the process of learning philosophy. When we are young, before we grow into adult, we act like philosophers. That is because we often wonder about things, and are curious about anything anytime, but philosophers go a step further and try to think of an explanation for the mysterious thing. And it may be that thinking like a philosopher is a technique that we need being trained in. In that case, learning philosophy by examples will help us think philosophically and let us be philosophers.

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