It took me two months to finish reading "Sophie's World". There is no doubt that it is a classic, but it has received mixed reviews from those who have read it. Some people say that it is not enough as an introductory book to philosophy. If you want to get started with philosophy, you should read Russell's "History of Western Philosophy". This book clearly sorts out the history of the development of Western philosophy in the form of a novel. What is commendable is that it is not as obscure as ordinary educational books, and it firmly captured my heart with suspense and made me laugh. I couldn't resist the urge to look back. I think the gain from reading a book does not depend on accepting it completely. If there are some points of view that can "trigger" the book you have read, the things you have experienced, and your thoughts, that is enough. "Sophie's World" is like a guide, taking you to the lush philosophical forest. If you want to explore the mysteries of the forest, the road is at your feet.

Philosophy is not something that ordinary people can learn. Every child is a born philosopher because he has a curious heart about the world. To always maintain a curious heart and maintain care and curiosity about the ultimate meaning of life is the way to avoid living in a hazy state and heading towards the end of life like a zombie.

When ordinary people study philosophy, they do not necessarily need to find out the theoretical answers to "Where do I come from? Where do I go? What is the world made of?" The key is to learn the philosophical way of thinking. Originally, I didn’t understand what some people said, “Chinese people have no bottom line because they have no faith.” Now I think it makes sense. Qi Keguo's point of view: "When both reason and experience are lacking, a vacuum will appear, which can be filled by faith." There is a saying in the Middle Ages: "I believe because it is absurd.". Kant also pointed out that for the sake of social morality, the existence of God must be assumed, which is also the meaning of faith. Belief is not necessarily rational, but it can be another way of restraining people's inner nature in addition to laws and regulations.

The empiricist philosopher Berkeley held this view, except that he added that these illusions were created by God. It is not difficult to think that the movie "The Matrix" also borrowed this philosophical concept. There is a famous saying in Hamlet: "To be or to be nothing, that is the question."

I have been in this world, and I will leave traces in this world, including my photos and articles that reflect my thoughts. Descartes, the rationalist philosopher of the Baroque period, firmly believed that "I think, therefore I am." These prove that I have been in this world, but after thousands of years, the pyramids will turn into dust, and these traces that prove that I have been in this world will eventually disappear. Therefore, whether it is life or self, the process of existence is the key.

Life is inherently sad and serious. We came to this beautiful world, met each other, greeted each other, and traveled together for a short period of time. Then we lost each other and disappeared inexplicably. , just like we came into this world suddenly and inexplicably.

So besides passing on genes, what is the meaning of self-existence? Philosophers throughout the ages have had various explanations for this. Among them, Sartre's theory is the most convincing to me. He said that there are no eternal values ??and norms in the world. Everyone must discover and create their own meaning and seek their own answers to every question. We do not have the freedom to choose whether to come to this world, but as free individuals, we must continue to choose and be responsible for everything we do. To avoid choice, or to follow the crowd, is to deceive yourself and give up the opportunity to create your own meaning.

He emphasized that people must meet these three standards at the same time to find happiness and satisfaction. He considers imbalance of any kind to be unacceptable. If he were born in today's era, he might say: A person who only pays attention to physical exercise leads a life that is as unbalanced as those who only use their brains. Whichever extreme one gravitates toward, lifestyles are distorted. The ethical norms of Plato and Aristotle are reminiscent of the claims of Greek medicine: Only with balance and moderation can people live a happy and harmonious life.

What prevents us from achieving true happiness and harmony are the various impulses in our hearts, such as our ambitions and desires, but if we realize that everything has its inevitability, we will The whole of nature can be understood intuitively, and we will have a clear understanding that everything is connected, that everything is one, and the ultimate goal is to understand the world from a perspective of total acceptance. Only in this way can we achieve true happiness and satisfaction.

The Epicurean school gave us a recipe for happiness in the "medicine cabinet of philosophy": the four herbs are "God is not worth fearing, death is not worth worrying about, disasters are easy to endure, happiness and joy are easy to seek" ". Epicurus also pointed out that when people obtain short-term happiness, they must consider what better way to obtain lasting happiness. Gathering wealth requires a single large accumulation, but obtaining sustained happiness can only be achieved through frequent small happiness. Knowing how to reward yourself and the sense of accomplishment after completing small goals are all ways to obtain sustained small happiness.

Not only do you have to let go of life, death, wealth, and desires, but you also have to look at other people’s opinions of you. “It’s impossible for everyone in this world to like me, and I don’t need everyone to like me. I can only say A lot of people don’t know me yet.” This is also the way to happiness.

For thousands of years, philosophers have continued to discuss the importance of reason and sensibility.

Philosophers before Hegel wanted to establish an eternally correct system for the world's knowledge. The long river of history continues to rush forward, and a certain system of philosophy can only be correct at a certain fixed point in the long river of history. There is no eternal rationality and no eternal truth. The development of philosophy is closely related to the progress of science and technology. Even Marxist philosophy has limitations in its understanding of Western environmental protection.

Originally, I thought that when making a decision, one should rationally consider the most correct aspects. British empiricist philosopher Hume believes that in fact, our words and actions are not determined by reason, but by sensibility. The reason why we take responsible actions is not the result of our developed rationality, but because of our Sympathize with the plight of others. Combined with my own experience, I suddenly felt a sudden enlightenment and gained a deeper understanding of human nature.

There are four types of people’s understanding of themselves: the first is those who don’t know they don’t know, and actually don’t know; the second is those who know they don’t know, but actually don’t know either. People who know; the third type is people who know they know, but actually know; the smartest type of people are people who know they don’t know, but actually know. Socrates is the fourth type of person. He said, "I only know one thing, that I know nothing."

There are several levels of learning. The lowest level is when others teach you step by step; the second level is when you learn by yourself based on books; the highest level is when you learn by yourself without books. This is the highest level of creativity and learning. "Real knowledge comes from the heart, not from others. At the same time, only knowledge from the heart can make people have real wisdom." Relying on the knowledge that others instill in you can only memorize it and imitate it repeatedly. come out. Only what you think about can truly become your own. China's past examination-oriented education was accustomed to instilling the results of theory into students, while the educational philosophy of European and American countries likes to let students explore and finally reach conclusions. The education model of Chinese children is thought-provoking.

I have been in this world, even though I am so small. As mentioned at the end of the book, each of us and these stars come from the matter at the beginning of the Big Bang, which burned blazingly more than 10 billion years ago. A spark from a fire, life and human history is like a piece of stardust in the universe. I prove that I have been in this world, and the meaning of my life is to create meaning.