Sophie's World. Jostein Gaarder. Introduction to Philosophy.

Sophie's World

(My recommendation to introduce the world of philosophy through film and literature)

Sophie's World ( 1991 ) is the best-known novel written by Norwegian Jostein Gaarder . It became a real bestseller , not only in Europe but throughout the world, being translated into 54 languages. Using as a pretext a fictional story, the author provides a basic guide on Western philosophy . This novel was later made film (also called Sophie's World ) in 1999 directed by Erik Gustavson , also Norwegian.

The work is a little of 14 years, will meet June 15 15. But his life changes when he receives a letter incredibly a philosopher.

Characters

Sofia: is a girl that class back in your inbox a folder in which you are asked if you want to do a correspondence course in philosophy.

Alberto Knox: Professor of Philosophy.

Hilde: is to assume his father who sent cards and who changes his life after his father sends him a book.

Albert Knag : The father of Hilde.

Jorunn: is a friend of Sofia. At first I did not understand the changing character of Sofia, but when her friend decides to tell all, it becomes a participant in the course.
Argument

Sofia is a girl who will soon turn 15. One day, after returning the institute, located in a folder in your mailbox which prompts you to do a correspondence course in philosophy. Thus begins the world of Sofia. The girl will get to know the great philosophers of history through ongoing Alberto Knox taught at first by leaflets and later tutorials.

Broadly speaking the book discusses the myths , philosophers of nature ( Such , Anaximander , Anaximenes , Parmenides , Heraclitus , Empedocles , Anaxagoras ...), of Democritus of destination of Socrates , Plato and Aristotle , and Hellenism ( cynical , Stoics , Epicurean , Neoplatonism and mysticism ) of the two great civilizations ( Indo and Semitic with their religions represented Hinduism and Buddhism for the first and Judaism , Christianity and Islam for the second).