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by Robin Sharma
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How to Think Like a Philosopher summary
Peter Cave
Scholars, Dreamers and Sages Who Can Teach Us How to Live
18 mins
Brief summary
How to Think Like a Philosopher is a book that introduces readers to the art of philosophical thinking. It delves into the methods, concepts, and questions that philosophers use in their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
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How to Think Like a Philosopher
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Thinking in contradiction: Lao Tsu and Spinoza
Imagine starting a book by saying that you can’t possibly speak about its subject. Pretty strange, right? But that’s precisely how the Tao te Ching of Lao Tsu begins – it declares that words can’t express the full meaning of Tao, loosely translated to mean the way.
Since its emergence in China in the sixth century BCE, this enigmatic and poetic text has confused many with its contradictions and puzzles. It declares that Tao, or true reality, is unknowable and beyond description. So when humans try to grasp it, it slips through their fingers.
Its author, too, slips through our fingers if we try to grasp for a historical person. Lao Tsu translates simply to old master, and was likely not a single author. Like Tao, the author is unknowable and unnamed, but that doesn’t lessen their impact.
This ancient text uses enigmas and strange metaphors as a way to point at things beyond understanding. It’s full of strange comparisons – like saying that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish, in that it’s easy to overdo things. Or that the Tao is like water, because it flows into the deepest crevices and nourishes everything equally.
These cryptic verses point to a particular way of being, one where nature is the true window into reality. A certain quietness of mind and spirit is needed to truly observe, though. Freeing yourself from desire, like in Buddhism, is necessary to observe the mysteries of reality. Because of its focus on the way, the book has often been viewed as a religious text – despite it noting that religion only arises when humans lose sight of Tao.
If the true nature of reality is so ungraspable and unknowable, then philosophy is bound to run into religion in more places than just ancient China. Let’s consider the experience of seventeenth-century philosopher Baruch, or Bento, Spinoza.
Born in Amsterdam in 1632 to Jewish immigrants from Portugal, Spinoza’s philosophy was radically different from that of his family and the Jewish community. He believed that any idea of God couldn’t be separate from the natural world. Like Lao Tsu long before him, nature and the universe itself were true reality for Spinoza – and he paid a steep price for it.
Excommunicated from the Jewish faith at the age of just 23 after his publication of Deus sive Natura, or God or Nature, he became a total outcast. His Jewish heritage already excluded him from Dutch society, and his excommunication from Judaism left him without any community.
Spinoza’s response in the face of this suffering was to become kind. His personal experience of suffering grew his compassion for others. His outcast status helped further his philosophical work in some ways. Freed from outside influences, he developed a view of reality that was almost pantheistic – everything around him was a part of God, even those who rejected him.
For this, he was vehemently declared both a godless atheist and a religious zealot. He anonymously published a treatise in 1670, called Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, but everyone who read it immediately knew it was Spinoza. In it, he argued for things like freedom of speech and a secular society. It was then that he was labeled blasphemous – quite an accomplishment for an author formally rejected from religion!
So how can you think like Lao Tsu or Spinoza? Open your eyes to nature and the world around you with wonder, and quiet your mind so you can take it all in.
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What is How to Think Like a Philosopher about?
How to Think Like a Philosopher (2023) draws from the lives and work of thinkers through history to reveal unique perspectives on beauty, truth, and the nature of reality. It presents philosophy as an all-too-human search for meaning, and encourages everyone to do the same.
How to Think Like a Philosopher Review
How to Think Like a Philosopher (2015) by Peter Cave is a thought-provoking exploration of the practical applications of philosophical thinking in everyday life. Here's why this book is definitely worth your time:
- It offers a refreshing perspective by presenting philosophical concepts in a relatable and accessible manner, allowing readers to apply them to their own lives.
- Packed with engaging examples and thought experiments, the book challenges readers to think critically and question their own beliefs and assumptions.
- Through its practical exercises, it encourages readers to actively engage with philosophical ideas, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the subject.
Who should read How to Think Like a Philosopher?
- Deep thinkers looking for inspiration and wisdom from the past
- Those curious about the ideas that have shaped the ways we approach life
- Anyone craving new ways to think about things
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How to Think Like a Philosopher FAQs
What is the main message of How to Think Like a Philosopher?
Explore the world through a philosopher's lens and master the art of critical thinking.
How long does it take to read How to Think Like a Philosopher?
Readers will typically spend a few hours with How to Think Like a Philosopher. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is How to Think Like a Philosopher a good book? Is it worth reading?
How to Think Like a Philosopher is a thought-provoking read that offers valuable insights into the art of reasoning and questioning. Explore new perspectives and enhance your critical thinking skills.
Who is the author of How to Think Like a Philosopher?
Peter Cave is the author of How to Think Like a Philosopher.
What to read after How to Think Like a Philosopher?
If you're wondering what to read next after How to Think Like a Philosopher, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
- Capital by Karl Marx
- The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Time to Think by Nancy Kline
- Paradise Lost by John Milton
- Being and Time by Martin Heidegger
- Your Future Self by Hal Hershfield
- The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
- Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
- 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson