Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?: 23 Questions from Great Philosophers

This small book of brief philosophical portraits is great fun. Important to emphasize, however, the smallness of the book and the brief nature of the portraits provided. As Kolakowski points out in his introduction to the book: "This little book is not meant as some sort of super-condensed textbook, encyclopaedia or dictionary. If a student attempted to sit an exam on the basis of these essays, he would be disappointed: he would fail." That caveat notwithstanding, these little essays (none of them longer than 10 pages) provide succinct snapshots of most of the great philosophers in the European tradition. Not so much a book of philosophy, it's a book about philosophers and their "great ideas", each presentation gets to the heart of the philosopher's key ideas, and each concludes with provocative questions for readers to ponder. For some hard to fathom reason, Basic Books chose to eliminate 7 of Kolakowski's portraits, portraits that can be found in the Polish original. The seven portraits left on the cutting room floor are those of Aristotle, Meister Eckhart, Nicolas of Cusa, Hobbes, Heidegger, Jaspers and Plotinus. Chiefly for that reason (what in the world were they thinking?), this volume loses a star.

The book came very quickly and at a price cheaper than advertized in the magazine that reviewed it.

Very helpful in explaining the development of Western Civilization's reasoning on the meaning of life; is there a God; does man have free will; etc. Short chapters on dozens of philosophers and metaphysical thought ending with the authors questions about each philosophers musings. Nice little reference manual.

This is a relatively quick and interesting read. I am amazed that the editor cut the writer's essays on Aristotle (which would have demostrated the author's thoughts on the evolution of Scrates' and and Plato's philosophy), and also an essay on Meister Eckhart, one of my favorite spiritual thinkers. But worth the time to read to be exposed to the philosophy of some well-known thinkers, and some other more obscure thinkers over 2,500 years of human history.

Most of us would probably pick up a book like this because we are looking for answers about the meaning of life, or something like that. But instead of answers, Professor Kolakowski offers more questions. He introduces us to one thought or concept from each of 23 philosophers and then, in Socratic style, gives the reader some questions to answer. This little book is both challenging and enjoyable to read, a real thought-provoker.