“We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.”

You work it out. Geilston Bay. December 2020.

When You Kant FigureIt Out, Ask a Philosopher: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas by Marie Robert

I suspect that I am not the intended audience for this book. As I am not much of one for collecting ‘stuff’, worrying about others’ opinions of me or chasing the latest fad, some of the author’s examples to illustrate modern dilemmas (shopping at IKEA or heading out to a blind date) failed to connect with me.

The fact that I both studied and taught philosophy and political theory at university, probably made the introduction and primer on the thoughts and approaches of some of the most influential philosophers in the Western canon a bit redundant for me.

It may be useful to someone looking for advice on resolving individual problems or strengthening personal resilience or mindfulness, but I found it trite and lacking substance.

I would caution against using this as a gateway into the fuller philosophical approaches of the various thinkers. While it offers an accessible overview, it does so at the expense of a proper understanding of each approach's inherent complexity. It strikes me a too reductive in its reasoning to be of much use to anyone wanting a solid grasp of the theoretical foundations.

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Comments

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

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Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land

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This will hurt me...

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