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Quick-fire philosophy lesson
JAMIE JOHNSON finds serenity, courage and wisdom in an easy-to-read graphic novel
Art: Nicoby
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Sophie’s World
by Vincent Zabus and Nicoby
SelfMadeHero, £18.99
JOSTEIN GAARDER’s best-selling novel, exploring a teenager’s introduction to the history of philosophy, was first published in 1991. Since then it’s been translated into 59 languages and sold over 40 million print copies.
This graphic novel version illustrates Sophie’s initial confrontations with philosophical thought and gets to grips with the period between Socrates and Galileo. Along the way it also touches on the concepts of idealism and determinism and doesn’t shy away from exploring Sophie’s own misunderstandings and occasional confusion.
In Sophie’s world it’s more useful to learn to think philosophically than memorise theories, and she’s clear that philosophers shouldn’t be in ivory towers preaching to those experiencing the struggles of everyday life.
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