What Does It All Mean? a Very Short Introduction To Philosophy By Thomas Nagel

Ratings:

Age Group: 15-16 + Availability: 9/10 Cleanliness: 10/10 Overall: ****

Review:

What Does It All Mean? By Thomas Nagel is a very interesting and thought-provoking book.  A self-proclaimed “introduction to philosophy for people who don’t know the first thing about the subject”, this book is a great starting place for those who would like to study philosophy, or who are just curious about the subject. The author presents nine of the greatest arguments in philosophy, including how we know anything, the meaning of life, free will and how language is possible.  Each argument is presented clearly and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions based on their beliefs. The book also gives room for thought and starts the reader thinking about a multitude of previously unimagined concepts, like whether he actually exists outside of his own mind.

This book is suitable for student in their mid- high-school years and indeed the author even states: “I would be very glad if the book were also of interest to intelligent high school students with a taste for abstract ideas and theoretical arguments – should any of them read it.” And certainly, they should read it, if not to study philosophy, at least to give them another view of their world. An excellent and informative book.

Nota Bene: Some of the concepts discussed, like death or whether we really exist, could be unsettling to anyone with suicidal thoughts or an inclination to depression.

What Does It All Mean? By Thomas Nagel, Oxford University Press, 1987.