There is only one condition: be curious…
Sophie was sure that the person who wrote the anonymous letter would write again. She decided not to tell anyone about it just yet.
Now, she has a hard time paying attention during school hours. What they were talking about seemed to be about sesame seeds and mung beans. Why couldn't they talk about things like, "What are people?" or "What is the world, and why does it exist?" For the first time in her life, she began to feel that, at school and elsewhere, all people cared about was Just some trivia. There are more important things in the world that need to be answered, things that are more important than any subject taught in school.
Is there anyone in the world who can answer these questions? In any case, Sophie feels that thinking about these questions is more important than memorizing those irregular verbs.
When the bell rang for the last class, she walked out of the school so fast that Qiao An had to run to catch up with her.
After a while, Qiao An said: "Shall we play cards this evening?" Sophie shrugged: "I don't like playing cards as much as before." Qiao An seemed to be struck by lightning.
"Really? Then let's play badminton." Sophie lowered her eyes and looked at the sidewalk, then raised her head and looked at Joan.
"I'm not very interested in badminton anymore." "Aren't you serious?" Sophie noticed the dissatisfaction in Qiao An's tone.
"Can you tell me what happened that suddenly became so important?" Sophie shook her head: "Well… it's a secret." "Oh! You are probably in love. The two of them walked away for a while, who Neither of them spoke. When they walked to the football field, Joan said, "I'm going to walk across the slope. "Walk up the slope! Yes, it was the shortest way home for Joan, but she usually only walked that way when she had guests at home or had to rush to the dentist.
Sophie began to regret her bad attitude towards Joan just now. But what could she say to her? Did she say that she had no time to play badminton because she was suddenly busy answering questions about who she was and where the world came from? Would Qiao An understand?
These are the most important and arguably the most natural questions in the world. But why is it so tiring to dwell on these questions? Sophie felt her heart beating faster when she opened the mailbox. At first she only saw a letter from the bank and several large brown envelopes with her mother's name on them. Damn! She actually began to frantically look forward to another letter from the unknown person.
When she closed the garden door, she found a large envelope with her name written on it. When she turned it over to open the letter, she saw the words on the back: "Philosophy course. Please handle with care." Sophie ran across the gravel road, threw her schoolbag on the steps, and stuffed the other letters in front of the door. Then she ran into the garden behind and hid in her secret hole. Only here could she open and read this large envelope.
Xueer also jumped in. Sophie was helpless because she knew that Xueer could not be driven away.
Inside the envelope were three pieces of typed paper, held together with a paper clip. Sophie began to read the letter.
What is philosophy? Dear Sophie: People have different tastes. Some people collect old coins or embroider foreign stamps, some spend most of their free time engaged in some kind of sport, and many read for pleasure, but the taste in reading varies from person to person. Some people only read newspapers or comics, some people like to read novels, and some people prefer books on certain special themes, such as astronomy, natural biology, or new technological knowledge.
If I am interested in horses or gems, I cannot expect others to be the same. If I enjoy watching sports on television, I have to live with the fact that some people think sports are boring.
But isn’t there one thing in the world that interests us all? Is there not one thing that concerns everyone—no matter who they are or where they live? Yes, dear Sue. Fei, of course there are some issues in the world that are of interest to everyone. And this course is about these questions.
What is the most important thing in life? If we ask someone who is living on the verge of starvation, his answer must be "food". If we ask a person who is about to freeze to death, the answer must be "warmth". If we asked the same question to a lonely person, the answer would probably be "the company of others."
However, when these basic needs are met, are there still things that everyone needs? Philosophers believe that the answer is yes. They believed that one could not live on bread alone. Of course, everyone needs food, and everyone needs love and care. But in addition to these, there is something that everyone needs, and that is: understanding who we are and why we are here.
Wondering why we are here is not a casual hobby like collecting stamps.
Those interested in such questions want to explore a question that has been debated for as long as there have been humans on earth: How did the universe, the earth and life come into being? This question is bigger than who won the most gold medals at last year's Olympics. Bigger and more important.
The best way to discuss philosophy is to ask some philosophical questions, such as: How was this world created? Is there some kind of will or meaning behind it? Is there life after death? How can we answer these questions? Most importantly, how should we live? People have asked these questions for thousands of years. As far as we know, there is no culture that does not care about such questions as "Who are we?" and "Where did the world come from?"
Basically, there are not many philosophical questions we have to ask. We have just raised the most important of these questions. However, throughout history, people have come up with different answers to each of these questions. Therefore, it is easier to ask philosophical questions than to answer them.
Even today each man must seek his answers to these questions individually. You can't look up the answers to questions like "Does God exist?" and "Is there life after death?" in an encyclopedia. Encyclopedias don't tell us how we should live. However, reading other people's opinions can help us develop our own perspective on life.
The philosopher's search for truth is much like a detective story. Some people think that Andersson is the murderer, while others think that Nelson or Johnson is the murderer. When it comes to crimes, the police may sometimes be able to solve them, but they may never be able to uncover the truth (although there must be a way to solve the crime somewhere). Therefore, even if it is difficult to answer a question, there is always one (and only one) correct answer. After death, a person either exists in some form or ceases to exist at all.
Many ancient mysteries of the past now have scientific explanations. Once upon a time, the dark side of the moon was mysterious. Since this is not the kind of problem that can be solved by discussion, what the moon really looked like at that time is a matter of personal imagination. But today we know for sure what the dark side of the moon looks like. No one "believes" that Chang'e exists or that the moon is made of green cheese anymore.
More than two thousand years ago, an ancient Greek philosopher believed that philosophy emerged because people were curious. He believed that people are so surprised by being alive that they naturally ask philosophical questions.
It's like watching someone do magic. Since we didn't understand the mystery, we asked: "How can a magician turn two or three white silk scarves into a living rabbit?" Many people also have a sense of disbelief about the world. It's like seeing a magician suddenly pull a rabbit out of an empty hat.
Regarding the sudden appearance of rabbits, we know that this is just a magician's trick. We just want to know how he does it. However, when it comes to matters concerning the world, things are a little different. We know that this world is not all a magician's trick, because we live in it, we are part of it.
In fact, we are the little white rabbit that was pulled out of the hat. The only difference between us and the little white rabbit is that the little white rabbit does not understand that it is participating in a magic show. We are the opposite. We feel like we are part of something mysterious and we want to understand its mysteries.
P. S; When it comes to the little white rabbit, it is best to compare it to the entire universe, and we humans are microscopic bugs living deep in the rabbit's fur. But the philosopher always tries to climb up the rabbit's fine hairs in order to see the magician clearly.
Sophie, are you still reading? To be continued… Sophie is really tired. "Are you still reading?" She couldn't even remember if she had stopped to take a breath while reading the letter! Who sent this letter? Of course it couldn't be the person who sent the birthday card to Sid, because the card contained Not only are there stamps, but there are also postmarks. But this brown envelope, like the two white letters, was dropped into the mailbox by someone personally.
Sophie looked at her watch. The time was two forty-five. Mom doesn't get off work until more than two hours.
Sophie crawled out, returned to the garden, and ran to the mailbox. Maybe there was another letter! She found another brown envelope with her name on it. This time she looked around but saw no one. She ran to the edge of the woods again and looked across the road.
There's no one there either.
Suddenly she seemed to hear a branch snapping deep in the woods.
But she wasn't 100% sure. Besides, if a person is determined to escape, it is useless to chase him.
Sophie entered the house and put her bag and the letter to her mother on the kitchen table. Then she ran up the stairs to her room and took out a biscuit box filled with beautiful pebbles. She poured the rocks on the floor and put the two large envelopes into the box. Then he hurried out into the garden, holding the biscuit box tightly in his hands. Before leaving, she took out some food for Xueer to eat.
"Cat! Cat! Cat squint!" After returning to the secret cave, she opened the second brown letter and took out a few pages of newly typed letter paper. She began to read the letter.
Strange Creatures Hi! Sophie, we meet again. As you can see, this short philosophy lesson will be presented in bite-sized chunks. The following is still the preface: Have I ever said that the only condition for being a good philosopher is to be curious? If I have not said it, then I will say now: the only condition for being a good philosopher is to be curious. Heart.
It’s no surprise that babies are curious. After just a few months in their mother's womb, they fell into a new world. But as they grow older, this curiosity seems to diminish. Why? Do you know the answer, Sophie? The world of Su Yi makes us suppose that if a newborn baby could talk, he might say how strange the world he came to was. For, even though he cannot speak, we can see how he looks left and right and reaches out curiously to touch everything around him.
After the child gradually learns to speak, every time he sees a dog, he will raise his head and say: "Woof! Woof!" He will jump up and down in the walker, wave his hands and say: "Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!" Those of us who are older and more well-informed may find this exuberance in children tiring. We will say indifferently: "Yes, yes, this is bark. Well, sit still and don't move the corpse. When we see a dog, we are not as fascinated as children, because we have already seen it."
The child will repeat this behavior over and over again, perhaps hundreds of times, before he no longer gets excited when he sees a dog. The same thing happens when he sees an elephant or a hippopotamus. Long before a child learns how to speak politely or think philosophically, he is accustomed to the world.
That's a shame, if you ask me.
Dear Sophie, I don’t want you to grow up to be someone who takes the world for granted. Just to be sure, we will take two or three thought tests before the course begins.
Please imagine that one day you go for a walk in the woods. Suddenly you see a small spaceship on the road ahead, and a tiny Martian climbs out of the cabin, standing on the road and looking up at you… What do you think? Forget it, it doesn't matter. . But have you ever thought you were a Martian yourself? Obviously, you're unlikely to suddenly bump into a creature from another planet. We don't even know if life exists on other planets. But one day you may suddenly find yourself. You might suddenly stop and see yourself in a completely different light while you're walking in the woods.
You think, "I am an extraordinary being. I am a mysterious creature." You feel as if you have just woken up from a dream. Who am I? you ask. You know you are walking on a planet in the universe. But what is the universe? If you suddenly realize your existence like this, you will find yourself as mysterious as the Martians we just mentioned. Not only do you see a life from outer space, but you also feel deep down that your own existence is so extraordinary. ． If you don't mind, Sophie, let's do another thought test now.
One morning, my father, mother and Xiaotong were having breakfast in the kitchen. After a while, my mother stood up and walked to the sink. At this time, Dad flew up and floated under the ceiling. Xiaotong sat there and watched. What do you think Xiaotong will say? Maybe he will point to his father and say: "Daddy is flying." Of course Xiaotong will be surprised, but he often has such experience.
Dad does so many amazing things, so the fact that he flew over the breakfast table this time was nothing special to Xiaotong. Every day Dad shaves with a funny machine, and sometimes he climbs to the roof. Adjust the TV's antenna. Or, he would occasionally stick his head into the hood of a car and come out with a black face. Okay, now it's mom's turn. When she heard what Xiaotong said, she turned around and took a look. How do you think she would react when she saw her father floating above the dining room table like nothing happened? She was so frightened that she dropped the jam jar and started screaming. By the time her father returned to his seat, she might have needed first aid. (From now on, dad should really pay attention to his table manners!) Why do Xiaotong and mom have such different reactions? What do you think? It’s all about habits. (Note: Mom already knows that people can’t fly, but Xiao Zhou doesn’t. He is still not sure what people can or cannot do in this world.
However, Sophie, what is going on in this world? It is also floating in space. Do you think this is possible? Unfortunately, as we grow up, we not only get used to gravity, but also to everything else in the world. As we grow up, we seem to lose our curiosity about the world. Because of this, we have lost a very important ability (this is also an ability that philosophers want to restore to people). Because, somewhere in our hearts, there is a voice telling us: life is a very huge and mysterious existence.
This is something we all have experienced before we learned to think like this.
To put it more plainly: although we all think about philosophical questions, not everyone will become a philosopher. For various reasons, most people are so busy with the minutiae of daily life that their curiosity about the world is suppressed. (Like those microscopic insects that crawl deep into a rabbit’s fur, stay there contentedly for a lifetime, and never come out again.) For children, everything in the world is new and surprising. of. Not so with adults. Most adults take this world for granted.
This is what makes philosophers different. Philosophers never get too accustomed to the world. For him or her, the world has always been somewhat irrational, even complicated, and mysterious. This is an important ability that philosophers and children share. You could say that throughout life a philosopher is as sensitive as a child.
So, Sophie, you have to make a choice now. Are you a child whose curiosity has not been worn away by the world? Or a philosopher who will never be so? If you just shake your head and don’t know whether you are a child or a philosopher, then you are so accustomed to this world that you No longer surprised by it. If so, you have to be careful, because you are in a dangerous phase, which is why you are taking this philosophy class. Because we want to be just in case. I will not allow you to become as emotionless and indifferent as everyone else. I hope you have a curious, intellectually curious mind.
There is no charge for this course, so there is no refund even if you do not complete it. If you don't want to join in the middle, that's okay, just put something in the mailbox as a signal. Preferably a live frog, or at least something green so as not to scare the mailman.
To sum up what I have said above, in short, the world is like a white rabbit pulled by a magician from his hat. It's just that the white rabbit is extremely large, so it took billions of years to perform this trick. All living things are born from the tips of the rabbit's fine hairs, and they are initially amazed by this incredible trick. But as they got older, they got deeper into the rabbit's fur and stayed. They feel so comfortable there that they don't want to risk climbing back to the top of the fragile fur. Only a philosopher embarks on this perilous journey to the pinnacle of what language and existence can achieve. Some of them fell off, but others clung to the fur and roared loudly at those who nestled deep in the soft fur and ate and drank to their heart's content.
They shouted: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space!" But the people below don't care what these philosophers are shouting.
These people would just say: "Wow! What a bunch of troublemakers" and then continue with their original conversation: Could you pass the cream, please? How much did our stock price go up today? What's the price of tomatoes now? Did you hear that? Princess Diana was pregnant again? That afternoon, when Sophie's mother came home, Sophie was still in a state of shock. She hid the iron box containing the mysterious philosopher's letter securely in the secret cave. Then she tried She began to do her homework, but as she sat there, all she could think about was the letter she had just read.
She had never thought so hard before. She wasn't a child anymore, but she hadn't really grown up yet. Sophie realized that she had begun to climb down into the warm and cozy fur of the rabbit (the one that had been pulled out of the hat of the universe), but was stopped midway by the philosopher. He (or maybe she) grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back to the tip of her head (where she had played as a child). There, at the very top of the rabbit's fur, she looked at the world again as though she were seeing it for the first time.
There is no doubt that the philosopher saved her. The anonymous person who wrote to her rescued her from the trivialities of daily life.
When her mother arrived home at five o'clock in the afternoon, Sophie pulled her into the living room and pushed her into an easy chair.
One day she started asking, "Mom, don't you think it's amazing that we are alive?" Her mother was really confused and didn't know how to answer. Usually when she comes home, Sophie is usually doing her homework.
"I guess so! Sometimes," she said.
"Sometimes? Yes, but – don't you think it's surprising that this world actually exists?" "Listen, Sophie, stop saying these things." "Why? Don't you think this world is ordinary? Isn't it strange?" "Isn't it? There is always some, right?" Sophie finally understood that the philosopher was right. Adults always take this world for granted and allow themselves to fall into a life of daily necessities without realizing it.
"You are so used to this world that you are not surprised by anything." "What on earth are you talking about?" "I mean you are so used to everything. In other words, you have become Very retarded." "Don't talk to me like that, Sophie!" "Well, let me put it another way. You are already too comfortable deep in the fur of the white rabbit that has been pulled out of the hat of the universe. In a little while you will take out the potatoes, then start reading the newspaper, then take a nap for half an hour, and then watch the news on TV." A look of worry flashed across my mother's face. She went into the kitchen and took out the potatoes. After a while she walked back into the living room, and this time it was her turn to push Sophie into the easy chair and sit down.
"I have something to talk to you about," she said. From the sound of her voice, Sophie could guess that something was serious.
"You didn't go to drink some medicine from someone, did you? Baby!" Sophie almost laughed. But she understood why her mother asked her that question.
"I'm not crazy," she said, "that would only make people duller!" That night, no one mentioned anything about the medicine or the white rabbit.
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