Reading books on philosophy versus reading philosophy books: for one not at home with the latter, the former can feel like eavesdropping on a conversation already in progress, while delving into the latter without first engaging with the former is like trying to face 4’33” with nothing but the score—a classic ‘chicken or the egg’ dilemma, so to speak—and yet all one has to do is to reach for the Republic and the Socratic dialogues rather than Phenomenology of Spirit or Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus if one wishes to start with the latter, and in the case of the former, Russell’s History of Western Philosophy makes a sound starting point. But to find this out, one either needs a stroke of luck or a good mentor.

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More words to ponder at maciejmodzelewski.com