Socrates' puzzlement

Author: Robert Nozick (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: The joy of philosophy is endless, and the world of philosophy is boundless. Everything can be philosophically examined. But the deep motivation within a philosopher is to explain and understand the fundamental nature of things. On what basis are our beliefs, ethical principles, standards of reasoning and proof? What are the essence of the mind, matter, personal identity, causality, knowledge, free will, truth, and consciousness? How can all of these be brought together to form a meaningful whole? Is there anything more worthwhile to think about? Is there anything more noble than contemplating these questions? Aristotle once said, "This is the highest calling of humanity." Philosophy is not just about thinking; it is also a way of life, a life filled with and transformed by thought. Nietzsche once demanded: "You should live as you would have your life be eternally repeated." This seems a bit demanding. However, philosophy indeed constitutes a way of life, one worth pursuing to the very end, just as Socrates first demonstrated for us. —Nozick
This book consists of five independent parts, which are not fundamentally on the same theme, and even the subjects are inconsistent. It not only involves philosophy, political science, and ethics but also includes several philosophical novels. In the book, Nozick explores the issue of responsibility by arguing the proposition of "compulsion"; in the "Politics and Ethics" proposition, he provides a sharp analysis of why intellectuals oppose capitalism, and so on. He always discovers the "unreasonable" logic in what seems reasonable propositions, and he always finds loopholes in arguments that others consider impenetrable. With his astonishing analytical ability, he dismantles the opposing viewpoints to pieces. Perhaps you do not accept his views, but after reading his essays, you cannot help but re-examine the beliefs you once took for granted.
This book is the one among Nozick's works with the most unique style and also the one that best reflects his "fox-like" academic personality. Nozick is one of the most important representatives of classical liberalism since World War II and is considered "a highly successful scholar who has successfully combined academic inquiry with political concern by applying mainstream philosophical methodologies to explore major theoretical and practical issues in free societies." Nozick has received numerous international accolades and is hailed as "one of the two most readable philosophers of the second half of the 20th century, who can still be read a hundred years later." Domestically, he is highly revered, especially among active liberal scholars in recent years, where Nozick is regarded as being on par with Hayek, Havel, and Rawls.