When one intends to reflect on things, it seems appropriate to begin by a reflection on reflecting. One can ask many legitimate questions about how reflecting is possible, and one can debate the merit of particular reflections, but the question that comes first—especially in a pragmatic society like ours—is why? Why bother thinking?

Plenty could be said about the pleasant side of thinking (defining thinking here in the restricted sense of mental activity directed to the end of understandi...