Insurmountable Simplicities: Thirty-nine Philosophical Conundrums

by Roberto Casati, Achille C. Varzi

"Perhaps not all the stories that follow are true. They could, however, be true, and the Reader is invited to ponder this." So begins Insurmountable Simplicities , Roberto Casati and Achille Varzi's colorful incarnation of the many philosophical conundrums that hide in the wrinkles of everyday life. Why do mirrors seem to invert left and right but not up and down? How do we know whether strawberries taste the same for everyone? Where is it written that we must observe the law, and if it is not written, why should we observe it? What if we could swap brains-or the rest of our bodies? Insurmountable Simplicities is filled with stories, dialogues, and epistolary exchanges that cover a range of themes-such as personal identity, causality and responsibility, fortune, the nature of things, the paradoxes of time and space, the interface between logic and language-in captivating and inventive ways. Clear, concise, and intellectually engaging, this internationally acclaimed book brilliantly demonstrates that the beauty of philosophy resides in its thorough engagement with the simplicities of the world, insurmountable as they might initially appear.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Roberto Casati è un filosofo italiano. Direttore di Ricerca al Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) all'Institut Nicod, École normale supérieure di Parigi, è autore di saggi specialistici e di divulgazione, e ha insegnato in diverse università europee e statunitensi.

Reviews

[Gapag]

INSURMOUNTABLE DIARRHEA
The book expresses 39 philosophical conundrums as short dialogues to make them more easily accessible to non-specialists.

This book is annoyingly verbose.

The book is divided in chapters, grouping the conundrums by topic. Each chapter contains
1. an introduction
2. some dialogues targeting each a certain conundrum

Both are written in a ridiculously pretentious style; and I could tolerate (but not like) such style in the dialogues, but not in the introduction - this really shows how hopeless and pretentious the popularizing endeavor of the two authors is. Tell me what the conundrums are about in plain words, tell me where do they come from.

If, instead, this was no popularizing endeavor, the authors should pick another hobby.

I did not read the original in Italian (which I would predict to be even more verbose than this English incarnation), but the dialogues are dull: all the characters seem to be the same person whose command of English is that of your average expat academic writing papers, and watching series when not busy working.

Read this:

The meddler.[...] In fact, I did some calculations, and all things being equal, it turns out that we are going to skip midnight altogether. [...]
Passenger. I'm still not following you.

Omaigosh, sounds like Netflix, dsnit?

It is boring, a waste of time and money. I think there are many better books than this pretentious one.

[Maurizio Codogno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si può fare filosofia terra terra? Direi proprio di sì, leggendo questo libro. Il libro comprende una serie di raccontini, già apparsi in parte sulle pagine de <em>La Stampa</em>, dove i personaggi si trovano in situazioni paradossali e che però in un certo senso sono logicamente possibili. Occhei, non esiste un'ameba che dopo la scissione vede entrambe le nuove cellule rivendicare il diritto ad essere quella originaria, né esiste l'Isola delle Quattro Stagioni, che non è a forma di pizza ma è stata costruita sull'equatore e sulla linea di cambiamento di data. Però concettualmente possono esistere, e ci fanno notare che le nostre "certezze" sono problematiche. La cosa bella - o brutta? - è che non ci sono discussioni: si presentano semplicemente queste storie. La cosa sicuramente bella è che i racconti sono davvero piacevoli.

[Virpi Leinonen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jankkaa paljon samoja ajatuksia. Viihdyttävä paikoin, mutta piti ihan pakottaa itsensä lukemaan loppuun saakka.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Książka intrygująca. Historie króciutkie, z których każda inspiruje i zmusza do myślenia. Wracamy dzięki niej do punktu widzenia pytającego o wszystko dzieciaka, z tym że owe pytania to już zupełnie inna bajka.

Zaczyna się fascynująco, z lekka filozoficznie, kończy na zawiłościach logicznych. Do pewnego momentu czytało się ją jednym tchem, ale później nastał punkt zwrotny, w którym nie było już nawet zbyt interesująco.

Bardzo ciekawy pomysł. Książeczka, choć w zasadzie na jedno popołudnie, coś po sobie pozostawia.

[Valerio Spisani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro, come dire, simpatico. Leggero e divertente, alcune storielle funzionano altre un po' meno (a me in certi momenti ha ricordato le microstorie di Bernard Quiriny): da leggere a pezzetti, come mangiare una caramella ogni tanto (e non fate come faccio io di solito che divoro tutto il pacchetto alla velocità della luce).

[Ioannis Apostolopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Φυσικά το διάβασα στην Ελληνική του έκδοση από τις Εκδόσεις του Εικοστού Πρώτου με τίτλο " Ακατανίκητες απλότητες - 39 φιλοσοφικές ιστορίες " . Πρόκειται για ένα πρωτότυπο βιβλίο, μια όμορφη συλλογή από "φιλοσοφικά ανέκδοτα" .

[Fra Enrico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brevi racconti che illustrano vari paradossi filosofici, scritti con arguzia e divertimento. Ricordano vagamente le assurdità del Signor Veneranda di Carletto Manzoni, ma qui la base filosofica è più robusta

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un conjunto heterogéneo que te activa la cabeza y que sin duda es excelente para hacer pensar a alumnos sobre temas que, explicados de otra manera, podrían ser abstrusos. Dan ganas de juntarte con unos cuantos amigos, leer uno de los cuentos, y empezar a debatir.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a pretty readable philosophy book, though a somewhat tedious story collection.

[Clark West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A playful book about so many improbable scenarios. I feel like a little something is lost in translation, but otherwise I really enjoyed the back and forth between the players, interspersed with passages from the author.

[Kadry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more appropriate subtitle for this book would be: Practical Philosophy for the Rest of Us. It was entertaining, at times perplexing, and definitely far more interesting than any other philosophy text I've attempted to read. Great for fans of temporal mechanics, by the way.

[Päivi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viisastelua parhaimmillaan.

[Petri Poikolainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hauska ja viihdyttävä kirja sisältäen tarinoita, jotka pakottivat ajattelemaan eri näkökulmista.