A Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes

by Witold Gombrowicz, Benjamin Ivry (Translator)

Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969), novelist, essayist, and playwright, was one of the most important Polish writers of the twentieth century. A candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, he was described by Milan Kundera as “one of the great novelists of our century” and by John Updike as “one of the profoundest of the late moderns.”
Gombrowicz’s works were considered scandalous and subversive by the ruling powers in Poland and were banned for nearly forty years. He spent his last years in France teaching philosophy; this book is a series of reflections based on his lectures.
Gombrowicz discusses Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Heidegger in six “one-hour” essays and addresses Marxism in a shorter “fifteen-minute” piece. The text—a small literary gem full of sardonic wit, brilliant insights, and provocative criticism—constructs the philosophical lineage of his work.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Polish Literature, Poland, History, European Literature, Essays

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Gombrowicz was born in Małoszyce, in Congress Poland, Russian Empire to a wealthy gentry family. He was the youngest of four children of Jan and Antonina (née Kotkowska.) In 1911 his family moved to Warsaw. After completing his education at Saint Stanislaus Kostka's Gymnasium in 1922, he studied law at Warsaw University (in 1927 he obtained a master’s degree in law.) Gombrowicz spent a year in Paris where he studied at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales; although he was less than diligent in his studies his time in France brought him in constant contact with other young intellectuals. He also visited the Mediterranean.

When he returned to Poland he began applying for legal positions with little success. In the 1920s he started writing, but soon rejected the legendary novel, whose form and subject matter were supposed to manifest his 'worse' and darker side of nature. Similarly, his attempt to write a popular novel in collaboration with Tadeusz Kępiński turned out to be a failure. At the turn of the 20's and 30's he started to write short stories, which were later printed under the title Memoirs Of A Time Of Immaturity. From the moment of this literary debut, his reviews and columns started appearing in the press, mainly in the Kurier Poranny (Morning Courier). He met with other young writers and intellectuals forming an artistic café society in Zodiak and Ziemiańska, both in Warsaw. The publication of Ferdydurke, his first novel, brought him acclaim in literary circles.

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Gombrowicz took part in the maiden voyage of the Polish cruise liner, Chrobry, to South America. When he found out about the outbreak of war in Europe, he decided to wait in Buenos Aires till the war was over, but was actually to stay there until 1963 — often, especially during the war, in great poverty.

At the end of the 1940s Gombrowicz was trying to gain a position among Argentine literary circles by publishing articles, giving lectures in Fray Mocho café, and finally, by publishing in 1947 a Spanish translation of Ferdydurke written with the help of Gombrowicz’s friends, among them Virgilio Piñera. Today, this version of the novel is considered to be a significant literary event in the history of Argentine literature; however, when published it did not bring any great renown to the author, nor did the publication of Gombrowicz’s drama Ślub in Spanish (The Wedding, El Casamiento) in 1948. From December 1947 to May 1955 Gombrowicz worked as a bank clerk in Banco Polaco, the Argentine branch of PeKaO SA Bank. In 1950 he started exchanging letters with Jerzy Giedroyc and from 1951 he started having works published in the Parisian journal Culture, where, in 1953, fragments of Dziennik (Diaries) appeared. In the same year he published a volume of work which included the drama Ślub (The Wedding) and the novel Trans-Atlantyk, where the subject of national identity on emigration was controversially raised. After October 1956 four books written by Gombrowicz appeared in Poland and they brought him great renown despite the fact that the authorities did not allow the publication of Dziennik (Diaries), and later organized

Reviews

[Riku Sayuj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally, A 'Self-Help' Book 

Witold Gombrowicz’s ‘Cours de philosophie en six heures un quart” began as lectures to his wife and his good friend Dominique de Roux. Apparently, in a fit of depression, Gombrowicz once asked de Roux to get him a gun or some poison so that he could kill himself.

De Roux, hoping to take his friend’s mind off the heart problems that were eventually to kill him, asked Gombrowicz for lessons in philosophy. According to Rita Gombrowicz, “Dominique understood full well that only philosophy, in this moment of physical decadence, had the power to mobilize his spirit.”

It was thus conceived as a “self-help” book, in the most literal sense in which I have yet encountered that term.

This first published English translation of A Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes retains the anonymous footnotes and textual gaps of the original French publication.

And this complete lack of reference to any sources, the entirely perambulatory nature of the lectures and the infuriating textual gaps makes this book an ordeal to read through without mounting frustration and occasional rants at the dearly departed.

A Sampling:

For us, the Cosmos must have a cause because [sentence incomplete] internally contradictory idea.

***

This will to live, in order to be seen as phenomenon, must assume [sentence incomplete].

***

Structuralism is a difficult thing to define because it originates in different regions of thought. It is both the fruit of mathematical thought, like the linguistic studies of Saussure, and [sentence incomplete] and in the sociology of Lévi-Strauss and even [the text breaks off here].

The entire exercise is a loosely strung collection of very personal almost-notes on philosophy. I am pretty sure Rita and De Roux humored Witold through the whole 16 odd hours. One of the more interesting thoughts were the ones on Kant’s [sentence incomplete].

It is also sometimes poised on great insight but incomplete, not just in execution, but also in scope. It needs a thoroughly well-read student of philosophy, especially one of [sentence incomplete], to have the erudition and experience to fill in the gaps left by Witold in his scribblings. I would recommend it only to [text indecipherable here].

In good conscience, It has to be admitted that sometimes these ‘[incomplete]’s are fun too since they make you pause in the flow and think - maybe even beyond the original thoughts of the author, perhaps? This could be a valuable tool to use in teaching philosophy, almost Platonic in conception - to break the comfortable reading of philosophy and move towards the uncomfortable formulation of self-made thoughts - fill-in-the-blanks-philosophy, if I may I call it so.

In any case, I would still say that the book is [text breaks off here].

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aišku, kad nesąmonė yra galvoti -kodėl mylim vieną ar kitą objektą (šiuo atveju aš myliu Gombrowicz). Tačiau vat paėmiau ir pagalvojau. Biški (pagalvojau). Gal būt labiausiai myliu jį už tą jo keistą humoro jausmą, (auto)ironiją. Man žiauriai patinka, kad jis kažkaip lyg ir nerimtai - apie rimtus dalykus.
Visa ta jo knygelė atrodo nerimtai, bet čia ir yra jos žavesys!

'Genijus yra nesuprastas ir niekam nenaudingas. Tai puiki paguoda tiek man, tiek Schopenhaueriui!'

'Gyvename absoliučiai tragiškame pasaulyje. Sakoma, kad Schopenhaueris pesimistas. Mažų mažiausiai! Jo pasaulio vizija vienu metu ir didinga, ir tragiška, o tai juk tobulai atitinka tikrovę.'

...ir taip toliau...

[Mohammadjavad Abbasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

فلسفه در شش ساعت و پانزده دقیقه در واقع جزوه های درس استاد فلسفه گومبرویچ است که حدود دوزاده جلسه را شامل میشه و این خود یکی از نکته های امتیاز کتاب است زیرا جزوه در صدد فهماندن مطلب به مخاطب است و از سادگی برخوردار میشود.

این کتاب تاریخ فلسفه نیست بلکه آموزش عقاید و نظرات فیلسوفان است.دیدگاه های دکارت،کانت،شوپنهاور،نیچه،مارکس،سارتر،هگل و هایدگر را آموزش میدهد و واقعا در این کار موفق بوده است

دیدگاه هایی چون سوبژکتویته،نقد عقل محض کانت،اگزیستانسیالیسم،تز کمونیسم و دیالکتیک هگل در این کتاب آموزش داده میشود.

[Pavelas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Šios mirties patale padiktuotos pastabos apie filosofiją vertos dėmesio. Pamaniau, kad rašytojai galėtų dažniau imtis filosofinį palikimą išversti į žmonių kalbą negrožiniuose tekstuose. Kai filosofija tiesmukai perteikiama grožinėje literatūroje, man dažniausiai nepatinka, o štai toks paskaitų formatas pasirodė labai vykęs.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice exposure to some very big ideas in philosophy - will provide topical information that you may want to go and find more information on.

[Christopher (Donut) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I picked this up after reading about Gombrowicz in Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts, I would not recommend it as an introduction to him, or to philosophy.
I take it for granted that all Polish writers are philosophically astute. As W.G. points out here, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche were all POLISH!

I see ratings waver between three and four stars. Three stars, because there is a bit of this:

Third antinomy of the idea of the Cosmos. For us, the Cosmos must have a cause because [sentence incomplete] internally contradictory idea. Fourth antinomy. God must exist for us, and at the same time he cannot exist. Kant lists three theological arguments here to demonstrate the existence of God. Now, [sentence incomplete].

Four stars (for me at least) for the likes of this:

How can anguish be defined?

Fear is the fear of something.
Anguish is the fear of nothing, of non-meaning, of not giving some meaning to the world, and of losing oneself.

It is an experience of nothingness and one of the main sources of the mania for nothingness which has stupidly taken hold of European culture and literature.

For me, the stupidity comes from an extremism which is in no way man’s true reality. Man is a being who needs a moderate temperature; neither the microcosmos nor the macrocosmos is man’s domain. Modern physics proves that some perfectly correct laws for the micro and macro world are not carried out in our human reality.

For man, a straight line will always be the shortest distance between two points and not the curve, as demonstrated by astronomical dimensions. I am of the school of Montaigne, and I favor a more moderate attitude: we must not succumb to theories, but must know that systems have a very short life and not allow ourselves to be imposed on.

[Miglė]

Kažkodėl atrodo, kad kai žmogus yra arti mirties, jam turėtų atsiverti kažkokie išminties klodai, nuo gyvenimo dulkių apvalytos mintys ir t.t. Atsimenu, kai merdėjo mano močiutė (man buvo kokie 8-9 metai), svajojau, kad prieš pat numirdama ji atskleis, kur paslėptas koks nors lobis ar pasakys šiaip ką nors labai ypatingo. Bet nieko tokio nenutiko. Po to, kai sustojo širdis, ji tiesiog kelis kartus giliai įkvėpė ir viskas.

Man atrodo, iš "priešmirtinių" knygų irgi nevertėtų tikėtis kažko, ko nesitikėjai iš ankstesnių to paties autoriaus knygų. Šioje mažiau Gombrovičiui įprastos ironijos, kažkaip tarsi iš paties teksto jaučiasi, kad jam skauda, sunku etc. Sykiais prasimuša ir humoras, ir megalomanija, ir autoironija, bet ne taip, kaip "Dienoraščiuose".

Filosofai, išskyrus Schopenhauerį, atrodo žmonės, patogiai įsitaisę savo foteliuose ir apie skausmą kalbantys su visiškai olimpiška panieka, išgaruojančia tą dieną, kai jie eina pas dantų gydytoją ir rėkia: "Oj, oj, gydytojau!"

Šioje knygelėje (beje, tikrai labai maža knygelė, kurios 38 p. dar sudaro įžanginis straipsnis) kalbama apie filosofijos tradiciją, apie kurią aš šiaip nelabai daug žinau, t.y. apie:

Kantas -> Schopenhaueris -> Hegelis -> Kierkegaardas -> Heideggeris -> Sartras -> Marxas

Galima pasigaudyti minčių apie šiuos autorius ir susidaryti įspūdį apie jų filosofiją, bet būtent įspūdį, ne gausias žinias ar išsamų supratimą.

Šopenhaueris norėjo rezignuoti, sunaikinti valią gyventi.
Man vis dar paslaptis, kaip tokios įdomios knygos, kaip Schopenhauerio (ir mano!) neranda savo skaitytojų.
Schopenhaueris nekentė Hegelio. Jis visada kartojo: Tas mulkis Hegelis!

Geriausia šią knygelę skaityti jei norite sužinoti ne tiek apie minėtus filosofus, bet Gombrovičiaus nuomonę apie minėtus filosofus, žodžiu, labai specifinė knygelė, nors ir graži, bet nežinau, kaip įvertinti.

[david-baptiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

a gallows humor tour of some of the West's major philosophers from Descartes to Sartre, Heidegger--
the book is from 1969, the lectures delivered to Gombrowicz's wife Rita and a friend of theirs; the author was in the last year of his life--Rita and the friend thought engaging in a project would help WG with a depression from illness--and it did--a very funny and incisive book--WG is a Polish Pessimist (like Joseph Conrad)--subjecting the philosophers to a ruthless and gaily gallows questioning of their works via paring them down to fundamentals--the Giacometti skeletal figure inside the weighty garb of the Philosopher's New Clothes in a sense, while at the same being a display of love for the subject--

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine if Witold Gombrowicz was my philosophy professor I would visit his office hours and he would go on long tangents about the state of Europe and communism and he'd only be interrupted when his dog Psina would enter, barking. I would smile and listen and cross my legs so he could see I'm wearing thigh high socks.
I say this knowing full well he was never a professor and therefore never held office hours.
Though he did marry a Canadian...

[Нина Илчева · Rating 5 out of 5]

Забележителен труд! Жалко , че Гомбрович не е живял достатъчно , за да успее да напише цялостна история на съвременната философия! В тези, скромни 144 страници, можете да откриете целият фундамент на философията въобще , предаден по - най разбираемия начин! Гениален мислител! С голям ентусиазъм ще започна и романът му "Космос"! Препоръчвам!

[Ietrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally somebody who agrees with the continental philosophy, yet tries to make the ideas clear with examples and in the fewest words possible. Obviously most people would cry blasphemy and genuinely dislike it. But Witold Gombrowicz is an aristocrat and most "continentals" just poor boys weaseling up the academic hierarchy.

[Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I pretty much enjoy any book on or about philosophy or the history thereof. Unfortunately, though Gombrowicz (a Polish novelist) gets most (if not all) of the facts correct, he seems to throw in his own ideas on every page, which may leave the inattentive or uninformed reader confused later on, when someone mentions a certain thinker (pick one from this book), and alll you can think of is the word 'consciousness.' Gombrowicz focuses heavily on the idea of consciousness and meaning in a Godless world, it seems, and, though this has meaning and import, it isn't all there is to say from thinkers as varied as Kant, Sartre, and Marx. Consciousness isn't the only story here. Their philosophies are presented in a kind of messy manner, which is entertaining if you already know what the authors think. If you are looking for a primer, or, as a someone is quoted on the back of the book, for "that philosophy course you never took," then this is not the book for you. There are other introductions to philosophy that are informative in ways that won't leave you looking foolish in your next conversation on the metanarrative of the world-historical approach of the Hegelian dialectic. If you don't know what I'm talking about in the last sentence, PLEASE skip this book. I say that because I want you to understand these thinkers, not Gombrowicz's oftentimes very skewed outlook on them.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I found to be most interesting in this book, is the fact that it is a last testimony of a dying philosopher, in the form of notes to prepare lessons on Philosophy. It manages to bring up most of the questions about BEING, LIFE and TIME that are the backbone of any true philosophical search. It is easily read, and yet, if one will take it step by step, it can be a good program for studying some of those Thinkers that questioned and changed mentalities and paradigms.

Maria Carmo

Lisbon

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars is what I would really like to give this book. A concise, cheeky overview.

I like Gombrowicz's fiction and don't know much about philosophy, so I thought I'd try it. I did learn a lot and I liked his tone, but it would probably be better for me to read more deeply before getting a condensed overview.

I would probably recommend it to those who took a good philosophy course in college (I unwisely sidestepped it) and want a fun refresher.

[Lubomír Tichý · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tak hlavně že se díky tomu nezabil; jinak je to spíš takový odkrojek, byť lze vystopovat všelijaké vazby k beletristickému dílu (kosmos, nedospělost, forma), ale popravdě mě zaujalo spíš jméno Gombrowiczova psa (Psina) a pak nějaké ty poznámačky na hranici sebechvály a sebeironie.

"Smutný spisovatel, který se považuje za pána reality, je k smíchu. Ha, ha, ha! Uf!“

[Emilija Filipenkovaitė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turiu įtarimą, kad Gombrovičius prieštarautų jos leidimui

[żwirownia]

Ktoś znający się na filozofii nie znajdzie tutaj wiedzy odkrywczej. Natomiast ja, jako ekspertka od absolutnie niczego, znalazłam parę ciekawostek i myśli do których będę wracać. Ciężko mi ocenić tę książkę w sposób jakkolwiek sensowny lub obiektywny bo:
1. Jest to Gombrowicz(!)
2. Wzrusza mnie jakoś sama geneza jej powstania i nic na to nie poradzę.
Na swoją obronę mam jednak [zdanie niekompletne]

[Aram · Rating 3 out of 5]

جزوه‌ای ساده، خلاصه و در عین حال لذت‌بخش درباره اصلی‌ترین فیلسوف‌ها و تفکراتشون. شاید تنها مشکلش که بزرگ‌ترینش هم هست، نویسنده عقاید و نظرات شخصیش و برداشتش از اون تفکرات رو هم به کلاس درسش اضافه می‌کنه که چون خیلی خلاصه توضیح میده، نمیشه جدی گرفت و قانع‌کننده نیست

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto bello, sarcastico, succinto e riassuntivo. Un bel libro di filosofia ridotto ai minimi termini, un po' come dice il libro, ma il quarto d'ora sul Marxismo io lo avrei allungato un pochino :)

[Rafal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trochę chaotyczna a trochę za mało wiem. Zaczyna się od Kanta, a kończy na marksiźmie i krytyce naiwności lewicowego "marzenia szlachetnych dusz".

Oprócz tego: Schopenhauer, Sartre, Hegel, Kirkegard, Heidegger i Nietzsche. 3+

[Sondos · Rating 5 out of 5]

فلسفه به زبان ساده و قابل فهم. اندکی مقایسه و اندکی تفکر.

[Bijan · Rating 5 out of 5]

یک شاهکار، متنی بسیارعالی- کتابی که فلسفه مدرن را نه به صورت تاریخ فلسفه، بلکه با دید آموزشی و با فرو رفتن به عمق تفکرات و پیوند دادن نظرات فلاسفه قرن هجدهم، نوزدهم و بیستم به طرز بسیار جالبی، خواننده را با سیر پیشرفت تکاملی موضوعاتی از قبیل: سوژه، ابژه، هستی، وجود و اگزیستانسیال، پدیدارشناسیِ نقش تاریخ و سیاست و ادبیات در این موضوعات، آشنا کرده و متنی بسیار عمیق و جذاب را برای خواندن رقم می‌زند که این ویژگیها البته با نام پیش پا افتاده کتاب، چندان همخوانی ندارد.

فلسفه را نه فقط در ۶ ساعت که در ۶ سال نیز نمی توان آموخت، اما کتاب فلسفه درشش ساعت و پانزده دقیقه، طرحی تامل برانگیز از برداشت های هشیارانه ویتولد گومبروویچ ، نویسنده لهستانی را درباره برخی از مطرح ترین مباحث فلسفی به دست می دهد.

خواندن این کتاب کوتاه( 137 صفحه)، موجز و عمیق، به علاقمندان ریشه‌ها و پیوندهای فلسفه کانت، هگل،‌ شوپنهاور، نیچه، هوسرل، سارتر و هایدوگر اکیدا توصیه می‌گردد زیرا که در آموزش این تفکرات پیچیده بسیار موفق عمل کرده است. البته کتاب در حقیقت، بیانگر نگرش شخصیِ گومبروویچ به تفکر مدرن و بنیان‌گذاران آن است.

معرفی کتاب:
(نام کتاب: فلسفه در شش ساعت و پانزده دقیقه -
2004-A Guide to Philosophy in Six Hours and Fifteen Minutes

نویسنده: ویتولد گومبروویچ - (1969-1904)Witold Gombrowicz- لهستانی‌تبار- 24 سال خودتبیعیدی به آرژانتین و در نهایت مقیم فرانسه

مترجم: مجید پروانه پور
انتشارات: ققنوس
سال نشر: ۱۳۹۰
تعداد صفحات: ۱۳۷ صفحه)

محتویات کتاب:

به نظر می‌آید که کتاب را درواقع خود گومبروویچ ننوشته است؛ بلکه آنچه در قالب کتاب حاضر جمع‌آوری و ویراستاری شده، یادداشت‌های یکی از دانشجویان حاضر در کلاس‌های فلسفه او بوده که از ۲۷ آوریل 1969 تا ۲۵ مه 1969 برگزار شده است. گومبروویچ حدود دو ماه بعد از این درس‌ها، بر اثر سکته قلبی در 24 جولای 1969 از دنیا رفت.

به سبب دست‌نوشته بودنِ اصل کتاب و این‌که مطالب آن احتمالا یادداشت‌های دانشجویی گمنام است، بریدگی‌ها، افتادگی‌ها و گاه ابهام‌هایی در آن به چشم می‌خورد. اما پیوستگی و قوام مطالب و روان بودن و چندین نکته دیگر این حدس را در ذهن می‌آفریند که احتمالا کتاب را خود گومبروویچ نوشته است. زیرا تسلط، دقتِ دانش، طنز کلام و تیزی ذهن گومبروویچ در آن نمایان است.در هر صورت، حتی اگر این نوع نوشتن، ترفند گومروویچ باشد، باز هم یک نوآوری در این سطح از آموزش و نوشتن است.


مزایای کتاب:

- ترجمه روان و دقیق آقای مجید پروانه‌پور

- سبک بسیار جالب در بیان و پیوند دادن افکار فلاسفه مطرح اخیر همرا با پیامدهای فکری‌شان

- بیان افکار غامض این فیلسوفان به زبانی ساده

- این کتاب شامل شش درس کوتاه است که هر کدام از درس‌های آن در حقیقت یک جلسه درس یک‌ساعته بوده‌اند و نام کتاب نیز به همین جهت انتخاب شده است.

- شروع مطالعه‌ی فلسفه، از آغاز فلسفه‌ی مدرن یعنی فلسفه‌ی کانتی و دکارتی

- این کتاب پر است از پرسش‌ها و جملاتی درباره کابرد فلسفه، نظام‌های فلسفی، زندگی از دید شوپنهاور، نیچه و . . .

- نویسنده حاصل سالها تعمق و کندوکاو خود در عالم فلسفه را طی جلاتی کوتاه بیان کرده و از آنجا که خودش فلسفه‌دانی پرمغز و صاحب نگرش است، تلاش کرده است دیدگاه‌های شخصی‌اش را نیز در این درسها بگنجاند، تا آنجا که مثلا در جایی خود را به لحاظ فلسفی متقدم بر سارتر معرفی نموده است.


معایب کتاب:

- بنده عیب چندان قابل توجهی در آن نیافتم. تنها به خلاصه بودن بیان نظرات شخصی نویسنده درباره تفکرات فیلسوفان مورد بحث، می‌توان اشاره کرد که این موضوع هم، چندان این شاهکار را تحت‌الشعاع قرار نمی‌دهد.

لازم به تذکر است که اگر خواننده محترم، با افکار تک‌تک فلاسفه نامبرده شده بالا، در حد مقدماتی آشنا باشد، آنگاه خواننده قدر و منزلت واقعی این کتاب بسیار عمیق، موجز و آموزشی-تدریسی را عمیقا درک خواهد کرد.

گومبروویچ بیش از ده اثر به صورت رمان و نمایشنامه و اپرا دارد که چندین اثرش شهرت جهانی دارند. مثلا Ferdydurke نوشته سال 1937. ولی همه این آثار به لحاظ محتوی، متاسفانه در حال حاضر در داخل کشور، قابلیت ترجمه به زبان فارسی را ندارند.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide to understand philosophy. more than basic notions are needed, though

[Pablo Soto Mota · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aunque la historia de cómo nació el libro es buena, el texto en sí falla mucho.
La historia es que Witold Gombrowicz, luego de una vida como literato, dio este curso a un pequeño grupo de amigos prácticamente desde su lecho de muerte. El libro se compone por las notas tomadas por alguna de sus alumnas. Estas son ligeras y llevaderas. En ocasiones escribe palabras sueltas o frases inconclusas, pero en general se comprende bien el hilo del argumento.
Sin embargo, debe señalarse que no es un curso de Filosofía. Gombrowicz habla de filósofos modernos, empezando por Kant y terminando con Heidegger. Comenta su vida, obra y algunas intuiciones de su pensamiento. En ese sentido, se podría decir que es un curso de Historia de la Filosofía, no de Filosofía en sí. Además, existen algunas explicaciones de los filósofos que parecen equivocadas o exageradas. No sería recomendable ni como introducción a dichos filósofos pues en ocasiones se deja ver más la opinión de Gombrowicz respecto a los temas abordados que un intento serio de explicar el trabajo de los filósofos.

[Gulliver's Bad Trip · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a walkthrough inside modern philosophy with a special attention over the insidiousness surrounding Marxism i.e. the "fifteen minutes". Beyond the relevant differences on topics, Gombrowicz identifies reduction as a common tendency of thought (which is something that is expressed in the very thinness of the book) along its development centered into consciousness throughout time (this seems to be the outcome of the occurrent blank spaces that occurred here and there when things went too much complex while death approached without rest).

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Can't you focus on something else," people sometimes ask when we're struggling with something we can't change at that moment. Battling cancer, Gombrowicz chose to concentrate on putting together this delightfully breezy survey of Western philosophy with a good portion devoted to Nietzsche. I especially enjoyed his take on Sartre and Descartes and now feel curious to learn more about Husserl. The book also helped me get my mind off my own sources of anguish. Philosophy can do that sometimes, you know.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Gombrowicz! This really is a guide to philosophy - although anyone who could read it, let alone grasp the depth of the analysis in 6 hours and 15 minutes, is way beyond my capabilities. Brilliant, caustic, critical, complementary, challenging - and Gombrowicz to the core. I'll have to mark it down as one to re-read when I'm lying on a beach somewhere and can really just read a chapter a day; I sometimes read three chapters in a day, and it was just too much analysis to hold in my head!

[Nikita Malhotra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing review of things you might have forgotten from a philosophy class- wouldn't recommend it to those who haven't already encountered these thinkers before. Although it might be fun to read along while currently studying these philosophers. It's like uncovering your professors class notes.

[zweefteef · Rating 1 out of 5]

pure fucking shit. not a guide at all, just some guy making unsupported and very personal and informal claims about a random group of philosophers he tries to connect. Only “fun” if you know and understand all these philosophers already and don’t mind a smug annoying arrogant writer who thinks he knows everything.

[Alvaro Sánchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good introduction on Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Sartre and Marx. But I have some complains. For example, there were some incomplete paragraphs and I didn't like how he mixed personal opinions with the description and analyisis of the philosophers.