“Something must have come from nothing.”

Sophie’s World is a work of philosophical fiction that explores the long debated questions of philosophy and existence, in a manner comprehensible to young adults. The Norwegian author, Jostein Gaarder, sets the novel in his home country. Its protagonist is Sophie — a sarcastic, irreverent, and opinionated 15-year-old girl — whose approach to everything somewhat lightens the weightiness of the topics being deliberated. Still, what the book does to one’s mind in a mere 427 pages feels life altering. Starting right from the introduction, the author instills a sense of responsibility in the reader — for our environment and society. Through the course of the novel, we are educated on how to think and inquire like a philosopher, and about the eminent philosophies of Europe. Gaarder further incorporates the cultural and ideological changes to Western society through the ages that have shaped our global present.

The form of the book can be seen as an epistolary, as initially it consists of Sophie’s correspondence with her mysterious philosophy teacher, Alberto. Both characters are then subjected, along with the reader, to a clever plot twist that completely changes our view of the story. As more characters are added and the accepted reality is questioned, we are prodded to think of the true power of a writer, whose agency is portrayed as akin to the role of God.

As I journeyed with Sophie through the minds of natural philosophers — Diogenes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle — it became clear that I would only be getting educated in patriarchal Western philosophy. For example, the chapter dedicated to Aristotle talks of his extensive work on his philosophical project as well as his ethics and politics, with a small last section on his views on women. To put it simply, he believed that women exist only for reproductive purposes and are incomplete versions of men. His words held a lot of sway throughout the Middle Ages, and helped to justify the church’s oppression and mistreatment of women. Gaarder does recognize Aristotle’s shortcomings in this aspect, and mentions the sexist beliefs of other philosophers. He adds that women have played a significant role in science, religion, and education but are still not given due credit or recognition. We discover women’s exclusion from important histories does not mean they did not involve themselves in the same kind of thinking and research as men. In fact, they were often more practical and scientific than the latter sex. Gaarder’s critically feminist approach to the accepted philosophies, coupled with the neutrality with which he writes of the male philosophers, makes this book a well-rounded source of knowledge and a foundation for the readers’ own revolutionary and reflective musings.

It was refreshing to be exposed to the truths of the misogyny and blatant sexism of a male-dominated profession, as well as their anthropocentric and sexist perspectives. The world is not always kind to people who are different, whether it be in terms of sexuality, gender, race, or class, and Sophie — although clearly privileged — seems to understand that. Her indignation and frustration upon hearing how revered philosophers spoke about women and their exclusion of children, animals, and plants in their philosophical projects is something I, too, understand. In a society that is still dominated by the upper class — mostly men — and their notions of success and progress, this kind of frustration is important. Sophie speaks for all of us on countless occasions as she stands up for the minority, scorning the philosophers for their problematic theories. Personally, I felt represented by her, as a part of the generation that is taking the brunt of our predecessors’ destructive actions and regressive thinking. Although I would have preferred for her voice and defiance to have a larger role in the story, I internally cheered every time she did say something rebellious.

(*Warning: this paragraph contains spoilers!*) The novel is divided mostly into chapters aligning with a specific philosopher or cultural epoch. There are some chapters that focus on the present world of Sophie, Alberto, Hilde and other minor characters. While we are led to believe that Sophie is in charge of the narrative, it is later revealed that she is only a character in another young girl’s book. Hilde, a 15-year-old with a father in the military, receives Sophie’s World as a birthday present from him. The use of an epistolary form brings an element of intrigue and suspense to the book, as Sophie initially only corresponds with her philosophy teacher through letters. This is mirrored as we are given access to Hilde’s experience of reading the book as well, and both Sophie’s and Hilde’s worlds start blending together. Gaarder further utilizes imagery and metaphors to add to the fantastical yet vivid effect of reading a book inside another book. This bizarre aspect is accentuated by the characterization of Alberto as eccentric and enigmatic, as he explicitly displays awareness of being a character in a book. By using this unique structural device, the author highlights the theme of the agency and power of a writer. Gaarder compares authors to God by pointing out the similarity between creating a fictional world and presiding over the real world. This blurs the line between the two realities in the book, and keeps the reader hooked, while tactfully staying focused on the main topics of philosophy.

Reading this book made me realize how little we, as a society, truly think these days. That’s not to say that we should be dedicating our lives to philosophical projects, as Locke or Descartes did. By simply thinking about our origins and histories, we can also start to analyze the flaws and prejudices rooted in them. Even though living in our own bubbles may grant us very comfortable and blissfully ignorant lives, it will leave so many questions about the world, people, nature, and, most importantly, ourselves unanswered. Early in the book, Gaarder writes, “For various reasons most people get so caught up in everyday affairs that their astonishment at the world gets pushed into the background.” This curiosity is precisely what is needed to understand oneself, our identity and individuality. We figure out “Who are we?” by asking “Where does the world come from?” At its core, I feel that the book is less about teaching the reader philosophy and more about creating a sense of self-awareness and curiosity. In the beginning Alberto poses many questions to Sophie, and by extension the reader, which left me somewhat helpless and frustrated because I was not able to come up with a definitive answer. But then he asks, “Are you a child who has not yet become world-weary? Or are you a philosopher who will vow never to become so?” At this point the readers realize that the goal should be to always be open and questioning, no matter how much we get used to the world in adulthood.

I give Sophie’s World 4.5 out of five stars, and recommend it mostly for those 15 years old and above. Though it was most popular with millennials in the late 90s and early 2000s, I feel it is even more relevant to today’s societal structure. It is towards the end of the book that this is proven, in the chapter on Karl Marx, where the author writes, “philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.” These words speak to the recently growing movements around race, climate change, capitalism, and lgbtqia+ rights. Most importantly this novel encourages us to think, feel, and act more freely — with the same openness and genuine curiosity as a child — because all it takes to be a great philosopher is, after all, the faculty of wonder.