Who am I, and if so, how many?

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Who am I, and if so, how many? A philosophical journey is a non-fiction book published in 2007 by the German philosopher and publicist Richard David Precht . It was number 1 on the Spiegel bestseller list for 16 weeks in 2008 . The subject of Precht's investigation, which is aimed at general understanding, is the discussion of fundamental philosophical questions about human consciousness and behavior , taking into account more recent psychological and neurobiological findings. The declared aim of the book is to awaken and train the desire to think and to encourage progressive self-knowledge and a more consciously led life.

content

The book is divided into three main questions, following Immanuel Kant , under which a total of 34 chapters are elaborated.

  • The question: what can I know? , are dedicated to nine chapters (from What is truth? to What is language? ).
  • The question: what should I do? , is dealt with in 16 chapters (from Do we need other people? to What is brain research allowed? ).
  • The question: What can I hope for? , is examined again in nine chapters (from Does God exist? to Does life have a purpose? ).

The individual chapters often begin with biographical references and curiosities about the philosophers and researchers whose doctrines or theories Precht deals with below. The transition to the respective following chapter is underlined by anticipating its title at the end of the previous chapter.

Popular success

The book was written by the literary critic Elke Heidenreich in the program Read! Recommended on ZDF . Then the book came in February 2008 to the first place of the mirror - bestseller list and remained there until October 2012. It thus holds the long-term record. By 2013 over a million copies had been sold in 32 languages. According to the book report , it was the most successful German hardcover non-fiction book of 2008 and took third place among the bestsellers of the decade (2000–2010).

Reviews

Bernd Berke rated the work in the Westfälische Rundschau as a "philosophy book as one has long wanted it to be". Precht includes "Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis, physical facts and above all the latest results from brain research" in his considerations.

Michael Springer summed up in Spectrum of Science : "A book about philosophy that you close in a good mood, like after an evening with guests who are interested in many different things and are therefore interesting".

Rolf Breitenstein wrote in the journal of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit that the book was “anecdotally flavorful”, but apart from a song in praise of Epicurus , it offered the reader little more than good house recipes.

Jens-Christian Rabe expressed himself in a decidedly critical manner in the Süddeutsche Zeitung , complaining in his conclusion about "the gestures of the book": How tricky the problem being negotiated is, after around ten pages it is not only the end but also " some all too suspiciously apodictic judgment ”.

Gustav Falke judged the work in the FAZ as "not only superfluous, but also annoying". The statements “obviously have little to do” with “intellectual creativity”. In addition to many biographical and biological facts, “theory about theory” is presented in very simple terms. Everything seems simple; but before you can realize that you haven't learned anything, the reviewer says, you have already reached the next point. "There are many questions, but basically, leaving aside the subtleties, I've always known the answers."

expenditure

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Who am I ...? 28th edition 2007, p. 16 f.
  2. ↑ https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-63216714.html
  3. ↑ Westfälische Rundschau: Richard David Precht: The German stays looking for meaning , from June 23, 2008
  4. ↑ Michael Springer: Difficult easy thought. In: Spectrum of Science , August 2008, p. 100.
  5. ^ Rolf Breitenstein: In search of a lost identity. In: liberal , February 2009, p. 96.
  6. ↑ Jens-Christian Rabe: The first step to happiness. An introduction to philosophy has pushed Kerkeling's "I'm off" from first place on the non-fiction bestseller list. In “Who am I and if so, how many?” Richard David Precht promises more than he delivers. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung, May 17, 2010; accessed on June 16, 2020.
  7. ↑ Gustav Falke: So that one thinks how simple it all is . In: FAZ, March 7, 2008; accessed on June 16, 2020.