Dunia Sophie - REPUBLISH

SOPHIE'S WORLD by Jostein Gaarder is a novel about the history of philosophy from its early development in Greece to the twentieth century. This book was first published in 1991 in Norwegian under the title Sofie's Verden and until now has been translated into more than 30 languages around the world.

Presenting the history of philosophy in the form of a novel is something unique. In this way, philosophy that seems difficult and heavy to learn can be conveyed in a language that is simple and easy to digest. This is important because after all, seeking answers to philosophical questions is in the interest of everyone, not just philosophers who study it academically. The excitement of finding answers to basic questions about the meaning and purpose of life, how to live a good life and questions about the origins of the universe, for example, is not limited by age and place. After all that has been achieved in this life, again people will bump into the same question. Ignoring these questions makes life lived unconsciously. But not many people have the courage to openly face the basic questions of their life because the process will be difficult and painful. This novel, through its light style of speech, invites us to be brave enough to face this philosophical challenge. Therefore, it is not surprising that this book has been an extraordinary seller in every country that has published a translation edition.

In Japan, this novel was published by NHK Japan Broadcast Publishing at the end of June 1995 and managed to sell 1.6 million copies in just 6 months. Hanser Verlag in Germany published the German edition in August 1993 and to date has marketed 1.5 million copies to German readers. The French edition was published by Du Seuil in March 1995 and sold over 800,000 copies. On average in every country that has translated it, this novel sold more than 200,000 copies and it also occupied the first position on the world's bestseller list in 1995, beating James Redfield's novel The Celestine Prophecy which is said to have changed many people's lives.

Presenting history—especially in the form of a novel in which the subjectivity space opens up wider—certainly cannot be separated from the author's background. Therefore, the history of philosophy presented in this novel seems to contain a strong Western bias. There are certain sections that present history in a version that is viewed by Muslims in a different way. This can be found in the section on the history of Prophet Isa (as). and the Middle Ages. Jostein Gaarder narrates the events of the crucifixion of Prophet Isa a.s. and to his resurrection from the grave, as Christians believe. Likewise, when discussing the situation of the Medieval world, as is usually the way Western writers portray this period, Gaarder misses the many major contributions of Islamic philosophers and scientists in bringing Europe out of its dark ages.

But this should not make this novel unworthy of appreciation. However, the language of philosophy cannot be separated from the environment of everyday experience and that opens up the possibility for everyone to enrich themselves by taking materials for their reflections from other people's experiences, including through this novel.

It is hoped that the presence of this novel in the New Age Chronicle product line from Mizan Publishers can enrich our minds about fundamental issues in life. Furthermore, it makes us dare to fight for a meaningful life. Because, after all, a meaningless life is a life that is not worth living.

SKU : UD-214

ISBN: 9786024410209

Weight 620 gram

Dimension : P/L/T) : 13 cm/ 21 cm/ 5 cm

Page : 800

Type Cover : Soft Cover

Language : Bahasa Indonesia