Sophie’s World

Chapter 1
Sophie Amundsen lives with her mother in a suburban house. Her father,
an oil tanker captain, is seldom home. Her mother works outside the
home and comes home late in the afternoon. To make up for being
alone some much, she is given several animals, including a cat called
Sherekan.

Coming home from school one day, she looks in the mailbox and finds a
letter (without a return address or stamp) addressed to her. Inside is a
note with one question: "Who are you?" This perplexes Sophie, who
takes the letter to her secret hiding place in the hedge that she calls her
"den." She ponders over the question, coming up with several answers,
none of which she thinks is satisfactory.

Thinking that perhaps there might be another letter, Sophie checks the
mailbox again, and indeed does find another letter, this one asking
"Where does the world come from?" Again, Sophie muses of the
possible answers, both scientific and religious. She realizes that the
universe must have come from something, but at what point does
something come from nothing?

Checking the mailbox again, she finds a postcard, addressed in care of

her to Hilde Knag Moller. It is a birthday card from Hilde’s father,
apologizing that he could not be there for her birthday, and also for
sending the card through Sophie, because it was "the easiest way."

Sophie is completely confused at this point. Where did the letters come
from? What were the answers to the questions in the letters? Who is
Hilde?
Chapter 2
Sophie is preoccupied with the questions she has received in the mail.
Sophie returns home to find a large brown envelope in the mailbox. It is
addressed to her and labeled, "Course in Philosophy. Handle with care."
She takes it to her "den" and finds typewritten pages asking, "What Is
Philosophy?"

The letter presents her with the idea that the only thing necessary to be
a philosopher is to have a sense of wonder, both about the world and
about oneself. The writer states that most people lose this capacity as
they grow older.

The philosopher compares the universe to a white rabbit pulled out of a

top hat by a magician. While we as observers are filled with wonder at
the trick, more than anything we wonder, "How did he do that?" We want
to know how and why. That is the basis of all philosophy.

We as individuals are microscopic insects burrowed deep in the rabbit’s

fur. A relative few crawl up the hairs. Most are content to remain in the
depths of the fur, or else, having climbed to the top, crawl back down
into its safety. The true philosopher climbs up the hair to look into the
eyes of the magician.

Sophie is overwhelmed by this thought. She has never thought so hard

in her life. When her mother comes home from work, Sophie asks her if
she has ever wondered where we came from and why we are here. Mrs.
Amundsen is concerned, not liking the tone Sophie has taken. She asks
Sophie if she is taking drugs. Sophie just laughs.
Chapter 3
Sophie finds another packet from the philosopher, this time on the
ancient myths. The philosopher states that, in all cultures, people wanted
explanations for why nature worked the way it did. Rather than coming
up with a scientific explanation, they developed myths, which in turn
were either based on religions or gave rise to religions.

The myths first wanted to explain natural phenomena, such as why it

rains. They invented stories of the gods and goddesses and their fights
against evil forces. The philosopher gives examples from Nordic
mythology.

In the same way, ancient Greeks developed myths to explain the

seasons, weather, and so on. Homer and Hesiod were the first to write
down the myths around 700 BC, thus enabling people to discuss them.
With the coming of slavery, citizens were freed to concentrate more on
politics and culture.

Eventually, ancient Greek philosophers began to question the myths.

They began to think that the gods acted too much like human beings,
thus stating that the myths were simply inventions of humans. These
early philosophers began to look for explanations not found in cultural
myths or religious beliefs. They began to question politics and culture
and how man should be governed. Contemplation went from being
founded on myths to being established on reason.

Sophie is intrigued about the myth-makers. She imagines that she

knows nothing about science and creates her own mythological
explanation for the changing of the seasons.
Chapter 4 Summary
In the next lesson, the philosopher asks Sophie questions concerning
the basic substance of the natural world. He then introduces her to the
natural philosophers.

He explains that all philosophers have a "project," a specific question

they want answered. The natural philosophers were focused on the
processes of the natural world. They believed that something cannot
come from nothing. They believed that there was a basic substance from
which all things were made. What that substance was is where they
disagreed.

Thales, the first philosopher, thought that all things come from water.
Anaximander believed that there was something called the "boundless"
from which all things had their origin. Anaximenes taught the source of
all things to be air.

Around 500 BC, the Eleatics flourished. Parmenides thought that

everything that exists has always existed, and nothing can change. He
believed that reason, rather than senses, are more reliable. On the other
hand, Heraclitus believed that everything changes, and that our senses
are reliable.

Empedocles refined the philosophy of both Parmenides and Heraclitus.

He taught that things change, but their basic substance does not. He
taught that there are four basic substances: air, water, earth, and fire.
Different combinations of these made up all of nature.

Anaxagora believed that there was an even more basic substance—

"seeds." From these seeds everything existed, bound together by a force
he identified as "love."
Chapter 5 Summary
Sophie receives a new question the next morning: "Why is Lego the
most ingenious toy in the world?" That afternoon the lesson arrives: "The
Atom Theory." The philosopher discusses the last of the natural
philosophers, Democritus (c. 460-370 BC), who believed that
transformations in nature could not be caused by any fundamental
change, but rather a rearrangement of some type of basic "building
block" (like Legos), which he named "atoms." Democritus believed that
these atoms were indestructible and eternal. He also believed that they
were solid and of varying shapes and can be combined in different
forms.

The philosopher points out that scientists have discovered that

Democritus was more or less correct, though we now know that atoms
can indeed be broken down into smaller particles.

Democritus also taught that there was no force or soul that intervenes in
the creating process. All that is, is the material world. Thus he is called a
"materialist."

Democritus went on to explain that our sense perceptions were due to

the movement of atoms across space, atoms penetrating our sense
organs. He also believed that the soul is not immortal, but is strictly a
product of thought. Thus, when the brain dies, the "soul atoms"
dispersed.

Sophie is intrigued by the similarity of Legos with Democritus’s atoms.

However, she is unsure about his premise about the nonexistence of the
soul or any spiritual force.
Chapter 6
When Sophie receives the next envelope, she notices that it is wet
around the edges, with two holes in it. Inside are three questions: "Do
you believe in Fate? Is sickness the punishment of the gods? What
forces govern the course of history?"

Sophie writes a letter to the philosopher in return, inviting him to her

house when her mother is home. She sneaks out and puts it in the
mailbox at night.

In the middle of the night, Sophie looks out the window and spots an old
man in a beret putting a letter in her mailbox and taking the letter Sophie
had written him. She goes to the mailbox to retrieve the letter.

The topic of this lesson is Fate, or fatalism, which the Greeks held in the
matters of sickness and of history. The Greeks believed they could learn
their fate by consulting an oracle, such as the one at Delphi. Over the
temple at Delphi was the inscription "Know thyself." This served as a
reminder that man is merely mortal and cannot escape his destiny.

However, historians like Herodotus and Thucydides were trying to wean

people away from superstition in the matter of historical events.
Hippocrates was doing the same in the field of medicine, showing that
sickness is a natural occurrence, rather than a punishment from the
gods.

Sophie awakens the next morning, wondering if she had really seen the
philosopher or dreamed it. When she looks under her bed to retrieve the
letter, she finds a red scarf she has never seen before. It is labeled with
the name "Hilde."
Chapter 7

Sophie receives a letter from the philosopher, who reveals his name as
Alberto Knox, declining her invitation with regrets. Sophie also learns
that the reason some letters are wet with two holes in them is that they
are brought by Knox’s dog, Hermes.

The next lesson concerns Socrates. Before Socrates, a group called the
Sophists taught philosophy for money. Protagoras taught that "Man is
the measure of all things," meaning that a thing is good or bad only in
relation to a person’s needs. They did not believe in absolute norms for
what is right or wrong.

Socrates (470-399 BC) was born in Athens of a midwife. Of unattractive

appearance, he is nevertheless an intriguing person. What is known
about Socrates is from the writings of others (mainly his pupil Plato)
since he wrote nothing himself. Socrates taught by the art of discourse,
pretending to be ignorant, asking questions, catching people in the illogic
of their arguments.

Socrates believed he had an inner "Divine Voice," namely his

conscience. He stated that he was incapable of doing anything against
this Divine Voice’s instruction, especially against other people.

Socrates presented himself as not one who is wiser than others, but
simply as someone who loves wisdom. He stated, "One thing only I
know, and that is that I know nothing." He believed that evil is simply the
lack of knowledge. People do wrong because they don’t know any
better, and no one can be happy if he or she act against his or her better
judgment.
Chapter 8 Summary
When Sophie next visits her den, she finds not a letter but a
videocassette. When she views it, she sees scenes of Athens, with a
short, middle-aged man with a black beard and blue beret, whom she
knows is Alberto Knox.

Knox proceeds to show Sophie the sites in Athens. First, they visit the
Acropolis, where the temple of Athene is. He then shows her the
Dionysos Theater, where the early Greek dramas were performed. He
gives her a short lesson on ancient Greek dramatists such as
Sophocles.

Knox then takes Sophie to the Areopagos, where the high court of
justice was held. It was here that Paul preached in the first century AD.

The next site is the agora, the old marketplace. It was here that Socrates
did most of his teaching, stopping passersby to ask them random
questions.

With that, Knox magically transports himself back to Athens at the time
of Socrates. Sophie wonders how he was able to do this, or whether it is
some kind of elaborate special effects trick. Knox points out to her two
men, one being Socrates and the other his pupil Plato. Knox speaks to
Plato, introducing him to Sophie. Plato then asks Sophie how cookies
can be identical and why all horses are the same. He then asks her
whether man has an immortal soul, and whether men and women are
equally sensible.

At the end of the video, Sophie is overwhelmed by how eccentric her

philosophy teacher is.
Chapter 9
Sophie awakens the next morning, still incredulous of what she saw in
the video. When she retreats to her den, Hermes arrives with a new
lesson, this one on Plato’s Academy.

Plato, Socrates’ pupil, founded a school on Socrates’ teaching, called

The Academy. Philosophy, mathematics, and gymnastics were the
subjects taught.

Plato taught that there were two worlds: the temporary material world
and the eternal world of ideas. The world of ideas contained the ideas, or
"Forms," from which all material things were patterned. Thus, though our
senses may deceive us and give us an incomplete picture of material
things, through reason we can comprehend the ideal world.

Plato also believed that man had an immortal soul, which belonged to
the world of reason. He also taught that man’s soul existed in the ideal
world prior to birth. At birth, man forgot the world of ideas and spent his
entire life trying to return to that world.

Plato taught the Myth of the Cave. In this scenario, men dwelt in a cave,
seeing shadows on the wall at the back of the cave. Man must break
free and turn toward the light making the shadows and thus discover that
reality that was making the shadows.

Plato’s ideal state consisted of three parts: rulers, auxiliaries, and

laborers. The rulers would be philosopher kings. Also, in this ideal state,
women would be equal, although he later modified this view due to
political pressure.
Chapter 10
Sophie decides to travel down the path that Hermes followed to find out
where he goes. She comes to a lake with a rowboat. On the opposite
shore she spies a cabin. She climbs into the rowboat and rows across
the lake. After pulling the boat up on the shore (though not very high up),
she goes to the cabin. When she receives no answer to her knock on the
door, she enters the cabin. She realizes that this is the home of Alberto
Knox and Hermes.

On the wall Sophie sees a picture of a house and garden. The picture is
labeled "Bjerkeley." Beside it she sees another picture of an old man.
This one is titled "Berkeley."

Sophie looks into the mirror on the wall and is surprised when the girl
reflected in the mirror winks both eyes at her. Hearing barking, she
quickly leaves, but not before spotting on the table a green wallet
belonging to Hilde and an envelope addressed to herself. Grabbing the
envelope she races out of the cabin only to discover that the boat has
floated away. She manages to run around the lake and reaches home.

In the envelope she finds more questions from the philosopher. She
contemplates the answers to the questions while telling her mother
where she has been and the truth about the "boyfriend" her mother
thinks she has. Finally, Sophie and her mother plan her fifteenth birthday
party.
Chapter 11
Sophie receives a letter from the philosopher, saying that he
understands her curiosity and is not angry, but he will now have to move.

Included is a lesson on Aristotle, who was a pupil of Plato’s. Aristotle

disagreed with his teacher as to objects in the natural world having an
"idea" existing on another plane of existence. Aristotle believed that
there was indeed a "form," but it was within the object itself and was
recognized by humans through the senses and then categorized.

Aristotle believed that each thing had a form that was specific to its
unique characteristics.

Aristotle was also concerned with finding the causes of existence. There
was the material cause (what a thing was made of), the efficient cause
(what makes a thing behave in a certain way), and the formal cause (the
final form of a thing). He also considered the final cause, which is an
object’s purpose.

Aristotle even wrote about ethics, or what is the best possible life a man
can achieve. Aristotle believed that a person’s purpose was to achieve
happiness, which was achieved by using all abilities and capabilities.

As for society, Aristotle held to three good forms of government:

monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. However, he did not view
women as equal to men, as Plato did.

After reading the lesson, Sophie is inspired to clean up and categorize

the things in her room.
Chapter 12
Sophie discovers another postcard to Hilde from her father, but she
notices that it is postmarked June 15. She remembers that all the other
postcards carried the same date, even though it was a month away.

The next lesson from Alberto Knox is on Hellenism—Greek influence

that covered religion and science as well as philosophy. In religion, the
focus was now on salvation from death. Many religions and cults,
including Christianity, were born in this climate. Science advanced
tremendously, with Alexandria in Egypt being the center of study.

During this time, the Cynics arose. This school of philosophy believed
that true happiness did not lie in material possessions, wealth, or even
health. Stemming from this, the Stoics gained a vast influence,
especially during the Roman Empire. The Stoics believed that everyone
is governed by natural law. Since there is no escaping this law, true
wisdom is found in accepting it and going on to achieve happiness.

The Epicureans, however, believed that pleasure was good, whereas

pain was evil. Although they placed they highest good on pleasure, they
recognized that some self-denial and sacrifice may be required to
achieve a higher pleasure.

Neoplatonism revived much of Plato’s teaching and influenced the

development of Christianity. Mysticism became an experience in all
three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Adherents to
these religions endeavor to achieve union with God on another plane.
Chapter 13
Since there is no school because of a national holiday, Joanna proposes
that she and Sophie take a camping trip. Sophie has not heard from
Alberto Knox for several days and is reluctant to be gone from home for
very long, in case he should leave another message or lesson, but she
agrees.

Sophie suggests a camping spot near the major’s cabin. Sophie leads
them to the cabin, which is abandoned. On closer inspection, Sophie
finds the key to the door and enters with Joanna. All is empty, but
Sophie lights a candle found on the stove. Sophie convinces Joanna to
look into the "magic" mirror, but they see only their reflections.

They spot a box on the floor, which turns out to be full of postcards.
Sophie is distraught, warning Joanna not to touch them, but she picks
them up and reads them. They are all from Lebanon, addressed to Hilde,
carrying different postmark dates.

The first postcards hint that Hilde’s father is returning home soon, and is
working on the birthday surprise he has planned for her. He mentions
their "mutual friend." On the final postcard there is a postscript. It states
that he is sending duplicate cards to a girl called Sophie, in preparation
for the day Sophie and Hilde will meet. It also mentions that Sophie has
a friend named Joanna.

Frightened, the girls leave the cabin, but not before Sophie takes the
mirror with her. The next morning they return home, and Sophie hangs
the mirror in the bedroom. The next day, Sophie finds a new lesson in
her den.
IPHP DEBATE

Members:
Archell Casenas – Leader

Jonas Namuco – Assistant Leader

Paula Joy Alburo

Ella Flores

Alyssa Shane Baldeo

Mikaela Joi Cabutaje

Nico Lasquety

Jeremie Silaynan

Marsilin Quartini

Roles of the members

Archell Casenas – Leader and the Rebuttal Speaker

Jonas Namuco – Assistant Leader and the Prime Minister

Paula Joy Alburo – 2nd Speaker or the Deputy

Ella Flores – 4th speaker or the last speaker

Alyssa Shane Baldeo and Lynne Husain – Organizers of the Research

Mikaela Joi Cabutaje – power point maker / researchers

Nico Lasquety – researcher

Jeremie Silaynan – researcher

Marsilin Quartini – research

Written report of the Members

Archell Casenas

Jonas Namuco

Ella Flores

Paula Joy Alburo

Alyssa Shane Baldeo

Alyssa Shane Baldeo

Lynne Husain

Mikaela Joi Cabutaje

Nico lasquety

Marsilin Quartini

Jeremie Silaynan

Note: