Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?: 23 Questions from Great Philosophers

A renowned philosopher’s guide to the history of Western philosophy.

“Written with a graceful simplicity that belies its profundity, this is a book that reconnects philosophy with perennial questions ... Kołakowski’s work is exemplary and indispensable.” ―John Gray, New York Review of Books 

Can nature make us happy? How can we know anything? What is justice? Why is there evil in the world? What is the source of truth? Does God exist? Can we really believe what we see? There are questions that have intrigued the world’s great thinkers over the ages, which still touch a chord in all of us today. They are questions that can teach us about the way we live, work, love, and see the world.

In this modern classic, the eminent philosopher Leszek Kołakowski explores the essence of these ideas, introducing figures from Socrates to Thomas Aquinas, Descartes to Nietzsche, and concentrating on one single important philosophical question from each of them.

Whether reflecting on good and evil, truth and beauty, faith and the soul, or free will and consciousness, Kołakowski shows that these timeless ideas remain at the very core of our existence.

Leszek Kołakowski (1927–2009) was a Polish-born philosopher and historian who authored many acclaimed books, including Main Currents of Marxism. Kołakowski was the recipient of many major awards, including the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society and the Library of Congress John W. Kluge Prize in the Human Sciences.