Introduction to Philosophy

Merab Konstantinovich Mamardashvili (1930–1990) was one of the most significant thinkers of the second half of the 20th century. This edition includes two lecture courses delivered by M. K. Mamardashvili at VGIK in 1979–1980 under the general title "Introduction to Philosophy." Among all the author's legacy, these lectures are the most accessible and understandable to a wide range of readers. The book analyzes the nature, character, and goals of philosophical thinking. Using examples from the history of philosophy, it demonstrates why and how the abstract apparatus of philosophical reasoning and language is constructed, what problems of existence are implied in human cultures, and how the development of the skill and ability to philosophize in individuals and cultures differs from real philosophy and the philosophy of doctrines and systems.