Tartaglia’s sometimes uneven exploration of how philosophy could be popularised by introducing more varied forms of philosophical storytelling to it is hugely amusing and entertaining at places, but it also has parts that don’t quite live up to its promise.

The book

It took me a long time to make up my mind about whether I should review this book or not. On the one hand, it is an interesting book in places, and fun to read. On the other… well, read on.

This book makes a case for the next stage of human development being philosophical, that is, for the human race to become a philosophical people. … The philosophical awakening I envisage, however, will obviously not result from a change of consensus in the increasingly marginalised discipline of academic philosophy. Something much, much bigger would have to happen before a widespread philosophical awakening could possibly come to seem like a practical and prudent goal. Well, as it so happens, something of that much, much bigger kind is indeed going to happen before very long: thoughtless technological development will transform human life in the 21st century in some manner or another, that much is for sure, and based on the current evidence, I and many others think the most likely direction of travel is to inner space. I want philosophy to reinvent itself so that it can follow us inside. I think we will need it there in abundance, and I have written this book to inspire thought along these lines.

These sentences from the first pages of the book already hint at both its good and its more problematic aspects.

First, this is not a shy, meek, or humble book. The author is out to change philosophy forever. In one chapter towards the end of the book, he imagines a scene taking place in the far future:

It was spring 3389 in London, England, Earth, Sol, in the UH C-Space (the common space of the United Human virtual reality). Zemina was pacing up and down in her glass-walled penthouse apartment, looking and feeling irritated as she repeated to herself the following statement: “Tartaglia’s true message was a summons to authenticity, but not for them. It was a visionary call out to his distant descendants — he was calling out to us!” She abruptly halted and picked up the beautiful hardback copy of Inner Space Philosophy which had been resting on her blue crystal table…

You have to admire the self-confidence of someone who sees his book being discussed by people 1350 years into the future. Projecting this to the past, it’s like us talking about a book of the year 674. Well, …

Read the full article which is published on Daily Philosophy (external link)