| Title | : | Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0374154112 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780374154110 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published October 29, 2020 |
In Feline Philosophy, the philosopher John Gray discovers in cats a way of living that is unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness, showing how they embody answers to the big questions of love and attachment, mortality, morality, and the Self: Montaigne's house cat, whose un-examined life may have been the one worth living; Meo, the Vietnam War survivor with an unshakable capacity for "fearless joy"; and Colette's Saha, the feline heroine of her subversive short story "The Cat", a parable about the pitfalls of human jealousy.
Exploring the nature of cats, and what we can learn from it, Gray offers a profound, thought-provoking meditation on the follies of human exceptionalism and our fundamentally vulnerable and lonely condition. He charts a path toward a life without illusions and delusions, revealing how we can endure both crisis and transformation, and adapt to a changed scene, as cats have always done.
Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life Reviews
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too much philosophy, not enough cat
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Cats are happy being themselves, while humans try to be happy by escaping themselves.
2.5 stars — Imagine an Intro to Philosophy course taught by an eccentric professor who really, REALLY loves cats. Might be cute and endearing for the first couple weeks, but by the time midterms roll around, all the cat stories begin to grow a bit tiresome.
British philosopher John Gray serves up an engaging enough "sampler platter" of philosophy, history, and literature to argue that we could all learn a thing or two from cats when it comes to the age-old philosophical questions about the best way to live:
Cats have no need of philosophy. Obeying their nature, they are content with the life it gives them. In humans, on the other hand, discontent with their nature seems to be natural. With predictably tragic and farcical results, the human animal never ceases striving to be something that it is not. Cats make no such effort....
If cats could understand the human search for meaning they would purr with delight at its absurdity.
As you can probably tell from these quotes, this is a playful, provocative, and surprisingly accessible read, and Gray's observations about cats will no doubt be both funny and familiar to anyone with a beloved cat in their life.
But while I might envy my cat Marley's simple, mostly care-free existence from time to time, it's hardly a life I'd ever aspire to live for myself. Gray's reflections eventually turn into a treatise against humanism and liberalism that I found occasionally thought-provoking, sometimes troubling, and ultimately unrealistic.
Only recommended, with reservations, to true cat lovers in the mood for a quick refresher course in modern philosophy from a unique, feline-focused point of view.
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"Cats have no need of philosophy. Obeying their nature, they are content with the life it gives them. In humans, on the other hand, discontent with their nature seems to be natural. With predictably tragic and farcical results, the human animal never ceases striving to be something that it is not. Cats make no such effort. Much of human life is a struggle for happiness. Among cats, on the other hand, happiness is the state to which they default when practical threats to their well-being are removed. That may be the chief reason many of us love cats. They possess as their birthright a felicity humans regularly fail to attain." (2)
When I saw that John Gray was coming out with a new book called Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life, I pre-ordered it right away. I mean, a book about cats and philosophy? Always. It's not very long, and while it's a little underwhelming on the philosophical side of things (e.g., Gray seems to conflate consciousness and rationality), it is on the whole entertaining, at times touching and thought-provoking. Especially, of course, if you love cats. Gray focuses some of his pet subjects (pun intended), particularly that of the relation of humans beings to other animals, which he covers in works like Straw Dogs and The Silence of Animals, on cats—the perfect model for Gray of a kind of creature that, unlike us humans, is not anxiously self-conscious and perpetually concerned with the (thwarted) state of their own happiness. The book becomes a little self-helpy at the end, but I didn't mind that much. One of the nicest things about reading Gray, here as elsewhere, is the range of new works to which he manages to introduce you. -
In Feline Philosophy, John Gray turns his attention to cats―and what they reveal about humans' torturous relationship to the world and to themselves. The history of philosophy has been a predictably tragic or comical succession of palliatives for human disquiet. Thinkers from Spinoza to Berdyaev have pursued the perennial questions of how to be happy, how to be good, how to be loved, and how to live in a world of change and loss. But perhaps we can learn more from cats--the animal that has most captured our imagination--than from the great thinkers of the world.
Philosopher Gray discovers in cats a way of living that is unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness, showing how they embody answers to the big questions of love and attachment, mortality, morality, and the Self: Montaigne's house cat, whose un-examined life may have been the one worth living; Meo, the Vietnam War survivor with an unshakable capacity for "fearless joy"; and Colette's Saha, the feline heroine of her subversive short story "The Cat", a parable about the pitfalls of human jealousy.
Exploring the nature of cats, and what we can learn from it, Gray offers a profound, thought-provoking meditation on the follies of human exceptionalism and our fundamentally vulnerable and lonely condition. He charts a path toward a life without illusions and delusions, revealing how we can endure both crisis and transformation, and adapt to a changed scene, as cats have always done. This is a fascinating, engrossing and intriguing book which is accessible and presents so much food for thought that I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time to come. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Allen Lane for an ARC. -
Spinoza and Taoism are the way to go for humans to lead a fulfilling life and be true to their nature.
If you want a philosophy book that explains humanity clearly and all the problems humans face, this is almost certainly the book for you. Of course, people who appreciate cats and understand a little about the mentality of felines will appreciate this book too.
Cats are true to their nature and don't change, they don't worry about happiness, they're content with their life and know how to live it. They're unburdened by anxiety and self-consciousness and can adapt to crises and transformations as they're done down the centuries, since they domesticated themselves when humans became sedentary. They play with us when it suits them and they may even grow to like us, but don't bet on it.
We can learn a lot from those kitties that have captured our imagination. -
Mēs patiesi varam daudz mācīties no kaķiem. Grāmata ir filozofiska apcere par kaķu un cilvēku attiecībām ar tādām jaukām nodaļām kā, piemēram, "Kā kaķi pieradināja cilvēkus" un "Kaķi kā dievi".
"Cats are happy being themselves, while humans try to be happy by escaping themselves"
Būsim vairāk kā kaķi! -
I enjoyed the parts about felines; humans, not so much. Philosophy is not one of my favorite topics to read, but I like to keep an open mind. There were a few good books discussed throughout, more focused on feline human relationships. Most likely at least one will be added to a long TBR list.
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For Amadeus, Balthasar, Binky, Black, Bob, Bongo, Bouj, Ella, Finegan, Genghis, Graything, Grendel, Holly, Jack, Katy, Loki, Louis, Mathilde, Mew Mew, Misty, Orson, Poppy, P.R., Puck, Samantha, Scrapper, Snoopy, Strawberry, Tiger, Tomorrow, Toots and every other feline I've ever had the good fortune to meet.
Feline Philosophy is a short book by John Gray about the nature of cats, how it differs from human nature, and what humans can learn from it. Of his previous works, it most overlaps with The Silence of the Animals, which is a critique modern civilization's delusive anthropocentrism, the mistaken and arrogant conviction that humanity stands above and apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Feline Philosophy clarifies that book's insights through a single, intimate example: the common housecat. The book that emerges is more accessible, more moving, and even, I'd argue, more practical than its predecessor.
Gray begins by examining the long-shared history of humans and cats. He notes the extreme range of emotions that cats have provoked across time and geography, from the adulation of the ancient Egyptians, who worshipped cats as gods, to hatred and fear in the case of Medieval Europeans, who associated cats with evil spirits and often tortured and killed them as public amusements. The very characteristics that endear cats to some people, he suggests, are the same that cause others to revile them. One's reaction to cats says a great deal about an individual, or a society.
Unlike dogs, or indeed humans themselves, cats are not pack animals with settled hierarchies; they do not bow down to alphas or masters, nor form herds, flocks, or congregations. The sense of independence exuded by cats intrigues or infuriates humans according to their own dispositions.
“At bottom,” Gray writes, “hatred of cats may be an expression of envy. Many human beings lead lives of muffled misery...Cat hatred is very often the self-hatred of misery-sodden human beings redirected against creatures they know are not unhappy.”
This is the key insight that unlocks the theme of Feline Philosophy.
Cats, according to Gray, have a natural sense of what the ancient Greeks called “ataraxia,” or tranquility. When their immediate physical needs are met, they are content to be themselves--unlike humans, who are perpetually dissatisfied, haunted by abstractions, and always pursuing some elusive thing beyond their grasp. Cats lack the consolations of philosophy because they have no need of philosophy. “Philosophy,” he writes, “is a disease that offers itself as a cure.”
Cats, it would seem, are altogether healthier animals than humans. “If cats could understand the human search for meaning they would purr with delight at its absurdity. Life as the cat they happen to be is meaning enough for them.”
In a word, we humans would be happier if only we could learn to be more like cats. I agree. -
I keep reading John Gray's books not necessarily for new information but out of a sort of habitual homage to him for writing the life-changing Straw Dogs so many years ago. This book is a not-entirely convincing entreaty for human beings to adopt more of the psychological habits of cats. Gray could have substituted any animal here but cats are attractive and familiar: even the cover of this short book is endearing and makes you want to pick it up. Unlike all other animals, human beings feel a need to have meaning in their lives. For the religious this is a clue that humans are not mere animals, whereas Gray, an atheist who nonetheless is perhaps the most metaphysical atheist I've ever read, this is in fact proof of our own delusion and a sentiment that we must overcome. Why we've been granted this unique burden is never explained.
The key difference between us and cats is that we feel a need to create a story about our own lives and live up to it. Cats merely live and enjoy events as they come, without feeling the pain of not living up to any particular role or expectation. They may suffer, but they don't experience that suffering as a tragedy, and that is the key difference. Ceasing to try and fit our favored stories onto reality and simply accepting that reality is one of the keys to actually enjoying life, and it is here that I can agree with Gray despite our divergent first principles. The power of stories, both on the individual and societal level, can become an illusion powerful enough to truly blind.
This book is a lot less about cats than the title seems to suggest. It is in fact a round up of a bunch of interesting things that Gray collected from various philosophers and gave a cat theme. Probably a nice gift for an educated cat aficionado but not necessary reading if one has read Gray's other works. -
Cum văd eu viața... Dai cu piciorul în mobila care e acolo de ani. Te miri cât ești de prost, te plângi sau țipi la cineva de lângă tine, apoi țopăi unde ai treabă, în timp ce îți ștergi lacrimile apărute involuntar, și gata. Cum văd eu filosofia... Dai cu piciorul în mobila care e acolo de ani. Te întrebi dacă a fost ceva predestinat, cum credea Spinoza, sau ai fi putut alege să fii atent și să eviți destinul tragic. Apoi te întrebi multă vreme după cum să depășești momentul. Să te relaxezi undeva, ca un epicurian, să înduri durerea ca un stoic sau să suni la o casă de pompe funebre, pentru c�� nu se poate să se termine așa ușor problema cu degețelul lovit?!
Ce vreau e să spun e că filosofia este pentru mine poate cel mai inutil și obositor domeniu, ceva care complică viața mai mult și la care recurg de regulă oamenii cu prea mult timp liber, așa că eu am greșit, când am ales-o pentru că mi-am imaginat o lectură mult mai ușoară și simpatică, nu atât de serioasă. Filosofia felină pare a fi mai degrabă o capcană prin care Gray a încercat să păcălească oamenii să afle ce are el de spus și un curs introductiv în acest domeniu decât o lectură din care poți desprinde ceva folositor în lumea reală, dar e tocmai bună pentru cei care abia au deschis porțile filosofiei și vor să pășească în ea timid. Dacă iubiți pisicile, dar nu vă interesează ce a spus cineva acum sute de ani, atunci sunt șanse mari să fiți dezamăgiți. Dacă iubiți pisicile și filosofia, atunci veți fi încântați de legătura aceasta neobișnuită dintre ele. Pentru mine, însă, a avut prea multă filosofie aridă și prea puține pisici. Recenzia aici:
https://bit.ly/3O8WCzo.
,,Nimeni nu vrea să-și pună capăt vieții; un sinucigaș este o persoană ucisă de lume.'' -
Meow
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แปลเสร็จแล้ว น่าจะออกต้นปีหน้า อ่านสนุกใช้ได้ แต่ช่วงท้ายๆ นี่ขัดใจมาก แปลไปเถียงไป มนุษย์ที่ช่างเป็นมนุษย์จริงๆ คิดไปเองว่าเข้าใจสิ่งนั้นสิ่งนี้ทั้งที่ก็ไม่ได้เข้าใจสิ่งที่ตัวเองเป็น
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Cilvēki nevar būt kaķi, jo pārāk daudz domā. Punkts.
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This quick read was dry and not very catty. Mostly philosophical projections on cat bodies. I've had many cats throughout my life, and maybe I just got the goofy ones, including a few polydactyls. Mine were not nearly as sarcastic, ironic and indifferent as the ones in this book. Mine nagged, followed me, sat in the middle of every project I wanted clear space on, including computer keyboards, threw up and fell on their sides wanting immediate care, yeah. . .not a not needy bunch. . . .
Anyway. If you are into philosophy and philosophers, and have named your cat after one, this will be a moister read for you than it was for me.
Onward and upward. -
2,5
Este livro é muito pouco sobre gatos. Os filósofos citados pensaram o ser humano. Chega-se aos gatos por oposição. A própria explicação dos argumentos me pareceu confusa. Não fiquei com uma grande conclusão no fim, exceto o que eu já sabia: os gatos seguem a sua natureza. Agora se não têm consciência da morte e se não sofrem com isso, já não sei. Não precisava de Montesquieu nem de Pascal. 😊 -
Mình đến với sách vì mèo, nhưng bị lừa tống cho một đống quan điểm Triết học. Ngoài các đoạn viết về mèo thì các phần còn lại đều khó đọc cả :V
Mọi điều trong sách này đều rối rắm, nhờ có mèo mà có điểm neo đậu đối chiếu lại. Nhiều lúc mình thấy tác giả đi xa bờ quá, nhưng rồi lại quay vềdập dềnh quanh chủ đề so sánh Nhân sinh quan và Mèo quan - vềý nghĩa cuộc sống, về đạo đức, về tình yêu, và về cái chết.
Người ta "vẽ mây nẩy trăng", tác giả thì mượn cái an nhiên bẩm sinh của loài mèo để nói vềsự rối rắm của loài người. Trong khi mèo sinh ra đã như một nhà hiền triết bình thản thưởng thức cuộc đời, thì loài người lại vật vã mổ xẻ cuộc đời bằng đủ dòng Triết học - nào Khắc kỷ, Epicurus, Hoài nghi, Điều hướng, đến Duy lý, Lãng mạn, Vị tha...
Khả năng tư duy trừu tượng là 1 món quà và cũng là gánh nặng của con người. Càng đọc về các quan điểm khác nhau về "bản chất người", mình càng thấy loài người giống một đống hỗn độn cô đơn và mâu thuẫn. Họ nỗ lực tìm cách vượt qua thực tại đau khổ ấy nhưng thất bại. Và họ vừa ghen tị vừa ngưỡng mộ loài mèo - loài sinh ra đã đạt đến trạng thái tự do tự tại và hạnh phúc tự thân.
Tóm lại nếu bạn tìm đến cuốn sách này (như mình đã từng nghĩ) để đọc những nghị luận vui vui và dễ đọc về mèo thì quay xe nhanh còn kịp :) Ý tưởng phát triển sách khá hay, nhưng cách viết khá khó đọc, và đừng đọc nó khi tâm trí bạn không đủ tập trung. Nhưng nếu bạn đã đi được đến cuối cuốn sách, thì 10 trang cuối sách là phần thưởng cho bạn - 10 điều gợi ý để đạt được cách sống thú vị như một chú mèo bên bệ cửa sổ.
"Sự vĩnh hằng không phải là một trạt tự khác của vạn vật, nó là khi thế giới được nhìn ngắm mà không có nỗi âu lo... Với con người, chiêm nghiệm là khi thoát khỏi việc sống; trong khi với loài mèo, đó là cảm giác của chính cuộc sống... Mèo cho chúng ta thấy rặng việc tìm kiếm ý nghĩa cũng giống như công cuộc tìm kiếm niềm hạnh phúc, tất cả đều là sự phân tâm. Ý nghĩa của cuộc đời là một cái chạm, một mùi hương, đến một cách tình cờ và biến mất trước khi chúng ta kịp hay biết"
Thêm một chút về thiết kế sách: sách bìa cứng và có dây đánh dấu sách đó - đẹp lắm. Nhưng mà phông chữ thì to quá, quá to so với kích thước trang giấy chỉ có 13x20cm. -
If you're looking for a book regarding cats and all their glory, this isn't it. Nor does it help us learn how they think or feel. I'd say 85% of this book is philosophical discussions w/ a few cat stories thrown in for good measure so that the Feline could be used in the title. And if you love cats (like I do), you probably don't want to read the cruelties inflicted upon them by humans through the years. Luckily, it's not long and I suppose there are a few comparisons of how cats deal with life as opposed to the way humans live. I just wouldn't recommend this book.
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Much better if the author rather wrote a shorter (literary) essay. I don't get the idea of giving info: of certain philosophers, events, much of the time in detail. The good and important parts (parts concerning cats and our mentality) we get by skimming. This is not a bad book, but a good idea turned into a soulless book, without pondering its own possibilities.
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ดูปกอันแสนน่ารักนั่นสิ The Cat Thinker
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มุมมองของมนุษย์ที่มองการใช้ชีวิตของแมวแบบจับกับนิยามเรื่องต่าง ๆ ในแง่ปรัชญา
ช่วงแรก ๆ ไม่ถูกใจกับการใช้คำศัพท์เท่าไร
เป็นอีกเล่มที่รู้สึกว่าเลือกคำแปลก ๆ มาใช้ให้ดูสวย ๆ ไปงั้นแต่กลับทำให้รำคาญมากกว่า
น้ำเยอะ ฟุ้งฝอยเป็นคุ้งเป็นแคว อย่ามา IELTS ได้ไหม ศัพท์ไม่ระดับนั้น หมายถึงลักษณะการแต่งประโยคที่เวิ่นเว้อบางที
แต่อ่านไปเรื่อย ๆ พอชินแล้วก็ไม่ติดขัด
บางทีต้นพารากราฟพูดถึงอย่างนึงอยู่ นึกจะพูดถึงอีกเรื่องก็พูดเลย อย่าเรียกช่วงต้นว่าเกริ่นเลยถ้าการเชื่อมความจะทำแบบนี้ อ่านแล้วจะขมวดคิ้ว ห้ะ อยู่หน่อย ๆ ขอมีชั้นเชิงกว่านี้อีกนิดได้ไหม ห้วนไปรึเปล่า คือความพยายามจะเชื่อมปรัชญากับแมวไม่เป็นมิตรกับเราเท่าไร
อยู่ดี ๆ ก็กระโดดมาเรื่องวิวัฒนาการและชีววิทยา~ ตรงนี้ก็ดีแต่ปรัชญาชั้นละ?! จะอ้างว่าวิทยาศาสตร์ก็เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของปรัชญา? ก็นะก็อ้างได้แหละ
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แต่มันไม่ใช่สิ่งที่เราคิดว่าจะได้อ่านจากหนังสือชื่อนี้ไง
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คือพูดถึงแนวคิดทางปรัชญา นิยามสิ่งต่าง ๆ ในแง่ปรัช���า แล้วค่อยจับแมวมาใส่เป็นช่วง ๆ
ตรงไหนพอจะมีช่องเชื่อมได้ค่อยเชื่อม
เขื่อมในแง่เปรียบเทียบความคิดมนุษย์กับความคิดแมว ~ แต่คือเหมือนจะไม่เอาความเป็นมนุษย์เข้าไปจับแมว แต่ก็พูดด้วยความมั่นใจว่าแมวเป็นแบบนั้นแบบนี้ ซึ่งต่างกับมนุษย์ตรงนั้นตรงนี้ คือมันก็คือการคิดเอาของมนุษย์(ผู้เขียน)อยู่ดี
บางช่วงจะเอ้ะ ๆ หน่อย
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คิดว่าอ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่าวิถีแมวนี่ก็สงบดีนะ คืออย่าไปคิดอะไรมาก เพราะมันคิดไม่ได้รึเปล่า เลยชิลล์ อันนี้ก็ไม่รู้ //แมวก็มีความยากลำบากของแมวนะ
แมวน้อยมาก ตั้งใจมาอ่านแมว!! แอบหรี่ตานิดนึงตรงนี้ คล้าย ๆ โดนหลอก
แต่ก็เข้าใจว่าทำไมมาแนวนี้ เพราะเอาจริงแมวมันก็ไม่ใช่มนุษย์จะมาจับมันใส่คอนเซปต์อะไรแบบมนุษย์ก็คงต้องมาอิหรอบนี้ก่อน เกริ่นไป ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้าไป
มีอ้างอิงวรรณกรรมอื่น แถมสปอยล์เนื้องเรื่องเรียบร้อย
ไปตีความแมวในวรรณกรรม พฤติกรรมตัวละคร ความคิดผู้เขียนเสียอย่างงั้นด้วย
แนวคิดด้านปรัชญาในงานเขียน
เนื้อหาในหนังสือส่วนที่มีแมว ทำให้เราสงสัยว่าถ้าไม่มีแมวแล้วเราจะเป็นอย่างไร พฤติกรรมเราจะเปลี่ยนไปไหม แล้วถ้าแมวไม่มีมนุษย์แมวจะไม่ได้มีผลกระทบอะไรมากอย่างที่หนังสืออ้างจริงรึเปล่า มนุษย์ทำให้แมวเปลี่ยนไปบ้างไหม? ยังไงบ้าง?
ตรงนี้หนังสือไม่ได้เขียนถึง สงสัยเองเฉย ๆ
โดยรวมก็เป็นหนังสือที่ไม่ตรงปกไม่ตรงชื่อเรื่อง
อย่าไปคาดหวังว่ามันเกี่ยวกับแมว ปรัชแมวอะไรขนาดนั้น
คืออ่านจบแล้วก็ได้ข้อคิดเรื่องการใช้ชีวิตของแมว ชวนสังเกตความแตกต่างของมนุษย์กับแมวในแง่ความคิด ดูแมวแล้วสะท้อนดูตน บางทีใช้ชีวิตวิถีแมวบ้างอาจจะลดความวุ่นวายลงก็ได้
ก็อาจจะมีประโยชน์กับเราอยู่บ้างละมัง -
Exactly what you would expect from a book of this type. This book spells out in words what any keen observer of cats already knows - there are lessons to be learned from how cats live their lives. There are historical references, stories, and discussions of cat-themed books by various authors that are woven into the chapters. I wished there were more of them but I did find some pointers to books I will want to read by Colette and Tanizaki. This is a somewhat "cerebral" treatment of the subject matter and there were parts (historical cruelties), that almost made me stop reading, so I would NOT recommend this book to anyone looking for happy or light reading. I did like the book, even if it's not for general audiences.
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Cats are popular and cute, same as many books devoted to them. Thankfully, this is not the case. Not knowing the author, I expected some light anecdotes and notes on cats' behavior. Instead, I received a fascinating tour through the history of philosophy and I was left thinking about the meaning of life - both human and feline.
Despite the title, humans are in the center of this essay; nonetheless, it is one of the best books about cats' nature. I was not surprised that Gray is quoting two of my favorite feline books: "The Lion in the Living Room" and "The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Their Culture". You can see that author has a deep knowledge and understanding of animals, even if I don’t agree with all his views.
It is a slow read, but very pleasant, with beautiful language and provocative insights. I recommend it to everyone who likes to think.
Thanks to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. -
Quick read that discusses a little about cats and a whole lot about old men’s philosophies.
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Feline Philosophy — Cats and The Meaning of Life is John Gray’s one-hundred page long answer to the questions: Why are we here? Are we more intelligent than non-human animals? Are we right about feeling superior? Where are we heading? How do we cure existential dread? While the long answer is the book, the short answer is: Simply live like cats.
John Gray starts from the very beginning. 12,000 years ago, cats chose to cohabit with humans for reasons which didn’t stray from survival. Their proximity made ancient Egyptians believe that there weren’t many loyal companions like cats, and so, they were taken along on their final journey, the one to a higher realm. The ancient Egyptians also believed that cats were immortals; they were worshipped, celebrated, and trusted as superior beings who could guide mortals to afterlife. None of the adulation got into their heads because cats have always been selfless, they don’t recognise and acknowledge themselves as individuals, and so, they are free to live their lives by honouring their true nature without any anxiety about not existing. When the idea of selfhood is not appealing to them, how would death, passage of time, their limited lifespan make them neurotic?
The argument is further strengthened by excerpts from books written by other philosophers and writers whose friends, love-interests, characters in their books were cats, by referring to what religions teach but which cats practise already, and by recalling incidents from lives of thinkers who did draconian experiments on cats to understand many facets of the human condition. From Patricia Highsmith to Tanizaki Junichiro, writers have been fascinated by how their characters were reduced and lifted by their feline companions. John Gray, with undivided focus, breaks all expectations and cruel judgement imposed on cats, steps on the shards holding a bullhorn to his mouth, and strongly recommends that we wouldn’t suffer, our minds wouldn’t be like wounds, we wouldn’t be so cared if we paused and observed this tiny animal who lives each moment like this universe is folded and stored in the moment. That’s the antidote. -
A crash course on philosophy and tales about cats who did what they do best - live contently. I didn’t know cats were mistreated throughout history. Our feline friends deserve the very best 😿.
“The good life is not a life you might have led or may yet lead, but the life you already have. Here, cats can be our teachers, for they do not miss the lives they have not lived.”
Thanks to Santa Bommy and Elf Susan for this read! -
Te veel filosofie en véél te weinig kat.
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"Το νόημα της ζωής είναι ένα άγγιγμα, μια μυρωδιά, που έρχεται τυχαία και φεύγει προτού το καταλάβουμε."
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O carte excelentă care îmbină filosofia cu lumea pisicilor.
Prezentate ca ființe care întruchipează acceptarea propriei naturi și trăirea plenară, fericită, aici-acum, pisicuțele sunt urmărite din antichitatea egipteană (când erau considerate sacre și mumificate, reprezentând-o chiar pe zeița Bast), prin evul mediu întunecat când erau asociate cu diavolul și supuse unor ritualuri pline de cruzime specific umane, până în vremuri mai apropiate, când unele pisici au devenit personaje principale ale unor opere literare sau tovarăși de viață excepționali ai unor oameni.
Cartea începe cu o povestioară plină de tâlc despre un filosof care afirma că și-a convins pisica să devină vegetariană și se încheie cu 10 lecții de înțelepciune felină.
O combinație savuroasă de filosofie și afecțiune profundă pentru animăluțul care "l-a domesticit pe om", pisica. -
3.5*
Mình lăn vào cuốn này vì tình yêu với loài mèo và vì sự tò mò với cái tựa. Thật không ngờ, đây lại thực sự là một quyển sách Triết Học =)))
Lôi kéo loài mèo vào một cuộc so sánh, đối chiếu mang tính chủ quan, tác giả đã khai triển và dẫn dắt các tư tưởng triết học. Những tư tưởng mà, mình sẽ không gạt phăng phủ định hay gật gù đồng tình. Chỉ đơn giản, đó là những góc nhìn ý vị, và có giá trị nhất định với người đọc. -
My thanks to Penguin Books U.K. - Allen Lane for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life’ by John Gray in exchange for an honest review.
I adore cats and so was immediately drawn to the description of this book even if I am not that well versed in philosophy. I found it quite accessible.
“When I play with my cat, how do I know she is not passing time with me rather than I with her?” - Montaigne
In this amazing book John Gray examines the philosophical and moral issues around the unique relationship between humans and cats.
Gray points out that there is no evidence that humans ever domesticated cats though plenty that cats were the ones to make the decision to be domesticated. This is something obvious to anyone who has ever been adopted by a cat.
He includes a number of inspiring anecdotes about individual cats. However, I will admit that some of the accounts of historical anti-cat practices were distressing and made me both angry and sad.
While quite a short book Gray covers a great deal of territory within its pages. He weaves in the ideas of various philosophers creating an enjoyable and thought-provoking work. I was especially impressed with the chapter ‘Ten Feline Hints on How to Live Well’.
I read some passages aloud to my cat and she agreed with me that it was a five paw read!
I also think that it would be a fun and unusual gift for philosophically minded cat lovers. -
I wasn't searching for the meaning of life (in this booklet or in general terms) and I don't think I got much closer to it. What this did help me with was my almost paralysing fear for the life of my cat.
Let me tell you about Alexei: he is a wiry black half-Siamese with yellow eyes and a tuft of white hair on his chest. He is almost 1 year old. He is mischievous and endlessly affectionate. He wakes me up at 5:30 every morning with kisses and purrs, and chases me up the stairs at bedtime.
Meeting Alexei has changed me and my whole outlook on life. No longer the flippant posturing cynic of my teens and 20s, he has opened my heart to the divine elegance, precious sanctity and overflowing wonder of all creatures, of life itself, and I am thoroughly changed for the better since having known him.
As a consequence of this, I have also become horrified by the idea that he might, and probably will, one day die. Cats live short, dangerous, violent lives - even sweet beloved boys like Alexei - and when I think about the myriad horrors that can befall a tiny feline in this world of smoke and steel, I am often wracked.
In this regard, this book helped me. By providing some insight into how cats live and experience the world, and how it differs from human experience, I was able to stop projecting my own fears and existential baggage onto this perfect puss, and alleviate some anxiety, while all the time reinforcing and re-energising my love and devotion to the tiny beast.
This was valuable to me, and if you have a pet you love obsessively, maybe it will be valuable to you too.
