He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth ---GoetheI have to admit that reading a second time of Sophie’s World hasn’t brought me even a bit of dullness. Everything is new to me, from Socrate to Sarte, from Judaism to Buddhism, from renaissance to existentialism. Fresh ideas popped up like mushrooms. New conceptions are aroused from my mind. Grand outlooks are lay out before my eyes. I felt it lucky to get the chance to drop in on this philosophy course another time.

You might be puzzled that how can the same plot and genre amaze the same person twice. The truth is: story is mortal, but philosophy is immortal. I am no longer fascinated by the unexpected ending of the story, but I come to appreciate a totally different view of the world, that our world may just the reflection of the real existence, and that we are perhaps just the toy puppets of the reality; The theories of the philosophers and the creeds of religions are the same, but since I read it at a different age, time endows them with new meanings to me.I found that some of the ideas and concepts nowadays are derived from the past philosophers and sages. They are not generated from nothing. We borrow the idea of atom from Democritus. We sketch the idealistic outline of the society---the Utopia---from the masterpiece of Plato. And the amazing concept of the 4-dimensional space resembles Hegel’s view of the history---"like a running river". I reckoned that those blind people who consider philosophy as dry theories of no use would regret what they said after they read my essay. Yes, the ideas of philosophy can’t push the development of human society and technology directly. However, great people can see the way of the future with the help of philosophy. They get inspirations from philosophers’ outlooks and convert their impossible fancies into legends in human history.

Philosophy survives the past, impacts the present and illuminates the future of human civilization.I remember that it isn’t a long time since I was invited into Sophie’s World for the first time. It was just a year ago, and I was in senior three---the best time and worst time for Chinese students: We are forced to put massive time and energy into useless formulas and clichés, but it is through repetitive meaningless tests and exams that we come to question the ultimate goal for our life. And just at this critical moment, my father bought me Sophie’s world. I fell in love with the story and philosophy as I read the very first page of this book. After that, thing went uncontrolled. I read after. I read on the. I kept it wherever I went. I suddenly realized that there were indeed some problems more important than chemistry and math. What is the world? Who are we? And what is our ultimate goal? There exists a course that is far more interesting than reciting textbooks, and that is philosophy, the love for wisdom.In retrospect, I always fancy that if I had visited Sophie’s World a little more earlier, I would have been more clear of my ideal now, and have gotten a more mature outlook of the world. Unfortunately, we cannot live our life again. And in the exam-oriented educational system in China, it is very hard for students to think like a philosopher. Only when we freed from high school can we realized that how much precious youth we have wasted on stupid exams that almost have no practical application in our future career, and no nutrients to our mind. Only when I am in university can I find how many good books that I should enjoy but miss to enjoy at an early age. This is the woe of the contemporary students. This is the woe of Chinese education. This is the woe of the whole nation.

If I have a child, I would require him or her to read Sophie’s world once he learns to read.If I have a child, I would discuss with him on his goals of life and his views of the outside world, but not the dreary exams and marks.If I have a child, I hope that he would not have to fancy the earlier entry of Sophie’s World, that he would already start to find his essence of life and what he really loves at an early age.And I will tell him, the love of wisdom is, keep reading, experiencing and thinking, but don’t settle.Perhaps I digress a little...In this fast developing society, life is full of skills, tricks and techniques, but lacks philosophy and wisdom. Life is buzzed with interests and money, but with no ideals and goals. We are confused of what lies ahead because of the great uncertainty of the future. But one thing is for sure: If you listen carefully, listen attentively, you will hear the warm welcome from Sophie and his teacher, Alberto.

Perhaps there will be a third time and a fourth time to revisit this wonderland; anyway, philosophy is the source of wisdom. And we human beings admire wisdom by human nature.“I bet that it’s Sophie at work again.”“One of us will have to swim out to the wonderland.”“We’ll both go, Dad.”