Philosophy is very important in a sense that it holds the answers, as well as problems to life. Gaarder explains how philosophy is relevant to our everyday life in his novel, Sophie’s World; as a matter of fact, without it we would not really be living. In one of his letters to Sophie, Alberto writes, “Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and

onboard. Kant felt that there are certain elements which limit our outlook of life. In Moby Dick, the element is Ahab’s monomaniacal attitude of hunting down the White Whale. This limits his and eventually all his crew members’ perceptions of life which, unfortunately, drives all but one of them to death. In East of Eden, most of the philosophy comes from the Trasks’ housekeeper, Lee. He brings up the idea of timshel after carefully studying and translating the Cain and Abel story. This concept gives humans the choice between living an immoral or ethical life. Caleb perceives this and is able to stray away from the path that his mother had once taken.

Through the plots and characters of their novels, Steinbeck, Melville, and Gaarder are able to emphasize the importance of philosophy. It is clear that philosophy is what saves Caleb and Sophie whereas as stubbornness and the inability to think philosophically are what ultimately kill Cathy and Ahab. I think philosophy is crucial because both free will and fate, the other two main themes of the novels, exist only if it is present. Free will is also essential since those who lack it are sure to meet their doom. The deceptiveness of fate is another theme from East of Eden, Moby Dick, and Sophie’s World. Most of the time, a person’s fate is not very obvious and is usually masked from the superficial mind. Ahab and Cathy are people who never recognize this fact. It is also obvious that Ahab and Cathy are monomaniacal and are unwilling to change. Unfortunately this lifestyle eventually leads them to their death; the same result Steinbeck, Melville, and Gaarder predict would happen to society if philosophy is absent.

“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel–‘Thou mayest’–that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open (Steinbeck, 301).” Lee’s explanation of the word timshel brings forth a very important theme: free will. According to Lee, God gives mankind a choice of whether or not to overcome sin. “For if ‘Thou mayest’–it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not (Steinbeck, 301).’” Near the end of East of Eden, Cal chooses to live his own life and denies any part of his mother in him; therefore, he decides to overcome his sins. Cathy, on the other hand, chooses not to overcome her sins and, as a result, she commits suicide. The free will in Moby Dick is represent

Some topics in this essay:
Melville Gaarder, Moby Dick, Sophie Albert, Sophie’s World, Sophie Alberto, Cain Abel, Locke Kant, Captain Boomer, Eden Cal, Cathy Ahab, moby dick, sophie’s world, steinbeck melville, east eden, steinbeck melville gaarder, melville gaarder, dick sophie’s world, eden moby dick, human mind, dick sophie’s, east eden moby, moby dick sophie’s, eden moby, locke kant, perceptions life,