Comedian, writer and former mayor of Reykjavík JÓN GNARR, writes a weekly column for the weekend issue of Fréttablaðið, Iceland's most read newspaper and we publish an English version here at Iceland Insider.
I have long been an aficionado of good philosophy. As a young man I was greatly influenced by Taoism through the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tze. I don’t think any book has had so much influence on me, my life and character, as this one. And as with so many books, the magic does not just lie in the words themselves but rather in some mystical and poetic feeling that the reader relates to beyond the text. And I think it is this feeling that drives me to read.
I am always looking for this when I read. I have had bouts of reading through the years. As a kid I read Þórbergur Þórðarson. I was fascinated by Ofvitinn, and therefore I read all the other books too. As a young man, I felt I needed to read all the so-called world literature. So I stumbled through Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. And, as many Icelanders, I read the main works of Halldór Laxness. I spent a few years reading what young men had to read to be considered hip and cool and well-read. These were mostly books by drunken Americans and European existentialists. Then came the South American period. Then I read everything I could find by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Miguel Asturias and others. And, intermittently, there were various English and Scandinavian authors.
Often, this was not planned. I accidentally happened onto some path because of some outside influence. My friends were active in handing me books “that I had to read”, and sometimes I just read whatever books were at hand. Often, I have even felt that the books have chosen me and not the other way around, strange as that may sound. To begin with I mostly read novels. There was a period of poetry books and I also read a lot of plays.
I also took a stint in reading self-help books for a while. These books were some kind of a trend here in Iceland, and it happened to be at a critical time in my own life. This lead me to reading all kinds of spiritual studies and religions, and later caused me to become a Christian, at which time I read the Bible, Thomas à Kempis and Thomas Merton and anything else I could lay my hands on. And then there was a long period of crime novels. Then I devoured books by James Ellroy, Dashiell Hammett, Sjöwall and Wahlöö, P.D. James and others.
Less Moses, More Spinoza
At first my selection of books was limited to translations, I mostly read books published in Icelandic, but with improving knowledge of English, I started reading more books in English. For the last ten years, I have mostly read English books, mainly books on science and philosophy.
After I started reading philosophy I was a bit surprised at myself for not having started earlier. I think the reason for how few books on philosophy have come my way is first and foremost insufficient supply. Remarkably few books have been translated and what exists is often difficult to obtain. It is a crying shame how small a part philosophy plays in the general education of youngsters. There are few books about philosophy for children and teenagers, and the little that has been published is usually unavailable.
At the same time there is an excessive supply of Christian literature for the same age group, and it is mainly the Icelandic state that sponsors these publications. Unlike philosophy, Christianity does not reflect much on reality and the nature of existence. Instead it claims and generalizes about things that nobody knows for sure. A children’s book with the title God Exists, And He Loves You could well be published. But it is unlikely that the book God Does Not Exist, And If He Does, He Is Not Thinking About You will be published anytime soon.
Wittgenstein Beat Jesus to Iceland
Unfortunately, the reading of philosophy and discussions about it seem to be limited to certain small groups. It is unlikely that young people find books on philosophy unless they take some course, or study philosophy. I find this deplorable. I wish I had discovered Friedrich Nietzsche when I was younger.
I think that every Icelander who wants to be hip and cool and well-read must know Bertrand Russell, and the History of Western Philosophy should be bound in leather in every home. We simply need more philosophy in the whole community. It would greatly improve things here. I think the reason how many great writers Icelanders have, but few or even no presentable philosophers, may be that there has never been much interest in reality in this country. Jesus never came to Iceland and did not show any interest in this country. But Ludwig Wittgenstein was here! I therefore suggest that we have a national campaign for awareness and philosophical education in Iceland.
Philosophy as a lifestyle!
Comedian, writer and former mayor of Reykjavík JÓN GNARR, writes a weekly column for the weekend issue of Fréttablaðið, Iceland's most read newspaper and we publish an English version here at Iceland Insider.
I have long been an aficionado of good philosophy. As a young man I was greatly influenced by Taoism through the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tze. I don’t think any book has had so much influence on me, my life and character, as this one. And as with so many books, the magic does not just lie in the words themselves but rather in some mystical and poetic feeling that the reader relates to beyond the text. And I think it is this feeling that drives me to read.
I am always looking for this when I read. I have had bouts of reading through the years. As a kid I read Þórbergur Þórðarson. I was fascinated by Ofvitinn, and therefore I read all the other books too. As a young man, I felt I needed to read all the so-called world literature. So I stumbled through Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. And, as many Icelanders, I read the main works of Halldór Laxness. I spent a few years reading what young men had to read to be considered hip and cool and well-read. These were mostly books by drunken Americans and European existentialists. Then came the South American period. Then I read everything I could find by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Miguel Asturias and others. And, intermittently, there were various English and Scandinavian authors.
Often, this was not planned. I accidentally happened onto some path because of some outside influence. My friends were active in handing me books “that I had to read”, and sometimes I just read whatever books were at hand. Often, I have even felt that the books have chosen me and not the other way around, strange as that may sound. To begin with I mostly read novels. There was a period of poetry books and I also read a lot of plays.
I also took a stint in reading self-help books for a while. These books were some kind of a trend here in Iceland, and it happened to be at a critical time in my own life. This lead me to reading all kinds of spiritual studies and religions, and later caused me to become a Christian, at which time I read the Bible, Thomas à Kempis and Thomas Merton and anything else I could lay my hands on. And then there was a long period of crime novels. Then I devoured books by James Ellroy, Dashiell Hammett, Sjöwall and Wahlöö, P.D. James and others.
Less Moses, More Spinoza
At first my selection of books was limited to translations, I mostly read books published in Icelandic, but with improving knowledge of English, I started reading more books in English. For the last ten years, I have mostly read English books, mainly books on science and philosophy.
After I started reading philosophy I was a bit surprised at myself for not having started earlier. I think the reason for how few books on philosophy have come my way is first and foremost insufficient supply. Remarkably few books have been translated and what exists is often difficult to obtain. It is a crying shame how small a part philosophy plays in the general education of youngsters. There are few books about philosophy for children and teenagers, and the little that has been published is usually unavailable.
At the same time there is an excessive supply of Christian literature for the same age group, and it is mainly the Icelandic state that sponsors these publications. Unlike philosophy, Christianity does not reflect much on reality and the nature of existence. Instead it claims and generalizes about things that nobody knows for sure. A children’s book with the title God Exists, And He Loves You could well be published. But it is unlikely that the book God Does Not Exist, And If He Does, He Is Not Thinking About You will be published anytime soon.
Wittgenstein Beat Jesus to Iceland
Unfortunately, the reading of philosophy and discussions about it seem to be limited to certain small groups. It is unlikely that young people find books on philosophy unless they take some course, or study philosophy. I find this deplorable. I wish I had discovered Friedrich Nietzsche when I was younger.
I think that every Icelander who wants to be hip and cool and well-read must know Bertrand Russell, and the History of Western Philosophy should be bound in leather in every home. We simply need more philosophy in the whole community. It would greatly improve things here. I think the reason how many great writers Icelanders have, but few or even no presentable philosophers, may be that there has never been much interest in reality in this country. Jesus never came to Iceland and did not show any interest in this country. But Ludwig Wittgenstein was here! I therefore suggest that we have a national campaign for awareness and philosophical education in Iceland.
Philosophy as a lifestyle!
