I Think, Therefore I Draw: Understanding Philosophy Through Cartoons

by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein

A hilarious new exploration of philosophy through cartoons from the duo who brought you the New York Times bestselling Plato and a Platypus Walk Into A Bar...

Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klien have been thinking deep thoughts and writing jokes for decades, and now they are here to help us understand Philosophy through cartoons, and cartoons through Philosophy. Covering topics as diverse as religion, gender, knowledge, morality, and the meaning of life (or the lack thereof), I Think, Therefore I Draw gives a thorough introduction to all of the major debates in philosophy through history and the present. And since they explain with the help of a selection of some of the smartest cartoonists working today, you'll breeze through these weighty topics as you guffaw and slap your knee.

Cathcart and Klein's Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar... and Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates have been a favorite of philosophers and non-philosophers alike for years. Packed with dozens of witty cartoons and loaded with profound philosophical insight, I Think, Therefore I Draw will delight readers and leave them enlightened.

• ISBN10: 0143133039
• ISBN13: 9780143133032
• Publish Date: 29 October 2019 (first published 30 October 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780143133032

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Two days shy of a year — FI-NAL-LY! Yes, it took me that long to read this book cover to cover.

You know that disappointment when you don't want to accept that reality and expectation didn't match up? That's what I felt with I Think, Therefore I Draw. That's also why it took me so long to slog through, even though it wan't by any means a terrible book. I also didn't have much appreciation for the authors' brand of humour.

The writing style was such that the book was meant to be read like a conversation with the authors, which's all well and good when the there's depth to the subject matter. Sadly, rather than a primer to philosophy, I felt like this was merely a preface, and for a preface, 302 pages are way too much.

That being said, I did enjoy the choice of cartoons to illustrate the various philosophical ideas. I also found the biosketches very useful in providing an overview of the philosophers covered in this book. It's sad though that I had to get to the appendix before I started to actually enjoy this book.