What Happens to Us When We Think: Transformation and Reality

Gelven’s book is essentially an attempt to unpack the implications of Heidegger’s famous reply to the ubiquitous allegation that philosophy is useless: “Granted that we cannot do anything with philosophy, might not philosophy, if we concern ourselves with it, do something with us?”. For Gelven, as for Heidegger, this is more than just a clever riposte. Philosophical thinking does indeed transform us, and, as Gelven says, “this transition is from ordinary thinking about ourselves and the world to extraordinary thinking, and only this latter enables us to confront directly our reality”.