The author explains his conception of philosophy as "consciousness talking aloud" and examines what he sees as the central issue of philosophy—how consciousness can gain direct access to itself.

Soviet-era philosopher Merab Mamardashvili developed an original and subtle philosophical system distinct from both his orthodox and dissident colleagues. This volume provides English-speaking audiences with a range of his lectures and writings on ancient philosophy, civil society, the European project, and literature. After many decades hiding in plain sight, he emerges as a Soviet thinker who writes in the double-voiced manner of an ideologically surveilled academic and a potent literary and theoretical innovator independent of his context.

Издание содержит: Формы и содержание мышления; Процессы анализа и синтеза; Анализ сознания в работах Маркса; Превращение формы; История познания, или Познание как история.