The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) once wrote that ‘[T]he man who feels himself drawn to philosophy must himself seek out its immortal teachers in the quiet sanctuary of their works.’ That’s easier said than done: philosophical classics have a terrible reputation outside ivory towers – as big, boring, difficult books, filled with obtuse theorising about irrelevant problems, their covers featuring ghastly old men staring miserably out at the reader. Books about philosophy are hugely popular today, most of which repackage the thoughts of past thinkers for time-pressed readers – but I suspect not many people transition from these guides to the great works themselves, especially when AI can do all the hard reading for you.  

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But Schopenhauer was right: to really get to know a philosopher, there’s no substitute for reading their books yourself. The rewards repay the effort several times over, as I have recently rediscovered. Last month, I finished reading Schopenhauer’s masterpiece The World as Will and Representation, in the classic 1958 English translation by E. F. J. Payne. With notebook and pen in hand, it took around 60 hours,........

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