Square One: 9 out of 10
Absolutely phenomenal book. This book is so good in fact, that if you have even the smallest inclination to read it, I would buy it for you in a heartbeat.
It’s perfect for the layman who has never studied philosophy in their life. It’s perfect for the bearded snob who thinks they know it all. It’s a refreshing, straight forward, humorous, easy read about the fundamentals of philosophy.
I will gladly buy a copy of the book for you, otherwise: spoiler alerts below!
The thesis of Square One is that logic and existence are inexorably linked. If a thing exists, it follows laws of logic. Objective knowledge is possible. Here are some examples:
“Blonde women are blonde.”
“Small dogs are dogs.”
“There are no married bachelors.”
These are not, “true as far as we know.” We don’t have to do any testing to validate the statements.
There is one bonus statement which is indisputably true:
“Awareness is happening.” This statement isn’t necessarily true like the others. It’s conditional on me existing, which is debatable, whereas the above three are not.
As someone who has wondered about objectivity, I am gushing with excitement. I feel as though I have exited Plato’s cave and can see the real world now.