It appeared ten years ago Dirk Verhofstadt in conversation with Etienne Vermeersch, a monumental book in which the moral philosopher Dirk Verhofstadt interviews a distinguished colleague about his pursuit of truth and many other issues. Vermeersch demonstrated his unprecedented erudition and gave all the answers from scratch, including endless quotes. Turns out, the first interview book tasted more. Verhofstadt then spoke with controversial Dutch lawyer and philosopher Paul Kleitor, and in the past two summers he and Johann Brickmann withdrew to Tuscany.
They philosophized about human nature, the motives of our actions and the meaning of human existence. They worked on discussions together, and it turned out that they had a lot of material for one book. So Verhofstadt presents the first part, which deals mainly with Darwin and the theory of evolution, the history of Homo sapiens and his tendency to irrationality. Other chapters deal with science, faith and atheism.
Braeckman shows himself well as his mentor Vermeersch, to whom the book is dedicated and who sometimes seems to join the discussion. This is the result of more than thirty years of professional reflection. Brackman explains things clearly, avoiding jargon and detailing his argument with startling examples. Due to the given format – actually more of a dialogue than an interview – there is enough room for nuance and perspective. This also does justice to human Braykmann, who as a philosopher essentially tries to understand and judge less: “Instead of censorship, I argue in favor of opposing all things in a calm, objective, and well-proved manner. negative.
