20 years ago

Inspired by The Sun, columnist Peter Aspden came up with ten things you didn't know about philosophy:

1. What makes you think you know anything anyway? ...

2. The Greeks invented philosophy by sitting in groups, drinking, stroking each other and pondering on the nature of love, beauty, truth and knowledge, and making a scant contribution to the economy ...

3. Limbs have played an important part in philosophy. Wittgenstein wondered about the difference between raising your arm and your arm going up ...

4. You cannot derive an ought from an is ...

5. Many philosophers have also been outstanding sportsmen - well, Camus was once known to have played in goal for the University of Algiers ...

6. Dreaming is an important philosophical concept. I once had a nightmare during finals about answering the question "Can I know I exist if I am dreaming that I am Descartes?"

7. French philosophy is fraudulent as it involves smoking heavily, drinking coffee, taking lovers and feeling nauseous ...

8. Beware of the process of deconstruction ...

9. Philosophy has many highly specialised terms - discourse, hermeneutics, UB40 - but these should not be allowed to intimidate you ...

10. Philosophy is currently the height of modern fashion ...