Beyond Fixed Views: Philosophical Short Stories from Everyday Life

The ancient philosophical dictum is "know thyself," but there are countless ways to achieve self-knowledge. This book discusses "fixed views" (定見), which are the judgments we have become accustomed to throughout our lives and that seem self-evident. Through reflecting on these fixed views, we hope to deepen our understanding of ourselves and humanity. All the articles in this book are titled with questions, aiming to challenge rather than provide definitive answers. Our goal is to use philosophy to deconstruct the various possibilities of these issues and offer readers more directions for thought.

Kwok Pak-nin, who holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Philosophy at CUHK, has served general education courses at PolyU and CUHK since his graduation. For many years, he has been highly regarded by students for his excellent teaching and has received numerous commendations from the university. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at CUHK. He is approachable and accessible, learned without being pedantic, and his discussions are often incisive. With his concise and lively writing, he directly addresses complex and profound matters, always leaving readers with something to gain. —Professor KWAN Tze-Wan

While there are many introductory philosophy books available, most good ones are in English. It's rare to find a Chinese book as excellent as this one, both in terms of writing quality and philosophical depth. All the topics in this book are important and refreshing, many of which readers may have never considered before. —Dr. WANG Wai-hung

About the Author

Kwok Pak-nin received his Ph.D. from the Department of Philosophy at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where he is currently a Senior Lecturer. His research interests include ethics, critical thinking, and social and political philosophy. He was a host for the RTHK television program "A Philosophical Chat" (哲學有偈傾) and has maintained a column in the "Sunday Life" (星期日生活) section of Ming Pao since January 2018. He also publishes articles on the philosophy section of Stand News.