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Why does wonder matter to a philosopher?

Aristotle finds an unexpected connection between a love of myths and a search for understanding.

In the Metaphysics, Aristotle links the beginning of philosophy to wonder. People start with the puzzles of everyday life and move towards larger questions, about the Moon, the Sun and the origin of the universe. For him, asking questions means recognising that something still escapes our understanding.

There is an unexpected detail, too: someone who loves myths is, he writes, in a sense close to someone who loves wisdom, because myths are full of wonders. The connection lies in the sense of wonder that sets inquiry in motion.

We can read this passage as an invitation to pause before giving an automatic answer: what do I still not understand about something that seems obvious? Even a small question, taken seriously, can become the beginning of an inquiry. It is one way to turn curiosity into a habit.

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