A snowflake falling on the author’s hand leads to a number of captivating philosophical questions about being, existence and the cosmos.

Essay  |  English sample translation available

At the beginning of this book, the author observes a snowflake drop onto his hand and asks himself about the nature of this minute event. Mostly everyone is familiar with a fallen snowflake, however, sometimes such straightforward occurrences seem mysterious and incomprehensible. Ajvaz presents the argument that even such a simple experience like this can exist only because of its meaning. Said meaning is established by being, and presumes the existence of a dynamic syntax. In his detailed yet accessible writing, he considers why we cannot understand this syntax without seeing it in the entirety of its development. The development is itself part of the development of the cosmos. It is, therefore, necessary to think about the self-creation of the cosmos and to consider organic and inorganic nature, and the human world and its values. It is essential to view these areas of the cosmos in their context and to see their uniqueness.