Metaphysical Horror

“Metaphysical Horror” by Leszek Kolakowski, one of Poland's most renowned philosophers, explores philosophy's perpetual, unsolvable problems - problems that are fundamentally intertwined with life itself.
While acknowledging anti-philosophical arguments that claim philosophizing is pointless, Kolakowski demonstrates that the value lies not in finding definitive answers, but in the intellectual journey itself. He examines and critiques various philosophical traditions, from Neoplatonists to Christian mystics and Enlightenment thinkers, revealing the limitations in each approach.
The book culminates by showing how this very philosophical uncertainty - our inability to reach absolute truth - is itself what opens up the infinite possibilities of human thought and existence. The “horror” of having no final answers becomes paradoxically liberating, creating space for endless exploration and meaning-making.