The book by H. Hofmeister (Professor, Head of the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Theology at Heidelberg University and Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy at St. Petersburg State University) is devoted to understanding the fundamental problems of philosophical thought, its structure and the development of basic concepts. The purpose of his reflections is to look from the outside at the path along which logically and historically different types of philosophizing and famous philosophers moved towards what is today called philosophical knowledge. Understanding philosophy as an ongoing process of searching for the arche, the origin, the primary source, the foundation of everything, from its very inception knowledge, the author creates work that is interesting for the widest range of readers.