On Stilts over Reality

Ruth Troeller's lifelong passion for philosophical inquiry has driven her to pursue and spread knowledge and wisdom, not only in the academic sphere. Inspired by the existentialist thought that flourished in postwar Europe and her meetings with Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Gabriel Marcel and particularly André Malraux, she studied formally under Jaspers in Baal and Heidegger in Freiburg, and earned a degree in philosophy at the University of London. Her academic path strayed from that of philosophy due to her great dislike of the predominant current (logical positivism) being taught at the time, but although she went on to earn her higher degrees in Economics and dedicated much of her professional life to that area, her interest in philosophy never faded. The 72 years of diaries that this book covers bear witness to her unwavering commitment to reflecting continuously on philosophical questions, and the realization of this book is a testimony of her devotion as a teacher, since she not only wants to share her own thoughts with the world, but to inspire readers of all ages to pursue their own path of philosophical search, to dare to ask themselves important questions and seek the answers, to write and think consistently and contribute to the development of humanity.