Merab Konstantinovich Mamardashvili (1930–1990) was one of the most significant thinkers of the second half of the 20th century. This publication includes two lecture courses delivered by M.K. Mamardashvili at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in 1979–1980, under the general title 'Introduction to Philosophy.' Of all the author's works, these lectures are the most accessible and understandable to a wide audience. The book analyzes the nature, character, and goals of philosophical thought. Using examples from the history of philosophy, it demonstrates why and how the abstract apparatus of philosophical reasoning and language is constructed, what problems of existence in human cultures and individuals require the development of the skill and ability to philosophize, and the differences between real philosophy and the philosophy of doctrines and systems.