You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by cesar_sojo
The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton
4.0
The Consolations of Philosophy By Alain De Botton
The Consolations of Philosophy is a book written by Alain de Button, author of Religion for Atheists (2012), and The Course of Love (2016).
In this book, the author argues that philosophy should not just be a discipline to acquire knowledge for the sake of knowledge but as a tool to help and console the average person with the aches and burns that come with being human. The book is divided into six chapters, each one dedicated to the life and work of six influential philosophers, linking each one with a specific idea.
Unpopularity (Socrates)
Socrates famously was sentenced to death and was unpopular among the aristocracy of Athens. We can find consolation in the thought that his ideas still live on despite him giving his life.
Not Having Enough Money (Epicurus)
Epicurus can teach us that not having enough money is not a problem for achieving our own happiness. We should focus our efforts instead on developing good friendships that are far more valuable than money.
Frustration (Seneca)
We can minimize frustration by bracing for the worst and accepting that we suffer more in the mind than we do in reality.
Inadequacy (Montaigne)
We are still primates limited by our bodily functions. We almost always fall short of the ideals set by ourselves or those around us.
for a Broken Heart (Schopenhauer)
The only purpose that romantic love serves is to preserve the species through our biological drive. When met with a time we are left with a broken heart, we can find comfort in knowing that pain is a temporary physical reaction.
Difficulties (Nietzsche)
The only way to achieve anything worthwhile is on the other side of extreme difficulty and hardship.
De Button attempts to portray these great minds in an accessible way bringing down their ideas from high society to the masses. However, his interpretations of the philosophers are often reductionistic as he cherry-picks the ideas that fit into his narrative of what the reader should take away from each philosopher, for example, equating the teachings of ‘’the philosopher of pessimism’’, Schopenhauer, with a broken heart.
Despite not agreeing with all of Alain De Button’s opinions and straightforward conclusions, I still think that his grasp of philosophy and the engaging writing style did an admirable job in giving a glimpse into who these great men were.
I decided to give The Consolations of Philosophy a 4 out of 5. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning a bit more about philosophy but is afraid to feel like an unwelcome outsider in an already established group of pompous academic elites
The Consolations of Philosophy is a book written by Alain de Button, author of Religion for Atheists (2012), and The Course of Love (2016).
In this book, the author argues that philosophy should not just be a discipline to acquire knowledge for the sake of knowledge but as a tool to help and console the average person with the aches and burns that come with being human. The book is divided into six chapters, each one dedicated to the life and work of six influential philosophers, linking each one with a specific idea.
Unpopularity (Socrates)
Socrates famously was sentenced to death and was unpopular among the aristocracy of Athens. We can find consolation in the thought that his ideas still live on despite him giving his life.
Not Having Enough Money (Epicurus)
Epicurus can teach us that not having enough money is not a problem for achieving our own happiness. We should focus our efforts instead on developing good friendships that are far more valuable than money.
Frustration (Seneca)
We can minimize frustration by bracing for the worst and accepting that we suffer more in the mind than we do in reality.
Inadequacy (Montaigne)
We are still primates limited by our bodily functions. We almost always fall short of the ideals set by ourselves or those around us.
for a Broken Heart (Schopenhauer)
The only purpose that romantic love serves is to preserve the species through our biological drive. When met with a time we are left with a broken heart, we can find comfort in knowing that pain is a temporary physical reaction.
Difficulties (Nietzsche)
The only way to achieve anything worthwhile is on the other side of extreme difficulty and hardship.
De Button attempts to portray these great minds in an accessible way bringing down their ideas from high society to the masses. However, his interpretations of the philosophers are often reductionistic as he cherry-picks the ideas that fit into his narrative of what the reader should take away from each philosopher, for example, equating the teachings of ‘’the philosopher of pessimism’’, Schopenhauer, with a broken heart.
Despite not agreeing with all of Alain De Button’s opinions and straightforward conclusions, I still think that his grasp of philosophy and the engaging writing style did an admirable job in giving a glimpse into who these great men were.
I decided to give The Consolations of Philosophy a 4 out of 5. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning a bit more about philosophy but is afraid to feel like an unwelcome outsider in an already established group of pompous academic elites