The Consolations of Philosophy (Vintage International)

Some people may have issues with Alain De Botton, but I'm not one of them. Is he a little bit "precious," as one critic put it? Yes, he may be, and admittedly, his approach may not be for everyone. But that does not reduce the fact that he does modern society an inestimable service by taking concepts and issues now commonly thought to be only the domain of the elite and over-educated, and in making them both interesting and approachable to the average lay-person, reacquaints us with aspects of our cultural heritage that can have direct bearing on the happiness quotient of our quotidian lives. The most fundamentally important aspects of our psychology - status/wealth, love/sex, art/religion, work/leisure, death and bereavement are all subjects upon which De Botton has shined the light of a classically grounded education, and The Consolations of Philosophy consists of precisely that - topics such as inadequacy, frustration, lack of money, and unrequited love are approached using concrete examples gleaned from both the lives and writings of various philosophers. Some will, with some validity, criticize this book for its playful tone and the fact that it does not go deeper. I would agree that if you are looking for a rigorous examination and critique of a certain philosopher and his thought, this is NOT the book for you. There exist whole libraries with exhaustive in depth comparative analysis of the influence of Schopenhauer on Nietzsche and such - this is not that book. This book does very well what it does - it covers areas that commonly inhibit our peace of mind from the perspective of the experiences (mostly) and the writings (somewhat) of famous philosophers, and in doing so illustrates some valuable, even eternal truths. Entertaining, approachable and clear, educational and enlightening - unless you are looking for a heavyweight of a tome, this is worth your time.

I first learned of this book while watching the PBS series in December 2011, that was based on this work, featuring the author Alain de Botton as host (this was a great program to stumble upon during the miasma of the holiday season!). That series, similarly to the book, was comprised of one episode dedicated to each of the 6 philosophers in question (Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche). I found this work to be a fast, enjoyable and accessible read. It was absorbing enough that I was able to read it in public amid noise and distractions. "Consolations of Philosophy" was not something that I had to labour over; the focus and intention of this books' main themes and subsequent discussions were clear. De Botton deconstructed the principal concepts of these philosophers down to their essence. And as several other Amazon reviewers have mentioned, this work functions as both an introduction to philosophy -- As well as a self-help book. For anyone going through hard times in his / her life -- Emotionally, socially, fiscally -- This book will indeed be a great "consolation". The only philosopher whose works I had read previous to reading "Consolations of Philosophy" was Nietzsche, a writer whose books ("Birth of Tragedy", "The Case of Wagner", "Twilight of the Idols" and "Also Sprach Zarathustra"; the latter being the most memorable) I've found to be simultaneously inspiring, mystifying, and incomprehensible. I attempted to read Schopenhauer a few years ago but it didn't hold my interest. Since completing this work by de Botton, I also tried to read "Selected Essays" by Michel de Montaigne (Dover Thrift Editions, 2011). But I had trouble connecting with Montaigne as well. What I ultimately found to be one of the most important and moving aspects of "Consolations of Philosophy" was the fact that Nietzsche, in spite of his hardships and loneliness -- Did not allow his vision to be influenced by pessimism (this notion being stressed by de Botton in this book). Although the life of Nietzsche seems to have been cursed; to have been deprived of happiness -- Deep down he must have known that he alone was responsible for his state of being (as conversely, he advised men "to live dangerously"). Stephen C. Bird Author, "To Be to Is to Was"

This book contains many conclusions and insights that were obtained through the analysis and study of six great philosophers that have asked the same questions that we humans do. Some quotes I can share with you include: "What should worry us is not the number of people who oppose us, but how good their reasons are for doing so." "What makes us angry are dangerously optimistic notions about what the world and other people are like." "It is tempting, when we are hurt, to believe that the thing which hurt us intended to do so." This is great work, but it's not an ordinary study of the classics of philosophy. I hated my philosophy class, the teacher made it extremely tedious and boring. This is fresh insight that contains many answers to life's questions. I have been considerably more calm and happy (and productive) after reading his books. This is great literature. I also recommend this other book, with was the first one I ever read by him. The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

I've really enjoyed reading this book because I learned a lot about the lives of philosophers whose names are household names, but the details of whose lives and philosophy are really not known by the lay public. I really appreciate De Botton's work because he makes esoteric information accessible to the public, in a way that makes philosophy relevant to our daily lives. Unfortunately, learning about the lives of philosophers does not make one want to become one, as many of them were completely misunderstood in their times and were, in fact, murdered by the existing powers. But, this book does make one pause to think about the roots of our modern day troubles (frustrations, unpopularity, not enough money, etc.) are really as being ancient problems in a new context. By examining the common features of our current problems and those of old, we can also learn how thoughtful human beings have dealt with these issues in the past.

While this may well be a comfort to those in search of comfort, it is not an ideal introduction to philosophy. Sadly, this is not the first time that philosophy has been ill-served by attempts at popularization. This is yet another example of a popular text that attempts to "dumb down" the philosophy of the great philosophers and purports to extract popular moral lessons from them. This leaves a profound misimpression of what philosophy is all about. In fairness, this approach almost works with Seneca and Epicurus, who must be seen as practical lifestyle "gurus" in the manner of afternoon talk show lifestyle advice. It is less illuminating for the likes of Schopenhauer and Nietzche. Sadly, in trying to derive comfort from individual philosophers,it is necessary to ignore most of the serious thinkers in favor of others, who, while admirable at a certain level, distort the understanding of what philosophical thinking is all about. The real consolation of philosophy is the oppurtunity to contemplate clearly the meaning of the important questions of life and our place in the universe. This consolation is best sought elsewhere.

Educational and entertaining in an eye opening way. A great book to introduce others to the study and benefits of philosophy.

Some people find Philosophy useless because it sounds like a bunch of ideas with no apparent use in everyday life. In his work, Alain de Botton has surpassed the "uselessness" of Philosophy and has used six fundamental philosophers (Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Shopenhauer, and Nietzsche) to communicate to the reader that six things which usually provoque distress in our lives (respectively: unpopularity, lack of money, frustration, inadequacy, a broken heart, and difficulties) are not to be taken so seriously, or are even perceived in the wrong way (negative instead of positive). With humorous anecdotes and pictures, de Botton manages to get his message through: philosophy is not something unknowable and out of reach, but a series of principles which can be applied easily and may even open a door for us where we thought all possibilities of happiness were shut down. For anyone interested in these philosophers and their philosophy, or anyone suffering any of the distresses mentioned above, this book is a light and manageable reading, both historically and intellectually enlightning. I enjoyed it very much.

Makes philosophy available to those who never studied it in school and have no other opportunity to get involved. It was a perfect introduction to ideas that were new to me and new ways of looking at things. I truly enjoyed reading this dry and often funny book and learned more than I could have from a college course. A truly innovative approach to the catgory that creates it's own genre. You'll never read a self-help book again. Makes them seem pitiful. An eye-opening joy.