The Consolations Of Philosophy

Oct 25, 2012 Riku Sayuj rated it 3 of 5 stars

As I went through the book I was unable to make up my mind whether it was a work on philosophy masquerading as a self-help book to reach a wide audience or if it was a pretentious self-help book with aspirations to be a book on deep philosophy.

Even after I finished it, I am not sure how to judge it. Should I judge it harshly for picking and choosing among the works of these great philosophers to fit them into the narrow framework that Botton has drawn for them and thus making them draw his yoke?...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Gordon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alain de Botton is a kind of Everyman’s philosopher – which is exactly how I like my philosophers. (In fact, he teaches philosophy at the University of London). The book is a quick romp through a half-dozen philosophers, from Socrates to Nietzsche, by applying their philosophies to the author’s everyday problems. For example, he explains Epicurus’ thought in relation to his own issues about wanting material things. Much to my surprise, Epicurus turns out to have little to do with the hedonism I...more

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Oct 13, 2007 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Absolutely everyone

I have read quite a few of the original works from all the philosophers covered in this book; this nails the relevent ideas and is waaaaaay easier to read. This book could and should replace the entire pop psychology and self help sections of any bookstore. Botton reveals the truth that most of the ideas authors of those genres have been slinging around and re-using for so long were actually written a long long time ago. His format works best here and shows us that philosophy is not some far off...more

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Jan 31, 2009 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Concise, relevant, down to earth, pragmatic.

The spin of the book is that philosophy can help you overcome obstacles in your life (unpopularity, poverty, frustration and a broken heart among others). It's a cute angle, but not to be taken too seriously.

This book is a refresher, a booster injection to remind you of the contributions put forward by a handful of thinkers. A wholesome tidbit before tackling Sophie's World or similar.

This shot contains: Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenha...more

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Nov 08, 2007 Keegan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: philosophy

Now, you may laugh, but I thought this was one of the best philosophy-related books I've ever read. I recognize that it's pretty basic, a little silly, etc., but for some reason it did it for me. It's short and sweet and it humanizes otherwise esoteric knowledge.

After I blazed through this book one evening, I went on to read the actual writings of Epicurus, Nietzsche, and Montaigne. It was the spark I needed to get me reading philosophy again.

I heartily recommend it. :-)

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Sep 23, 2008 Todd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a strange and enjoyable mixture of philosophy and self-help (and potty words!), divided neatly into six philosophers and six vexing problems. They can be read in any order. I couldn't wait for Nietzsche (the last section) so I skipped ahead and read that fourth instead of sixth.

Here are the six philosophers and the corresponding issues:
Socrates => Unpopularity
Epicurus => Material Want
Seneca => Anger
Montaigne => Feelings of Inadequacy
Schopenhauer => Heartache
Nietzsche...more

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Dec 19, 2009 eva rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy-religion, book-club

i think if i'd ever read much philosophy, i would have found this boring & superficial, not to mention repetitive - i wish it had been either much longer/more in-depth or much shorter/more fucking concise. and i wavered between liking de botton's writing style and finding it unbelievably twee and condescending.

but as a poppy overview it was still enjoyable and educational. the progression of philosophers was nicely done: just as i was starting to get irritated with a particular viewpoint, it...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Ilario D'amato rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un manuale di filosofia spicciola: quanti se ne trovano sugli scaffali delle nostre librerie, che strillano dalla copertina promesse di pronta felicità e profonda comprensione dell’umana insoddisfazione in appena duecento pagine ? Niente di tutto questo. Eppure scrivere di filosofia con poche parole - mentre i media si profondono in mille informazioni -, è impresa assai ardua: uno stile colloquiale ci porta istintivamente a diffidare (vedi Luciano de Crescenzo) dei contenuti proposti come “seri”...more Un manuale di filosofia spicciola: quanti se ne trovano sugli scaffali delle nostre librerie, che strillano dalla copertina promesse di pronta felicità e profonda comprensione dell’umana insoddisfazione in appena duecento pagine ? Niente di tutto questo. Eppure scrivere di filosofia con poche parole - mentre i media si profondono in mille informazioni -, è impresa assai ardua: uno stile colloquiale ci porta istintivamente a diffidare (vedi Luciano de Crescenzo) dei contenuti proposti come “seri”, e d’altra parte un gergo specifico o argomentazioni non sempre istantanee suscitano noia pressoché immediata, costringendoci a chiudere le pesanti ali del libro in questione. L’appena trentacinquenne autore, invece, è già abbastanza imbevuto di studi filosofici da poterne discutere con sufficiente autorità, ma ancora vicino alle difficoltà di cui tratta per parlarcene con toni fraterni, benevoli, accondiscendenti: perché lo scopo primo del testo è quello di cercare, fra la sterminata e autorevole letteratura filosofica, quegli autori che possono maggiormente aiutarci nelle tribolazioni quotidiane attraverso la focalizzazione di alcuni punti-chiave del loro pensiero.
La prima di queste consolazioni riguarda l’affanno causatoci dall’impopolarità. Sebbene sembri un problema tutto moderno, in realtà si è solo acuito per mezzo della sovraesposizione mediale cui siamo giornalmente esposti, allo stile di vita sempre più interconnesso con gli altri, al bisogno tutto umano di suscitare approvazione nell’altro per ritrovare, come in uno specchio, la propria identità: ma non addentriamoci in terreni troppo tecnici. Basti analizzare come nella storia delle società umane la percezione di ciò che è giusto e di ciò che è sbagliato (una distinzione che ci sembra tanto ovvia e netta) vari in modo impressionante di epoca in epoca, e addirittura di luogo in luogo nello stesso periodo: il filosofo che si propose di smascherare tale incongruenza fu Socrate, “tafano di Atene”. Nelle sue innocenti conversazioni incitava l’interlocutore a non dare per scontato il senso comune, immaginando per un attimo che fosse errato, e a pervenire ad una soluzione più logica per mezzo di sillogismi. Spesso si giungeva ad una definizione addirittura opposta del problema, una volta esaurite tutte le eccezioni, sicuramente più salda di quella intuitiva. Tale fermezza, basata sulla effettiva conoscenza, bastò al filosofo per sfidare, da solo, la giuria che lo condannò a morte per le sue idee e l’intera cittadinanza ateniese: per estensione, come può non bastarci nelle nostre piccole avversioni quotidiane?
Un’altra delle angosce tipicamente moderne è quella prodotta dalla mancanza di denaro. Ognuno di noi è portato naturalmente alla ricerca del piacere e della felicità: l’errore consiste nel pensare che la seconda sia l’esatta derivazione del primo, e nel confondere i due termini come sinonimi. Epicuro ci insegna invece che una volta soddisfatti i bisogni naturali e necessari (un po’ di cibo, un riparo, veri amici con cui vivere in libertà e uso del pensiero volto al lenimento dell’anima) una maggiore disponibilità economica non ci farà superare i livelli di felicità raggiungibili con questi pochi mezzi. Bisogna insomma smettere di considerare gli oggetti come simulacri della gioia che non riusciamo a raggiungere in noi stessi, dopo aver eliminato la vera sofferenza attiva (quale la fame), e non farci ingannare dalla pubblicità col suo enorme potere economico e (ancora una volta) dall’ingombrante senso comune.
Diretta emanazione della presunta mancanza di felicità è il senso di frustrazione che ci assale spesso senza un motivo certo e definibile. In questi casi possiamo abbandonarci alla saggezza del filosofo stoico Seneca, le cui vicende personali lo portano a buon titolo ad essere maestro di tale affanno. Ci insegna così che ogni frustrazione nasce dalla collisione tra un desiderio e una realtà ostile, causandoci emozioni (come ira, ansia, senso di ingiustizia, sensazione d’essere presi in giro, traumi) cento volte più dannose perché a noi stessi incomprensibili. Ovviamente non bisogna adagiarsi nella propria condizione presente, ma lo stimolo al progresso e al rinnovamento dev’essere sempre inquadrato nell’ottica onesta di ciò che è modificabile e di ciò che non lo è. Imparare ad accettare il mondo per quello che è, dunque, ma soprattutto imparare ad accettare se stessi per come si è, o si cadrà preda del senso di inadeguatezza. Corpo e mente non sono entità separate, spiega Montaigne, né l’attività intellettuale è da considerarsi più nobile delle legittime aspirazioni del corpo. Tantomeno (e qui ci ricolleghiamo all’impopolarità) dobbiamo sentirci frustrati per la nostra presunta mancanza di normalità: tale concetto è troppo variabile nel tempo e nello spazio per destarci alcuna preoccupazione, e inoltre gli amici sono disposti a soprassedere a molte delle nostre stranezze. Infine, la persona realmente intelligente può non avere una vasta erudizione, ma sa esprimersi con coraggiosa chiarezza, parla di cose utili alla vita, pensa e medita piuttosto che citare pedissequamente: è insomma un essere adeguato e semirazionale, con una vita normale e virtuosa, tesa alla saggezza ma mai troppo lontana dalla follia.
Ed eccoci giunti pian piano al più pungente e universale dei dolori: la sofferenza per le pene d’amore. E nonostante ciò è una delle tribolazioni storicamente meno affrontate nella filosofia, probabilmente perché solo in epoca moderna vediamo un’apertura alla parte meno razionale dell’uomo. Il filosofo che ci guida nell’esplorazione di tale sentimento ha avuto una vita certamente non facile, cosa che si riflette sulla sua filosofia rendendola cupa e pessimista. Eppure Schopenhauer, al pari del Leopardi della Ginestra, sembra invitarci non tanto ad una rassegnata accettazione della vita, quanto alla ferma consapevolezza della sua crudeltà mai mitigata da facili autoinganni. Noi, dice il pensatore, più che dall’intelletto siamo mossi dalla “Volontà di vivere”, un impulso innato di autoconservazione e riproduzione, per cui quello che chiamiamo amore è solo il fortissimo istinto della continuità della specie. Scegliamo insomma il nostro partner inconsciamente guidati da parametri di convenienza biologica che non si incontrano praticamente mai con l’idea che abbiamo di amore romantico (ciò perché la nostra felicità è ben al di sotto della potenza della volontà di vivere): attraverso l’arte, poi, scopriremo che il nostro caso è solo uno dei tanti. Molto consolatorio, anche se personalmente credo che il ragionamento sia viziato da una visione parziale, già sconfitta, del problema.
Infine, come in un climax ascendente, Nietzsche ci parla della difficoltà più ampia e naturale: l’ansia di vivere. Ma qui la sofferenza assume un connotato positivo: impegno sociale e grandezza d’animo non bastano da soli a rendere l’uomo tale, o meglio, “Übermensch” (poco felicemente tradotto come “Superuomo”). Occorre passare attraverso periodiche quanto inevitabili sofferenze, per avere l’esperienza e la motivazione necessaria a raggiungere la felicità. Questa infatti non è a portata di mano, ma non ci è neppure preclusa: per realizzarsi bisogna elevarsi al di sopra della mediocrità per mezzo del necessario dolore; cogliere la sfida, e non crogiolarsi in sollievi tanto effimeri quanto dannosi come alcool o religione. Passando per i filosofi finora incontrati, e ricongiungendoci ad anello con Epicuro, possiamo quindi concludere che l’uomo deve vivere le proprie angosce con fiera determinazione e consapevolezza dei suoi limiti come della sua grandezza, conscio che l’unico valore salvifico concessoci in sorte in questa vita è quello della saggezza rinforzata dall’amicizia.(less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Faith Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems remarkable the voice of an eccentric who accosted strangers with conversation, eschewed footwear and lived before the English language existed could provide modern inspiration, but Alain De Botton eruditely uses the work of this and a few other philosophers to do just that. In his typically humble but astonishingly well-informed style De Botton finds surcease in for six universal sources of anguish via the lens of a different philosopher for each section in this book. The precise focus...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder is by far a superior introduction into the world of philosophy. I appreciate Alain de Botton's historical knowledge of philosophy, philosophers as well as logic and reasoning which he is most adept. I also appreciate that there is "something in this book for everyone". However, Botton's adaption to real life psychological phenomena is weak and inexperienced perhaps. He did after all have a privileged upbringing and was well educated unlike the majority of us. Th...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction, owned, philosophy

Recently I've been following De Botton on Facebook, and watching his lectures has reminded me how much I enjoy the way he presents his arguments (even when he sometimes makes me want to shake him). So when I was recently at Barnes & Noble, going crazy buying Christmas books for the kids, I wandered around a bit looking for a few of his books. This wasn't one of the two I was hoping for, but it looked promising as well, so I picked it up.

I really, really like De Botton's writing. Light, consp...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Andrew Courten rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like so many of Alain's books, he starts off very well with excellent points and ideas - his chapters on Socrates and Epicurus most perspicacious - then he messes up in a major way half way through. For example his chapter 5 exposition on Arther Schopenhauer re why we treasure one person above all others when certain others, who were perhaps objectively as attractive might have been more convenient to live with? Alain agrees that the only reason we fall in love is through an unconscious ‘will-to...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Rajesh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent treatment of the themes of everyday life and the contributions that European philosophers made to examining them. Socrates - tested by truth and aristocracy and reason and his own quirks, consumed by the state's hubris, in a lesson to everyone. Seneca - pragmatic and realistic and curious in a time and social circle when being any of those things seemed distant; drawing inspiration from Greeks such as Socrates and Zeno, and perishing because of the vile madness of Nero. Montaigne -...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Rhoda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is engaging and the writing limpid enough, but it suffers from a few major weaknesses for which I dock 3 stars. First, it is larded with highly gratuitous drawings that, on more than one occasion, made me think that the book was intended for students age 10+. Second, it occasionally suffers from slippery/specious reasoning, generalizations, and redundancies. Lastly, and this is the most egregious oversight of all, it dispenses with rigorous analysis of the ideas of the philosophers men...more This book is engaging and the writing limpid enough, but it suffers from a few major weaknesses for which I dock 3 stars. First, it is larded with highly gratuitous drawings that, on more than one occasion, made me think that the book was intended for students age 10+. Second, it occasionally suffers from slippery/specious reasoning, generalizations, and redundancies. Lastly, and this is the most egregious oversight of all, it dispenses with rigorous analysis of the ideas of the philosophers mentioned in the service of dumbing down the same for the lay reader. For instance, in the chapter on "Consolations for a Broken Heart," de Botton presents Schopenhauer's will to life in an extremely digestible format, but there's just one problem that renders the whole chapter moot: the will to life simply cannot account for the preferences of homosexuals and thus cannot be a universal truth. It's also possible to discern faint contradictions in de Botton's messages: for instance, reading his essay on Montaigne, who emerges as the most humane philosopher in his cast of characters, almost seduces the reader into living a life of Christian complacency - the very kind of lifestyle that Nietzsche vehemently repudiated, as recounted in the final chapter. It must be said, however, that de Botton deftly melds biographical facts of all the philosophers with a few aspects of their individual philosophies, and there is no shortage of interesting facts about the thoughts of six great men. Herewith, the main takeaways of my reading:

- Socrates: a correct belief held without an awareness of how to respond rationally to objections is a true opinion; knowledge involves understanding not only why something is true, but also why its alternatives are false.
- for Epicurus, philosophy is meant to "help us interpret our indistinct pulses of distress and desire and save us from mistaken schemes for happiness."
-for Epicurus, desires are i) natural and necessary (e.g. friends, freedom, thought); ii) natural but unnecessary (e.g. house, banquets); iii) neither natural nor necessary (e.g. fame, power). Also, happiness is absence of active pain.
- "a well-mounted Epicurean advertising campaign would have the power to precipitate global economic collapse...levels of consumption would be destroyed by greater self-awareness and appreciation of simplicity." So much for the image of Epicurus as patron saint of hedonism!
- Seneca "conceived of philosophy as a discipline to assist human beings in overcoming conflicts between their wishes and reality."
- For Seneca, "anger results from faulty reasoning; "what makes us angry are dangerously optimistic notions about what the world and other people are like. How badly we react to frustration is critically determined by what we think of as normal. Our frustrations are tempered by what we understand we can expect from the world, by our experience of what it is normal to hope for. We will cease to be so angry once we cease to be so hopeful."
- Seneca also counseled, somewhat ludicrously, that we must "hold the possibility of disaster in mind at all times." He invoked goddess Fortune as a capricious adversary who "did not evaluate her victims and reward them according to merit."
- Stoics says the wise are identified by their equanimity in response to sudden poverty.
- Seneca on resignation: "An animal, struggling against the noose, tightens it...there is no yoke so tight that it will not hurt the animal less if it pulls with it than if it fights against it. The one alleviation for overwhelming evils is to endure and bow to necessity."
- "Montaigne elaborated upon advantages of living as an animal rather than as a reasoning (and well-read) human." This despite having a thousand volumes in his library and being conversant in the classics at an early age.
- Montaigne consigns to learning knowledge of grammar, Latin, Greek, logic, etc. Wisdom, in contrast, is everything that can help a person to live well (i.e. happily and morally).
- Schopenhauer: "To marry means to do everything possible to become an object of disgust to each other."
- will-to-life: the force within us which overrules reason; "an inherent drive within human beings to stay alive and reproduce." "Love is nothing but the conscious manifestation of the will-to-life's discovery of an ideal co-parent." Bleakly, "the pursuit of personal happiness and the production of healthy children are two radically contrasting projects."
- Nietzsche: "In the eyes of people who are seeing us for the first time usually we are nothing more than a single individual trait which leaps to the eye and determines the whole impression we make."(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Xing rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Succinct, engrossing volume on issues and concerns that are not frequently discussed, but ebb persistently at our boundaries of self-discovery and awareness. Intent, soul-baring, and touchingly genuine. Makes you feel immediate familiarity with and affection for the writer.

Favourite quotes:

The task of philosophy was, for Epicurus, to help us interpret our indistinct pulses of distress and desire and thereby save us from mistaken schemes for happiness.

..it is not only the hostility of others tha...more Succinct, engrossing volume on issues and concerns that are not frequently discussed, but ebb persistently at our boundaries of self-discovery and awareness. Intent, soul-baring, and touchingly genuine. Makes you feel immediate familiarity with and affection for the writer.

Favourite quotes:

The task of philosophy was, for Epicurus, to help us interpret our indistinct pulses of distress and desire and thereby save us from mistaken schemes for happiness.

..it is not only the hostility of others that may prevent us from questioning the status quo. Our will to doubt can be just as powerfully sapped by an internal sense that societal conventions must have a sound basis, even if we are not sure exactly what this may be, because they have been adhered to by a great many people for a long time.

There are few better remedies for anxiety than thought. In writing a problem down or airing it in conversation we let its essential aspects emerge. And by knowing its character, we remove, if not the problem itself, then its secondary, aggravating characteristics: confusion, displacement, surprise.

Real value is generated not by theatres and baths and perfumes and ointments…but by natural science.

Reading was the solace of [Montaigne’s] life: It consoles me in my retreat, it relieves me of the weight of distressing idleness and, at any time, can rid me of boring company. It blunts the stabs of pain whenever pain is not too overpowering and extreme. To distract me from morose thoughts, I simply need to have recourse to books.

(Mentioned Aristotle as an example, brings to mind the stifling legacy of Galen:)
There are authors too clever for our own good. Having said so much, they appear to have had the last word. Their genius inhibits the sense of irreverence vital to creative work in their successors.

The moment when [two people] begin to love each other...is actually to be regarded as the very first formation of a new individual.

Both Christianity and alcohol have the power to convince us that what we previously thought deficient in ourselves and the world does not require attention; both weaken our resolve to garden our problems; both deny us the chance of fulfilment.(less)

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Aug 19, 2011 Ergun Coruh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished reading The Consolations of Philosophy, by Alain De Botton, a great modern thinker.

De Botton takes us to a journey in the garden of philosophy and gives us consolations for unpopularity (Socrates), not having enough money (Epicurus), frustration (Seneca), inadequacy (Montaigne), a broken heart (Schopenhauer), and difficulties (Nietzsche) buy looking at tragic life stories of these great philosophers. Ironically each one of these men witnessed the drama of integrity of their philosoph...more

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Aug 06, 2011 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A mate, Pete, on a rare overnight visit a couple of years ago, gave me this book. Being the ‘naturally’ very polite boy I am, I thanked him sincerely while my mind wondered why he gave it to me (not a gift so much, but this particular book). Sure, while we were at Uni, most of Pete and my conversations were conducted in a dribbling, esoteric, chaotic manner as we espoused our philosophic stance on all things that our Guinness (the thinking Man’s drink) plugged into our alcoholically sponged brai...more A mate, Pete, on a rare overnight visit a couple of years ago, gave me this book. Being the ‘naturally’ very polite boy I am, I thanked him sincerely while my mind wondered why he gave it to me (not a gift so much, but this particular book). Sure, while we were at Uni, most of Pete and my conversations were conducted in a dribbling, esoteric, chaotic manner as we espoused our philosophic stance on all things that our Guinness (the thinking Man’s drink) plugged into our alcoholically sponged brains. And yes, like good philosophers (philo = love; Sophia = wisdom. Umm, thank De Botton for that) we searched for wisdom in the frothy dregs at the bottom of each Pint we enjoyed. But when Pete gave me the book, and I read the back cover of the Penguin: ‘Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy takes the discipline of logic and the mind back to its roots. Drawing inspiration from six of the finest minds in history - Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche - he addresses lack of money, the pain of love, inadequacy, anxiety and conformity.’ I thought: Man, this is gonna be a tough read. I put the book down and Pete and I searched for wisdom at the bottom of each of our Boag’s Light Beer (Yep, times had changed a little- but the intent was still there).

When I finally did open it up for a tentative delve back into the world of philosophy, I was struck straight away by the conversational tone of the book. De Botton was speaking in a language that was clear and easy for this poor brain to grasp. Then, on page 6, he wrote ‘…In conversations, my priority was to be liked, rather than to speak the truth. A desire to please led me to laugh at modest jokes like a parent on the opening night of a school play. With strangers, I adopted the servile manner of a concierge greeting wealthy clients in a hotel — salival enthusiasm born of a morbid, indiscriminate desire for affection. I did not publicly doubt ideas to which the majority was committed. I sought the approval of figures of authority and after encounters with them, worried at length whether they had thought me acceptable. When passing through customs or driving alongside police cars, I harboured a confused wish for the uniformed officials to think well of me.’ Wow- I’m starting to like this guy! He sounded like me. This led De Botton into the life of Socrates and the consolation for unpopularity.

The book offers the reader console of 6 different dilemmas using the thoughts of 6 philosophers. The consolations are:

Consolation for Unpopularity (Socrates)
Consolation for Not Having Enough Money (Epicurus)
Consolation for Frustration (Seneca)
Consolation for Inadequacy (Montaigne)
Consolation for a Broken Heart (Schopenhauer)
Consolation for Difficulties (Nietzsche)

Along the way, we are not only consoled, but get easy lessons into the life’s of 6 prominent philosophers. I highly recommend this book (if nothing else, you will feel smatter after reading it).

I really hope you liked this review; and I really hope you like me as a result- Aww Man, did I learn nothing? I’m going back to read it again. The good news is, I’ll happily delve back.
(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Leajk marked it as might-read · review of another edition

Shelves: probably-not

First I saw a TED-talk held by Alain de Botton and was midly intrigued. Then I saw parts of the TV-series that was based on this book and it was so mind-numbingly bad that I had to stop. An overdose of self-help and a total lack of philosophy. I'm sure this man is very well-read, but most of all I couldn't help but to compare him to this guy:

description

It's not a question of looks, but rather of let's say an 'aura'. For those of you who have not seen The Leauge, André is a very rich and sucessful plastic s...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Daniela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Další z knížek, které se věnují popularizaci filozofie. Autor šikovně aplikuje dílo a přesvědčení Sokrata, Epikura, Senecy, Michela de Montaigne, Schopenhauera a Nietzscheho na každodenní situace, text je prosycen zajímavými úryvky z děl těchto velikánů.

Můj zájem o filozofii byl vždy velice povrchní, měla jsem ji za nepotřebnou věc, takové košaté plkání o elementárních pravdách, jenže vtip je v tom, že ačkoli ty pravdy známe, nedokážeme je pojmenovat, a to je právě úkolem filozofie.

Cesta k pra...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Eddie Black rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A novel approach to delivering philosophy the masses. But an understanding of the philosophers this does not give, though the author certainly wouldn't say so. Instead of a book for philosophy-minded people (or perhaps for enjoyment) this book is really geared to give to your dad who questions your choice of a philosophy major. Or perhaps the therapists who wants more ways of talking about common human conditions. However since there are innumerable stories to use, and who has the time to read a...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems as though to be a Philosopher requires a lot of sacrifice. You either a) meet an untimely death for your views, b) are thought of as a little strange and face public persecution and unpopularity, or/and c) have an absolutely appalling love life. Perhaps this is why I've always be interested in Philosophers and Philosophy. There's something romantic and selfless about devoting your life to answering the big questions. Alain de Boton has done a good job in making this sometimes difficult...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Jessica Lu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It has rich wisdom for learning useful to endurance life. It is wittily written and easy to read. I enjoyed so much!
The book consists of 6 chapters and introduces the readers with 6 well-known philosophers, each of them, under authors’ construction, offering us consolation on 6 major concerns in the life of human beings:
1. Socrates, the consolation of unpopularity
Socrates invited us to “intelligent skepticism” and to be wise by living a “thinking” life through philosophy. He taught us to do prop...more It has rich wisdom for learning useful to endurance life. It is wittily written and easy to read. I enjoyed so much!
The book consists of 6 chapters and introduces the readers with 6 well-known philosophers, each of them, under authors’ construction, offering us consolation on 6 major concerns in the life of human beings:
1. Socrates, the consolation of unpopularity
Socrates invited us to “intelligent skepticism” and to be wise by living a “thinking” life through philosophy. He taught us to do proper reasoning, to debate and asking questions to find out what something is not in order to come closest to understanding what it is. The opinion of the majority is not equated with the truth. When faced with disapproval, courage with knowledge is needed to be confident.
2. Epicurus, the consolation of not having enough money
Epicurus thought the main purpose of philosophy is to perform as a guide to pleasure, a scheme for happiness by analyzing our distresses, anxieties, desires and essential ingredients of pleasure. He gave us a acquisition list for happiness only consisting 3 things: friendship, freedom and thoughts. And all of them are inexpensive. He pointed out if we have money, but without friends, freedom and an analyzed life, we will never be truly happy. We ought to find out our true psychological needs are often confused from our initial material desires. He encouraged us to have greater awareness and appreciation of the simplicity in life. A person’s value depends on what pleasure he inspires. Happiness maybe difficult to attain, but the obstacles are never primarily financial.
3. Seneca, the consolation of frustration
When dealing with frustrations, Seneca taught us that every frustration is a collision of a wish with an unyielding reality. They are determined by what we think of as normal, what we expect from the world and what we believe ourselves entitled to. With wrong reasoning, it is easy to result unnecessary anger. We need to adjust the scale of our expectations and hold the possibility of uncontrolled disaster in mind at all time (sparing a little time each day to think of the “fortune”). He also told us not to worry too much as those bad things probably will occur, but they are unlikely ever to be as bad as we fear. Also once we know what will happen if our desires are not fulfilled, our anxieties will be modest. Keep a distance from your blessings, Seneca advised us, so the misfortune can only take away things, not tear them from us. At daily irritating moments, we should not surround ourselves with initial impressions on things and act once. Seneca also provided us a tip on not making ourselves victims with others’ “intended” behaviors. Move from a sentence with clauses connected by “in order to” to one with “and”. Like a dog with a leash around its neck, we human, too are never without a leash. The wise accept the necessary and wish for the possible. That which we cannot reform, it is best to endure with a attitude we are free to choose. Be friend to one self, then one can be a friend to all mankind.
4. Montaigne, the consolation of inadequacy
Our bodies have the upper hand over our minds. Montaigne gave us the blunt sentences like: “Upon the highest throne in the world, we are seated, still, upon our arses.” and “Kings and philosophers shit, and so do ladies.” But he praised every part of his body as much as another, makes him himself. Although reason allows us to control our passions and correct the false notions prompted by our instincts, misplaced confidence in reason is the well-spring of idiocy and, indirectly also of inadequacy. Especially, when we think we know better and blithely equate the unfamiliar with the inadequate. The wisest man would say the one thing he did know well is that he knew very little. Montaigne encouraged us to expose ourselves to the diversity of customs across time and space, as well as to refer to books that help us cross the borders of prejudice and our minds. He blamed the education focuses on learning knowledge, filling the memory, but leaving the sense of right and wrong empty and not make us wise to live happily and morally. Learning is not about more, but better. The toughest lesson is to know ourselves well – not getting slack nor being false to ourselves. If we attend properly to our experiences and learn to mount salient critiques of others’ weakness thought based on an appreciation of their strengths, we allow some intelligent departures from even the most accomplished and any of us can arrive at insights no less profound than those in the great ancient books. Montaigne said, we are richer than we think, each one of us!
5. Schopenhauer, the consolation of a broken heart
A philosopher had been refused by several women repeatedly surely could give people explanation as a consolation of a broken heart. Schopenhauer did. He claimed that love is nothing but the conscious manifestation of the “will-to-life’s” discovery of an ideal co-partner to produce beautiful and intelligent offspring. What is looked for in marriage is not intellectual entertainment, but the continuation of the species. Any way, the pursuit of personal happiness and the production of healthy children are two radically contrasting projects. Understanding this, Schopenhauer invited us to adopt a more forgiving stance towards the eccentric behaviors, the cruel rejections and the hopeless unhappy marriages. Some with a broken heart can look at his own individual misfortune as a common case of mankind, so he can conduct himself more as a knower than as a suffer and make the tears bearable. Also Schopenhauer showed us a salvation through art and philosophy, as they express and explain our pains and struggles, so they offer the help we all need to be less lonely and confused by it.
6. Nietzsche, the consolation of difficulties
Nietzsche followed Schopenhauer’s theory until he realized men should get on to a fulfilled life rather than get off to the side from the path because of the difficulties. He encouraged us to respond wisely to difficulties to garden our problems. We should not feel embarrassed by our difficulties, only by our failure to grow anything beautiful from them. He recognized the pain is a natural inevitable step on the way to reaching anything good. We suffered only because we cannot spontaneously master the ingredients of fulfillment. He wanted us to climb the “mountains” in life; either you will get up higher today or you will exercise your strength so as to be able to get up higher tomorrow. Of course, we are fight with the obstacles that can be abolished, not as stupid as the will to protest the bad weather.

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Jun 01, 2010 Pedram rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, essays

A classy Philosophy-for-all book by Alain de Botton;really shocking the style is an enigmatic combination of easy and sophisticated;trying to follow the sole philosophical approach to every day life matters.i feel the whole book follows the same goal.
Personally i enjoyed Schopenhauer part the most
Reading "The Consolations of Philosophy" was a unique memorable experience for me.

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Feb 26, 2012 Stamatios rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alain de Botton has good marketable ideas and a casual style of writing for the average reader who's looking for an introduction to philosophy. His idea for this book was to look at what some of the greatest philosophers of all time had to say about common frustrations: love, wealth, popularity etc. It mostly works, but some chapters are better than others. Montaigne for example is totally wasted, while Epicurus is treated a lot better. The photos that accompanied the text were redundant to say...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wanted to read a contemporary take on my most favorite books of all times.Read "the REAL",Consolation of Philsophy by Boethus while in High School (60's).
I liked his style of writing,it was more entertaining than the original one_which was hard to grasp at the time in High School.But ,I don't think his title was meant to be a copy of the essence of that book.Botton interspersed the Great Philosophers of the times to make his point.Schopenhauer on a broken heart,Epicures on cash flow,Montaigne...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Holmes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To me, this book is several things at once: a short course on philosophy, a concise biography of six philosophers, a self-help book - in any case, an inspiring read. Citing Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, the book deals with six of the most commonplace agonies we human beings face. Rather than telling us what to do (as in most self-help books), Alain de Botton anchors his advice on solid philosophical foundations and reassures us that whatever pains we suffer,...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Shireen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, non-fiction, philosophy

I borrowed the ebook from the Toronto Public Library, and it's, um, an interesting book. It has a ton of images in it, which in a regular kind of ebook as this was, are displayed strangely sometimes -- image on one page, caption on the next. But it's hard to position images unless you have a fixed-layout ebook. In any case, I'm not used to seeing images in a non-fiction book of serious intent. Some were helpful; others I wasn't sure why they were there.

Maybe it's my brain injury getting in the w...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Stephen Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first learned of this book while watching the PBS series in December 2011, that I assume was based on this work, featuring the author Alain de Botton as host (this was a great program to stumble upon during what can often be the miasma of the holiday season!). That series, similarly to the book, was comprised of one episode dedicated to each of the six philosophers in question (Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche). I found this work to be a fast, enjoyable and acc...more I first learned of this book while watching the PBS series in December 2011, that I assume was based on this work, featuring the author Alain de Botton as host (this was a great program to stumble upon during what can often be the miasma of the holiday season!). That series, similarly to the book, was comprised of one episode dedicated to each of the six 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' principal themes and subsequent discussions were clear. De Botton reduced, those philosophical concepts that spoke to him, 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 (IE "Birth of Tragedy", "The Case of Wagner", "Twilight of the Idols" and "Also Sprach Zarathustra"--the latter being the most memorable of the 4 works listed) I've found to be simultaneously inspiring, mystifying, and incomprehensible. I attempted to read Schopenhauer a few years ago and was repelled by him. Yet now thanks to this work by de Botton--I'm considering investigating Schopenhauer's work once again. Already I've started to read "Selected Essays" by Michel de Montaigne (given that the Penguin edition of Montaigne's "Complete Essays" runs 1344 pages and I'm not sure that I'd ever complete it); I had never even heard of Montaigne until reading this book.

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 may seem to have been cursed; to have been deprived of the fruits of life--deep down he must have known that he alone was responsible for his state of being (as conversely he advised men "to live dangerously").
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Mar 12, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Rock n Roll of Philosophy for sure. Alain De Botton really gives philosophy a good going over. He makes what he has to say basically indisputable and you are left with a feeling of "hell yeah!" It really is like when you leave a rock concert and you're thinking Power to the man, F*** life for being such an arse! And then you stop and think (after the initial excitement has dissipated) Actually my life is nothing like socrates I'm not forced to drink some crap to kill myself or anything. Ultimate...more Rock n Roll of Philosophy for sure. Alain De Botton really gives philosophy a good going over. He makes what he has to say basically indisputable and you are left with a feeling of "hell yeah!" It really is like when you leave a rock concert and you're thinking Power to the man, F*** life for being such an arse! And then you stop and think (after the initial excitement has dissipated) Actually my life is nothing like socrates I'm not forced to drink some crap to kill myself or anything. Ultimately though if you don't read this book in this way it really makes you feel good about yourself and about the life you are living. AND it let's you know that you are normal in all of your inferiorities, and embarrassing traits.

It starts by recounting the lives of each of the 4 or 5 philosophers before using their lives as reasons for their philosophies and then goes on to show how life and particularly their lives actually have meaning and value in life of modern times. Brilliant and intelligent whether accurate or not. It is worth a read just to see how he makes his arguement.

He starts the book by being friendly like he's your bud and would totally never tell you a lie, so you trust what he has to say and then he talks fast (not that words on a page go fast, but the pace seems to be quick talking) so that you can keep up with what he has to say (he writes in easily understood language) but he doesn't give you time to dispute what he has to say, at all.

Each philospher has only one chapter each and so obviously a lot has been left out of their philosophies, but as a place to start into the world of philosophy not a bad book to read, especially if you want to feel good afterwards. Though I would be wary about people creating an arguement about any philosophy just based on how much has he put in and what if you researched further would you find from each philosopher which negates what he has said. That's the great things about books, you can leave bits out. :-) Good read though. (less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Kislay Verma rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Absolute, complete, TRASH!

I have ranted extensively about this book at SolomonSays, but still not over it - so here goes again.

This is not a philosophy book. The discipline of philosophy is the discipline of asking questions and finding out answers. On the contrary, the formula of The Consolations of philosophy is quite the opposite. The author will find out the answers for your common problems, and dish them out. On top of that, his answers are not his own. He just plucked out six great thinke...more

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