Friday evening I completed reading The Consolations of Philosophy, a presentation of six prominent philosophers as guides for daily life by Alain de Botton. It proved to be an informative and enjoyable read, sidestepping much of the cumbersome language and tone that drags down much of the other works I have read on philosophy.
The first section, “Consolation for Unpopularity”, was an exploration of the false notion that popular opinion equals truth (and thus we should conform) and the determination and faith of Socrates in his work and life. Socrates is obviously one of the most influential and important figures in history, but he is not a figure most modern people understand. Through this telling of his life we are shown an admirable man who acted with reason, integrity and duty. We also see his stance that belief must be founded in reason supported by many examples that can be related to our modern world.
“Consolation for Not Having Enough Money” presented Epicurus and the proposition that great wealth does not lead to great happiness. Epicurus is an often misunderstood philosopher. His assertion that “Pleasure is the beginning and the goal of a happy life,” has often been taken out of context to support views that placed wealth, fame and power as the keys to happiness. However, Epicurus believed that the simple pleasures of friendship, freedom, and thought (along with the necessities of food, shelter and clothing) were the vital pleasures of life, while wealth, power, fame and luxuries are unnatural, unnecessary and merely ways to incompletely fill the voids left by not having the three keys to true happiness.
The third section, “Consolation for Frustration,” told of Seneca, who proposed that we are best able to live life best when we are prepared for and accepting of frustrations. Shock and anger, believed Seneca, were the result of a lack of reason and awareness of how the world works. When we accept that things may happen that harm us or set us back and realize that these things will happen at some time we are able to not be frustrated by them.
The life and philosophies of Montaigne were presented in “Consolation for Inadequacy.” Montaigne was a man who believed in honesty about the human condition, and wrote of his own life in a manner that attempted to hide little of the things commonly thought of as unmentionable. His approaches to sex, cultural differences and the distinction between learning and wisdom displayed a belief that a humble life that strives for wisdom is true achievement.
The final two sections, “Consolation for a Broken Heart” and “Consolation for Difficulties,” dealing with Schopenhauer and Nietzsche respectively seem to have been the less rewarding and useful of this book’s divisions. I found Schopenhauer’s pessimism and the debasing of romantic relationships to a reproductive level to be unhelpful and narrow in their appreciation of life. Nietzsche’s manner and beliefs aside from an insistance that at times hardship can be good were quite unattractive and detracted from the impact of his seemingly accurate assertion.
I highly recommend The Consolations of Philosophy to anyone who might have an interest in philosophy, but has not delved far into its prominent minds. It’s a well written, enjoyable, inventive and accessable introduction to philosophy and may indeed offer you consolations.
The first section, “Consolation for Unpopularity”, was an exploration of the false notion that popular opinion equals truth (and thus we should conform) and the determination and faith of Socrates in his work and life. Socrates is obviously one of the most influential and important figures in history, but he is not a figure most modern people understand. Through this telling of his life we are shown an admirable man who acted with reason, integrity and duty. We also see his stance that belief must be founded in reason supported by many examples that can be related to our modern world.
“Consolation for Not Having Enough Money” presented Epicurus and the proposition that great wealth does not lead to great happiness. Epicurus is an often misunderstood philosopher. His assertion that “Pleasure is the beginning and the goal of a happy life,” has often been taken out of context to support views that placed wealth, fame and power as the keys to happiness. However, Epicurus believed that the simple pleasures of friendship, freedom, and thought (along with the necessities of food, shelter and clothing) were the vital pleasures of life, while wealth, power, fame and luxuries are unnatural, unnecessary and merely ways to incompletely fill the voids left by not having the three keys to true happiness.
The third section, “Consolation for Frustration,” told of Seneca, who proposed that we are best able to live life best when we are prepared for and accepting of frustrations. Shock and anger, believed Seneca, were the result of a lack of reason and awareness of how the world works. When we accept that things may happen that harm us or set us back and realize that these things will happen at some time we are able to not be frustrated by them.
The life and philosophies of Montaigne were presented in “Consolation for Inadequacy.” Montaigne was a man who believed in honesty about the human condition, and wrote of his own life in a manner that attempted to hide little of the things commonly thought of as unmentionable. His approaches to sex, cultural differences and the distinction between learning and wisdom displayed a belief that a humble life that strives for wisdom is true achievement.
The final two sections, “Consolation for a Broken Heart” and “Consolation for Difficulties,” dealing with Schopenhauer and Nietzsche respectively seem to have been the less rewarding and useful of this book’s divisions. I found Schopenhauer’s pessimism and the debasing of romantic relationships to a reproductive level to be unhelpful and narrow in their appreciation of life. Nietzsche’s manner and beliefs aside from an insistance that at times hardship can be good were quite unattractive and detracted from the impact of his seemingly accurate assertion.
I highly recommend The Consolations of Philosophy to anyone who might have an interest in philosophy, but has not delved far into its prominent minds. It’s a well written, enjoyable, inventive and accessable introduction to philosophy and may indeed offer you consolations.