Introducing The Consolations of Philosophy

 Alain de Botton, the contemporary Swiss philosopher, has endeavored in his published books to bring philosophy down from the lofty heights of pure abstraction to the ground, so that it may connect more closely with people's lives. He has tried to draw upon the teachings of the great philosophers for application in the everyday lives of human beings, in order to lessen their suffering and enrich their existence.

The book The Consolations of Philosophy is among those works that can be counted in the category of “philosophy for life.” The book is written in six sections, each of which attempts to treat and soothe one of life’s hardships with the teachings of a particular philosopher. The first section deals with facing unpopularity, referencing the teachings and life of Socrates. The second chapter addresses facing a lack of money, examined through the teachings of Epicurus. In the third chapter, with Seneca (the Roman Stoic philosopher), it confronts facing frustration. If someone suffers from inadequacy and insufficiency, they can encounter the teachings of Montaigne (the French thinker) in the fourth chapter. Arthur Schopenhauer is presented in the fifth chapter for those with broken hearts, and in the sixth chapter, the teachings of Friedrich Nietzsche are offered for facing hardships.

The book The Consolations of Philosophy is by no means a difficult read, and you do not need much philosophical background to read it. The book is accompanied by biographies of the philosophers and then a philosophical analysis of their theories and their relevance to their respective chapters, with tangible examples from their lives making the reading all the more enjoyable.

The Consolations of Philosophy has been translated by Erfan Sabeti and published by Qoqnoos Publishing.