I have recently watched a DVD film produced by ABC Australia in 2004 titled 'Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness' presented by Alain de Botton. The philosopher's main vision of running his profession is linking the greatest thinkers ideas with common human problems appeared nowadays. Alain describes:Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.
Surely, Alain de Botton must at first present the ather of philosophy Socrates on Self-Confidence. He asks why did some people go along with crowd and fail to stand up for what they truley believe? And he trys to give answer: 'Partly because they are too easily swayed by other people’s opinions and partly because they don’t know when to have confidence in their own'.
In the second part Epicurus on Happiness is presented. Alain describes him no as an epicurean glutton or wanton consumerist but as an advocate of "friends, freedom and thought" as the path to happiness.
Thirdly, Seneca on Anger is shown who wrote whole book about this subject. In his point of view the anger is no an irrational outburst over which we have no control. Instead it is a philosophycal problem enabled to be treatened by phylosophycal argument. Seneca "thouth anger arose from certain rationally held ideas about the world, and the problem with these ideaas is that they are far too optimistic. Certain things are a predictable feature of life, and to get angry about them is to have unrealistic expectations"- as Alain de Botton said.
In the part four of the film is described Montaigne's ideas about three main reasons for feeling bad about oneself - sexual inadequacy, failure to live up to social norms, and intellectual inferiority. Alain suggest to explain them in contecst of Self-Esteem. Montaigne not only pointed the problems but also offered practical solutions for overcoming them.
Additional episode is about Schopenhaure's explanation on Love. He believed that love was the most important thing in life because of its powerful impulse towards 'the will-to-life'.
In the last part (Nietzsche on Hardship) Alain the Botton explores Nietzsche's dictum that any worthwhile achivements in life come from the experience of overcoming hardship. For him, any existence that is too comfortable is worthless, as are the twin refugees of drink or religion.
Alain de Botton is the young philosopher who was born in Zurich, studied and live in London. He initialized there 'The School of Life' opened for everyone who is lookinf for answers about common problems of human existency. He also wrote a few books, such as: 'The Architecture of Happiness', 'Status Anxiety', 'A week at the Airport. The Heathrow Diary',or 'The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work'.
DVD: Phylosophy: A Guide to happiness, presented by Alain de Botton, ABC, 2004, Australia.
Category: popular science
Running time approximately 144 min.
shop.abc.net
