It is in books, poems, paintings which often give us the confidence to take seriously feelings in ourselves that we might otherwise never have thought to acknowledge.
Alain De BottonRead
The philosophy I love is very selective. It is really just the bit that is involved in a search for wisdom, and this means a short roll call of names; Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epicurus, Montaigne, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a selective approach to philosophy, emphasizing a quest for wisdom through the study of influential thinkers.
In this quote, Alain De Botton reflects on his appreciation for philosophy that fosters a search for wisdom. He highlights a shortlist of philosophers whose ideas have significantly contributed to understanding human experience and knowledge. By selecting these figures, De Botton suggests that the essence of philosophy, for him, lies in the insights provided by these great thinkers rather than the entirety of philosophical thought.
Themes
PhilosophyWisdomThinkersKnowledgeSearchSelective
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on philosophy and its practical applications.
More from Alain De Botton
All quotes →Taking architecture seriously therefore makes some singular and strenuous demands upon us...It means conceding that we are inconveniently vulnerable to the colour of our wallpaper and that our sense of purpose may be derailed by an unfortunate bedspread
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The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.
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Good books put a finger on emotions that are deeply our own - but that we could never have described on our own.
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It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. This is a particular priority for secular Americans, perhaps the most anxious and disappointed people on earth, for their nation infuses them with the most extreme hopes about what they may be able to achieve in their working lives and relationships.
Alain De BottonRead
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