DW • 42 DW • 43 the normally reserved British, it must be a first Interview with the philosophical to have an institution that offers therapy from an ordinary high street location and moreover, writer Mr. Alain de Botton treats the idea of having therapy as no more or less strange than having a haircut or pedicure, and perhaps a good deal more useful. DW : Mr. Alain de Botton, can you Alain then returned to a more lyrical, per- DW : In today’s world of general In a culture where anyone who attempts present yourself to our readers? sonal style of writing. In The Art of Travel, he incertitude, which is the role a serious conversation is at once accused looked at themes in the psychology of travel: of coaching for our readership, of belonging to the ‘chattering classes’ and Let me do this in the third person : Alain how we imagine places before we have seen which consists of decision makers where anything too intellectual is in danger of de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland them, how we remember beautiful things, in economic, political, diplomatic being called pretentious, one has to applaud a in 1969 and now lives in London. He is a what happens to us when we look at deserts, and consular circles? place that attempts to put learning and ideas writer of essayistic books that have been or stay in hotels or go to the countryside. In “As a writer, I want to explore thoughts with a view back to where they should always have been described as a 'philosophy of everyday Status Anxiety, he examined an almost univer- We all need help in how we should live. I to elevating pain... because pain comes through confusion – right in the middle of our lives. life'. He’s written on love, travel, architec- sal anxiety that is rarely mentioned directly: look at religion here: the starting point of reli- ture and literature and his books have been the anxiety about what others think of us; gion is that we are children, and we need gui- and loneliness.” DW : You’ve written on love, bestsellers in 30 countries. Alain also started about whether we're judged a success or a dance. The secular world often gets offended Alain de Botton travel, religion, architecture, and helps running a school in London, The failure, a winner or a loser. Alain discussed by this. It assumes that all adults are mature – literature, work and philosophy. School of Life, dedicated to a new vision of questions of beauty and ugliness in architec- and therefore, it hates didacticism, it hates the What is the genuine power of education. Alain's latest book is titled Re- ture In The Architecture of Happiness. The idea of guidance and moral instruction. But of these subjects to change our ligion for Atheists and is published in the greater part of the book was written at de course we are children, big children who need That's why a few years ago I came to- show you how Aristotle or Plato could make a lives, our way of thinking? Netherlands, Italy, Korea, Turkey and Brazil Botton's home in West London, just near She- guidance and reminders of how to live. And gether with some friends to start an educa- difference to your life. in 2011 and in the UK, the US and other pherd's Bush roundabout, one of the uglier yet, the modern education system denies this. tional establishment with a difference. For All in all, these are subjects that help to territories in 2012. Alain started writing at man-made places, which nevertheless provi- It treats us all as far too rational, reasonable, a start, the School of Life has a passionate The School also offers a service it calls bi- interpret our experiences. They give us theo- a young age. His first book, Essays in Love, ded helpful examples of how important it is in control. We are far more desperate than belief in making learning relevant – and so bliotherapy, based on the idea that the real ries by which we can become more conscious was published when he was twenty-three. to get architecture right. the modern education system recognises. runs courses in the important questions of reason why most of us don’t read much no- of what happens to us. Perhaps we cannot It minutely analysed the process of falling All of us are on the edge of panic and terror everyday life. Whereas most colleges and wadays is that there are far too many books change our lives as a result, but at least we in and out of love, in a style that mixed ele- The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work saw pretty much all the time – and religions reco- universities chop up learning into abstract around. Puzzled and confused by the choice, can see them more clearly. ments of a novel together with reflections Alain travelling across the world for two years gnise this. We need to build a similar awa- categories – for example ‘agrarian history’ or and wearied by the latest turgid Booker prize and analyses normally found in a piece with a photographer in tow, looking at people reness into secular structures. ‘the 18th century English novel’, The School winner, we just settle for the TV. To change all DW : How did philosophical of non-fiction. It's a book of which many in their workplaces and reflecting on the great of Life titles its courses according to things we that, The School of Life’s bibliotherapists offer mentors such as Socrates, readers are still fondest and it has sold two themes of work: why do we do it? How can it Coaching is just a modern word for gui- all tend to care about: careers, relationships, to come and meet you for an in-depth chat Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, million copies worldwide. be more bearable? What is a meaningful life? dance. politics, travels, families. An evening or about your character and aspirations and then Schopenhauer and Nietzsche The book is at once lyrical and gripping like a weekend on one of its courses is likely to arrive at a reading plan for the future, which guide you in your personal life? It was with How Proust can change your novel can be, and yet also packed with ideas DW : In the summer of 2008 you be spent reflecting on such matters as your zeroes in on the books that could really pick Life that Alain's work reached a truly global and analysis. founded 'the School of Life'. moral responsibilities to an ex-partner or how up on your underlying interests and enrich Most philosophy books are incredibly audience. The book was a particular success What is your target? to resolve a career crisis. We’ll teach you all your way of looking at the world. boring – who needs sleeping pills when you in the United States, where the mixture of an In the summer of 2009, Alain was appoin- the sensible important things that a normal could read Hegel or Kant? – so you have to ironic 'self-help' envelope and an analysis of ted Heathrow's first Writer-in-Residence and One of the paradoxes of modern consumer university course might, but we package up The School has a division offering psycho- choose what you read very carefully. Here are one of the most revered but unread books wrote a book about his experiences, A Week society is that while you can find thousands of the material differently so it’ll never feel like therapy for individuals, couples or families – and the six books which brought me most plea- in the Western canon struck a chord. It was at the Airport. stylish businesses that will sell you the perfect you’re being lectured at or bored rigid. We it does so in a completely stigma-free way. For sure, and even more importantly, wisdom: followed by The Consolations of Philosophy, coffee or jumper, disappointingly few enter- to which it was in many ways an accom- In 2011-2012, Alain launches a major new prises are interested in serving up anything paniment. Though sometimes described as book, Religion for Atheists, which looks at that could benefit your mind. A Londoner J’accompagne les “moi” et son potentiel. La J’accompagne le plus souvent: popularisations, these two books were at what committed atheists – like the author – keen to take in some ideas in an attractive and femmes pour les aider à personne se sent en - des femmes souhaitant faire le point sur leur heart attempts to develop original ideas might learn from religion, focusing not on lively setting has a serious shortage of options gérer les phases harmonie avec ses situation professionnelle et leurs compétences (bilan (about, for example, friendship, art, envy, doctrines, but on ritual, architecture, art, mo- to hand. Most education open to the general importantes de décisions et surtout a de compétences) en vue d’un changement de job desire and inadequacy) with the help of the rality, community and pilgrimage. In addition, public takes place in gloomy lino-floored ins- changement dans leur retrouvé cette confiance et ou reconversion professionnelle. vie: maternité, retour énergie qui lui manquaient thoughts from other thinkers – an approach Alain continues his work with the architectu- titutions, under the auspices of people who au travail, retrouver son pour atteindre ses objectifs. - des femmes expatriées recherchant un travail en that would have been familiar to writers like ral organisation he founded, Living Architec- remind us of why academic is also a synonym équilibre vie Belgique et qui ont besoin de trouver leurs repères et Seneca or Montaigne and that disappeared ture, which aims to give everyone access to for remote and boring, and why we were once personnelle et Quant à l’accompagnement confiance dans ce nouveau marché.