ALAIN DE BOTTON
 Alain de Botton’s career to date has been spent writing books that tackle questions of everyday life. They refer both to his own experiences and ideas – and those of artists, philosophers and thinkers of the past. His work has been described as a ‘philosophy of everyday life.’ His latest books include The Art of Travel and Status Anxiety, and you can read more about his work on our Contemporary Writers website or at www.alaindebotton.com.
This interview was compiled by Susan Tranter from questions submitted to the enCompass website in February 2005.
Susan Tranter: Can I start by asking what you're reading at the moment? Are you always tackling deep and meaningful tomes, or do you like a variety of reading material?
AdB: When I read, I tend to read for work: in order to get something out of a book that I can use in a book of my own. At the moment, I'm writing a book about architecture, so I'm reading a lot on the subject. I've just read a very nice book on the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. When I want to switch off, I just watch TV.
Jimmy G: Can I ask Alain what role he thinks philosophy plays in the 'information age'? And can he foresee a place for artificial intelligence?
AdB: That we have so much information nowadays doesn't reduce the role of philosophy or art: for these disciplines are not so much about giving us the maximum about information, as aiming to present us with what is essential. In this sense, philosophy can continue much as it has always done.
Marylène Argento: I've noticed that in France, many singers are in tune with Alain's work, particularly in his analyses of love. One singer, Vincent Delerme, even dedicated an album to him. What is Alain's attitude to music and what music touches him?
AdB: Music means a lot to me. I am moved on the one hand by the cantatas of Bach. And on the other hand, I'm drawn mostly to modern female vocalists, in particular Sinead O'Connor and Natalie Merchant. Like most writers, I wish I could have been a musician.
David Rhodes: I first read Consolations after having watched the 'The Art of Happiness' on TV. You obviously have to be more selective on TV than in print. Do you ever find that you have to water down certain ideas to make them palatable for the viewing public? How much philosophy is beyond the man or woman on the street? Is it just a matter of presentation?
AdB: TV programmes do involve enormous amounts of reduction. An average TV film script is 2000 words for 1 hour, which is really nothing. This said, no idea that I'm interested in is ever going to be beyond the person in the street, as my concerns are never that complicated or abstract. It's a sign that I've failed in my job if an averagely educated person loses the thread of what I'm saying. I don't believe in the connection between obscurity and intelligence, in my field at least.
Li: Is it true you wrote novels before turning to non-fiction? If so, what prompted the change, and do you think you'll ever move back?
AdB: My first three books were novels. The best of these, Essays In Love, is worth a look - but I suppose I always felt happier in the essay form - and indeed, these novels are in fact essays. I think I laboured under the false idea that to be a real writer meant to be a novelist. It took me a while to find my voice.
Gwil Williams: I wonder what Alain thinks about the philosophical, scientific and theological implications of the Tsunami disaster. Did the flood sweep away more than the physical material? I'm thinking of man's new relationship to his creator, to science, to the planet and to his fellow man.
AdB: It's sad in a way to think that the tsunami teaches us nothing new about the human condition. We remain frighteningly exposed to sudden calamities, both at the hands of nature and of man. This should only reinforce the need for us to show kindness and humility.
M: Is it a good or a bad thing that philosophy is being 'popularised'? Does it genuinely introduce new readers to the subject, and get them thinking, or does it risk debasing the discipline?
AdB: I confess not to be very interested myself in 'popularising' philosophy. I am keen though to look at certain ideas that have appeared in philosophy, as well as in history, art, science etc. and weaving my own reflections in with them. As for pure works of popularisation, they definitely have a role, though ideally, philosophers would write so well and so clearly that no one could ever popularise them. No one has, after all, ever thought of 'popularising' the poetry of Philip Larkin or the essays of Virginia Woolf - they are clear enough as they are.
Barry Jones: In the UK students are increasingly being pressured to study 'vocational' subjects that will lead to jobs and enable them to pay back their grants and student loans. Do you think subjects like philosophy will suffer (either from only being studied by the rich, or by not being studied at all)? And would that create problems for our society in the future?
AdB: I hope that employers and society in general will come to realise the value of non-vocational subjects. There is wisdom and enlightenment to be found in them, and this can be useful in turning out people who will not only be good workers, but good humans - which is as important and not unrelated. This said, universities have to take the blame often for not stating clearly enough what the point of the humanities is. I don't believe it's vulgar to ask the humanities to be for something - even if this something is only enlightenment.
Lucy: Does Alain think philosophy shoud be taught in schools? And at what age?
AdB: Learning anything at school does tend to kill a subject - think of how many schoolchildren have been put off Shakespeare... This said, the A-level option which currently exists in many school boards seems like an excellent one, and is in fact turning in to one of the most popular of all subjects.
Maggie: Hello, Alain! What do you think is the most important thing of our everyday life? What shall we live for? Thank you!
AdB: The answer is very simple.
1. We should aim through our work to create something that is better than we manage to be day to day.
2. We should have relationships with people (intimate and amicable) which are marked by empathy and humility.
Susan Tranter: Many thanks for taking part Alain.
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