Alain De Botton Analysis

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Who Really is Alain de Botton? You do it all the time, whether you know it or not. You do it when you look at someone, listen to them speak, or watch their body movement. You are creating an impression of them in your mind. The simple things that you observe about a person create your perception of them as a whole. The way someone talks with a certain accent may make you assume their level of education. Someone’s ethnic background may set you on your toes because you assume they have certain beliefs. By analyzing the author Alain de Botton through his works in the book The Consolations of Philosophy, its companion video Seneca on Anger, and the TED Talk Atheism 2.0 we can only begin to get an idea of who the man is behind the camera and…show more content…
Alain de Botton does so in all his works to prove his credibility and ability to persuade the reader or listener. In his speech Atheism 2.0 Alain de Botton backs up his information, such as the fact that in 2010 alone the Catholic Church raised 97 billion dollars, with credible sources - in this case the Wall Street Journal (spookybuk). Even in his book The Consolations of Philosophy and the video Seneca on Anger, de Botton cites quotes taken from the philosophers he references. In the chapter “Consolations for Frustration” from The Consolations of Philosophy de Botton uses the work of Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca to attempt to help the reader with everyday anger or frustration. According to Seneca, “The wise man is self-sufficient… if he loses a hand through disease or war, or if some accident puts out one or both of his eyes, he will be satisfied with what is left.” (qtd. de Botton 98) de Botton uses direct quotes that he has gathered from different philosophers to better his argument and get the reader to see the point he is trying to convey. It can be concluded that Alain de Botton effectively does his research and utilizes it…show more content…
In his opening statement, according to spookybuk, de Botton states that “Before I knew anything about it, I was attracted to the idea of philosophy. I thought of it as a practical subject that could make a real difference”. The way de Botton speaks demonstrates an eloquent word choice that only someone with a reasonable amount of post high school education would possess. His diction and tone creates a form of the British accent that is frequently associated with upper-class citizens. When you think of upper-class English people, one is often reminded of prestigious universities such as the University of Cambridge or Oxford University. Just by listening to the way Alain de Botton speaks, with his word choice and dialect, you get the impression that he is of high social class and very

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