TV & Audio
Scroll down for video and audio clips from Alain’s television programmes, audiobooks and others.
TED talks
Atheism 2.0
TED Talk, July 2011
What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a “religion for atheists” — call it Atheism 2.0 — that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence.
A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success
TED talk, July 2009
Alain examines our ideas of success and failure — and questions the assumptions underlying these two judgments. Is success always earned? Is failure?
The Perfect Home (2006)
Three-part documentary series based on Alain’s book The Architecture of Happiness.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Status Anxiety (2004)
Documentary based on Alain’s book of the same name.
The Art of Travel (2004)
Documentary based on Alain’s book of the same name.
Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (2000)
Six-part documentary series based on Alain’s book The Consolations of Philosophy
Episode 1: Socrates on Self-Confidence
Episode 2: Epicurus on Happiness
Episode 3: Seneca on Anger
Episode 4: Montaigne on Self-Esteem
Episode 5: Schopenhauer on Love
Episode 6: Nietzsche on Hardship
Other video
The News: A User’s Manual
The School of Life Sunday Sermon, February 2014
Art as Therapy
The School of Life Sunday Sermon, October 2013
How To Think More About Sex
The School of Life Live Tour, May 2012
Audio
Audiobook versions of many of Alain’s books are available to buy or download, for example from Audible [UK / US]. See below for extracts.
The Architecture of Happiness
Clip 1: Introduction
Duration: 5m 36s
Clip 2: Coherence
Duration 4m 56s
Status Anxiety
Introduction
Duration: 3m 59s
The Art of Travel
Introduction
Duration: 4m 18s
The Consolations of Philosophy
Clip 1: Introduction
Duration: 5m 23s
Clip 2: Seneca
Duration: 5m 23s
How Proust Can Change Your Life
Clip 1: Romantic Pessimism
Duration: 5m 29s
Clip 2: Should we spend more time locked up in arks then?
Duration: 3m 31s
For press photos of Alain de Botton please click here.