This is a great read for people interested in applying philosophical concepts to enrich their lives. Eric Weiner has carefully chosen specific philosophers’ convictions to see how he/we might benefit from following them. What takes this overall theme to the next level are the author’s going to his subjects’ geographical sources and, in doing so, linking them through his appreciation for train travel. Weiner’s self-deprecating remarks are funny, his writing clear, and his personal stories relatable. This book succeeded for me in three ways: It is well-written (as a career editor, this is key for me). It entertained me. It informed me and made me think.
The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 1,039 ratings
Price: 17.71
Last update: 12-20-2024
About this item
The New York Times best-selling author of The Geography of Bliss embarks on a rollicking intellectual journey, following in the footsteps of history’s greatest thinkers and showing us how each - from Epicurus to Gandhi, Thoreau to Beauvoir - offers practical and spiritual lessons for today’s unsettled times.
We turn to philosophy for the same reasons we travel: to see the world from a different perspective, to unearth hidden beauty, and to find new ways of being. We want to learn how to embrace wonder. Face regrets. Sustain hope.
Eric Weiner combines his twin passions for philosophy and travel in a globe-trotting pilgrimage that uncovers surprising life lessons from great thinkers around the world, from Rousseau to Nietzsche, Confucius to Simone Weil. Traveling by train (the most thoughtful mode of transport), he journeys thousands of miles, making stops in Athens, Delhi, Wyoming, Coney Island, Frankfurt, and points in between to reconnect with philosophy’s original purpose: teaching us how to lead wiser, more meaningful lives. From Socrates and ancient Athens to Beauvoir and 20th-century Paris, Weiner’s chosen philosophers and places provide important practical and spiritual lessons as we navigate today’s chaotic times.
In a “delightful” odyssey that “will take you places intellectually and humorously” (San Francisco Book Review), Weiner invites us to voyage alongside him on his life-changing pursuit of wisdom and discovery as he attempts to find answers to our most vital questions. The Socrates Express is “full of valuable lessons...a fun, sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and bubble-gum philosophy approach and gradually pulls them in deeper and deeper” (NPR).
Top reviews from the United States
JSL5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, engaging, informative
Gary Moreau, Author5.0 out of 5 stars All aboard!
This is the most approachable book of philosophy you are bound to find. Weiner’s writing is simple, to the point, and often humorous. He covers many of history’s most notable philosophers and schools of philosophy without resorting to the language of modern academic philosophy. There is no need to stare at your navel.
Weiner notes that few schools today teach philosophy. At best they teach about philosophers. But although there are differences, philosophy and science are essentially the same thing. The words, in fact, centuries ago were used concurrently and many of the greatest philosophers in history would be considered both scientists and philosophers today. Newton’s most famous paper, which is often assigned a prominent role in kicking off the Scientific Revolution, actually had the word philosophy in its title.
We are today enamored with science. ‘What the science says’ is the journalistic phrase of the day. The suggestion, of course, is that if this is what the science says, it must be true. This is the source of many of our current social, political, and cultural ills, however. Science is not a body of knowledge. It is a methodology for collecting data. But data are dumb. They can tell us virtually nothing without further questioning. As the author notes, “We confuse data with information, information with knowledge, and knowledge with wisdom.”
“Philosophy, unlike science, is prescriptive.” It is the study of questions. But without the questions we have no idea if the reality the science gives us is true or not. Which is why so many scientific “discoveries” turn out to be false. There weren’t enough questions asked.
At the core of the LEAN management system, the most advanced operations management system currently in use, one of the core concepts is the 5 Whys. When you confront a problem you can’t resolve it until you know why the problem exists. Your first answer to the question of why, however, will seldom be the root cause and root causes are what you need to fix. You must ask why at least five times before you even get close to the root cause.
That is essentially what Socrates told us a long, long time ago. These subsequent questions are what I think of as discovering the context. We can’t understand the answers until we understand the context. And that’s why there is such a strong need for prescriptive thinking. That is where the context resides.
This, in my opinion, is why technology is currently doing us far more harm than good. It ignores context, which is why AI will never replace the human mind. However complex it becomes it is still binary. No number of algorithms can ever replace the questions of philosophy. The algorithms can destroy us, of course, but that does not require understanding. We’re doing just fine on that front without the understanding that philosophy can provide.
This is a great book by a very skillful writer. I highly recommend it. I guarantee you will feel better for having read it.
Weiner notes that few schools today teach philosophy. At best they teach about philosophers. But although there are differences, philosophy and science are essentially the same thing. The words, in fact, centuries ago were used concurrently and many of the greatest philosophers in history would be considered both scientists and philosophers today. Newton’s most famous paper, which is often assigned a prominent role in kicking off the Scientific Revolution, actually had the word philosophy in its title.
We are today enamored with science. ‘What the science says’ is the journalistic phrase of the day. The suggestion, of course, is that if this is what the science says, it must be true. This is the source of many of our current social, political, and cultural ills, however. Science is not a body of knowledge. It is a methodology for collecting data. But data are dumb. They can tell us virtually nothing without further questioning. As the author notes, “We confuse data with information, information with knowledge, and knowledge with wisdom.”
“Philosophy, unlike science, is prescriptive.” It is the study of questions. But without the questions we have no idea if the reality the science gives us is true or not. Which is why so many scientific “discoveries” turn out to be false. There weren’t enough questions asked.
At the core of the LEAN management system, the most advanced operations management system currently in use, one of the core concepts is the 5 Whys. When you confront a problem you can’t resolve it until you know why the problem exists. Your first answer to the question of why, however, will seldom be the root cause and root causes are what you need to fix. You must ask why at least five times before you even get close to the root cause.
That is essentially what Socrates told us a long, long time ago. These subsequent questions are what I think of as discovering the context. We can’t understand the answers until we understand the context. And that’s why there is such a strong need for prescriptive thinking. That is where the context resides.
This, in my opinion, is why technology is currently doing us far more harm than good. It ignores context, which is why AI will never replace the human mind. However complex it becomes it is still binary. No number of algorithms can ever replace the questions of philosophy. The algorithms can destroy us, of course, but that does not require understanding. We’re doing just fine on that front without the understanding that philosophy can provide.
This is a great book by a very skillful writer. I highly recommend it. I guarantee you will feel better for having read it.
Fred Cheyunski4.0 out of 5 stars Bringing Together Different Trains of Thought
Resonating with outlooks expressed in Pinker’s “Enlightenment Now” and Hawking’s “Brief Answers to Big Questions” and seeking more sources along those lines, I recalled hearing author Weiner’s interview about this book on NPR. It seemed this work might point me in the direction of further comparable sources. As it turns out, the author did orient me to thinkers where I have some alignment, e.g. Epictetus/Stoicism and the Cynics as well as the Epicureans), offered a greater appreciation of other traditions, and brought me back anew to where I started with his trains of thought.
In particular, the author blends train (also plane and auto) travel to present philosophers from different countries and eras in 14 chapters according to three major life phases. More specifically, after an Introduction, “Departure,” Part I. Dawn addresses (1) How to Get Out of Bed Like Marcus Aurelius, (2) How to Wonder Like Socrates, (3) How to Walk Like Rousseau, (4) How to See Like Thoreau, and (5) How to Listen Like Schopenhauer; Part II. Noon deals with (6) How to Enjoy Like Epicurus, (7) How to Pay Attention Like Simone Weil, (8) How to Fight Like Gandhi, (9) How to Be Kind Like Confucius, and (10) How to Appreciate the Small Things Like Sei Shonagon; and Part III. Dusk treats (11) How to Have No Regrets Like Nietzsche, (12) How to Cope Like Epictetus, (13) How to Grow Old Like Beauvoir, (14) How to Die Like Montaigne and an Epilogue, “Arrival.” There are also Acknowledgements, About the Author and Notes sections including Bibliographical References as well as an Index.
I particularly enjoyed the cleverness with which this book was put together as a way to make and keep philosophical ideas interesting via the lives, places and stories regarding the different philosophers. In the opening pages, Weiner suggests that “We think we want information and knowledge. We do not. We want wisdom . . . Wisdom untangles the facts, makes sense of them, and, crucially, suggests how best to use them.” Proceeding from Socrates (bringing “Preface to Plato” to mind, see my review of “Eric Havelock and the Toronto School”), the author covers those less attended like Schopenhauer on Music, other Non-Western cultural connections to Gandhi, Confucius, Japanese Courtier Sei Shonegon, and back to fellow Western women thinkers like Weil and Beauvoir and others to offer many “nuggets” of wisdom.
For instance, Weiner uses concepts from his subjects to enlighten about our own times. At one point (Location 1527-29), the author indicates that “. . . the Internet is Schopenhauer’s Will made manifest in the digital age. Like the Will, the Internet is omnipresent, and purposeless. . . As with the Will, the Internet offers two ways to escape its clutch: the path of the ascetic and that of the aesthete.” Elsewhere, he reveals Epicurus’s urging his followers to avoid “the prison of business affairs and politics,” while further on highlighting Gandhi’s ability to “fight the good fight” whose approaches were adopted by Martin Luther King for the American civil rights movement (see my review of Coates’ “We Were Eight Years in Power”).
Such allusions helped to point me in some different directions as well as back to familiar ones. As Weiner observes “We live in the age of the algorithm and artificial intelligence, with their tacit promise to manage the uncertainty, the messiness, of life. They have not. If anything, life feels less predictable, and messier, than ever. This is where Stoicism shines.” He goes on to indicate that “The Stoics believe we can change the way we feel by changing the way we think” (prefiguring CBT), also that “a common Stoic exhortation is to “live in accord with nature.” These sentiments seem to suggest returning to thoughtful scientists as well as to seek insights from different cultures and traditions for further inspiration.
Even with all the nuggets provided, there are times when the chapters feel like Weiner’s radio pieces from when he was an NPR reporter. The stories are compelling, but sometimes divergent pieces are related together to complete a narrative or fill the “air time” (see my review of Jessica Abel’s “Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio”).
In spite of the periodic digressions, I found “The Socrates Express” well worth my time and commend it to others seeking similar guidance and wisdom.
In particular, the author blends train (also plane and auto) travel to present philosophers from different countries and eras in 14 chapters according to three major life phases. More specifically, after an Introduction, “Departure,” Part I. Dawn addresses (1) How to Get Out of Bed Like Marcus Aurelius, (2) How to Wonder Like Socrates, (3) How to Walk Like Rousseau, (4) How to See Like Thoreau, and (5) How to Listen Like Schopenhauer; Part II. Noon deals with (6) How to Enjoy Like Epicurus, (7) How to Pay Attention Like Simone Weil, (8) How to Fight Like Gandhi, (9) How to Be Kind Like Confucius, and (10) How to Appreciate the Small Things Like Sei Shonagon; and Part III. Dusk treats (11) How to Have No Regrets Like Nietzsche, (12) How to Cope Like Epictetus, (13) How to Grow Old Like Beauvoir, (14) How to Die Like Montaigne and an Epilogue, “Arrival.” There are also Acknowledgements, About the Author and Notes sections including Bibliographical References as well as an Index.
I particularly enjoyed the cleverness with which this book was put together as a way to make and keep philosophical ideas interesting via the lives, places and stories regarding the different philosophers. In the opening pages, Weiner suggests that “We think we want information and knowledge. We do not. We want wisdom . . . Wisdom untangles the facts, makes sense of them, and, crucially, suggests how best to use them.” Proceeding from Socrates (bringing “Preface to Plato” to mind, see my review of “Eric Havelock and the Toronto School”), the author covers those less attended like Schopenhauer on Music, other Non-Western cultural connections to Gandhi, Confucius, Japanese Courtier Sei Shonegon, and back to fellow Western women thinkers like Weil and Beauvoir and others to offer many “nuggets” of wisdom.
For instance, Weiner uses concepts from his subjects to enlighten about our own times. At one point (Location 1527-29), the author indicates that “. . . the Internet is Schopenhauer’s Will made manifest in the digital age. Like the Will, the Internet is omnipresent, and purposeless. . . As with the Will, the Internet offers two ways to escape its clutch: the path of the ascetic and that of the aesthete.” Elsewhere, he reveals Epicurus’s urging his followers to avoid “the prison of business affairs and politics,” while further on highlighting Gandhi’s ability to “fight the good fight” whose approaches were adopted by Martin Luther King for the American civil rights movement (see my review of Coates’ “We Were Eight Years in Power”).
Such allusions helped to point me in some different directions as well as back to familiar ones. As Weiner observes “We live in the age of the algorithm and artificial intelligence, with their tacit promise to manage the uncertainty, the messiness, of life. They have not. If anything, life feels less predictable, and messier, than ever. This is where Stoicism shines.” He goes on to indicate that “The Stoics believe we can change the way we feel by changing the way we think” (prefiguring CBT), also that “a common Stoic exhortation is to “live in accord with nature.” These sentiments seem to suggest returning to thoughtful scientists as well as to seek insights from different cultures and traditions for further inspiration.
Even with all the nuggets provided, there are times when the chapters feel like Weiner’s radio pieces from when he was an NPR reporter. The stories are compelling, but sometimes divergent pieces are related together to complete a narrative or fill the “air time” (see my review of Jessica Abel’s “Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio”).
In spite of the periodic digressions, I found “The Socrates Express” well worth my time and commend it to others seeking similar guidance and wisdom.