The Socrates Express

Philosophy is most beneficial, not when treated as a lifeless academic exercise, but as a way of life that forces one to see the world in a new light. While science can provide us with information and knowledge (organized information), it is philosophy and the related fields in the humanities that furnishes us with wisdom.

The deepest questions regarding reality, knowledge, existence, morality, and politics cannot be solved by crunching numbers or running experiments; they must be solved by a process of deep reflection and logical rigorat least for those interested in thinking for themselves. The manner in which you form your beliefs, treat others, and develop your character are all philosophical problems that you either figure out for yourself or else allow others to figure out for you.

Thats what makes books like the Socrates Express beneficial; for those with limited exposure to philosophy, it can force them to ask uncomfortable questions and challenge their most fundamental beliefs, leading to drastic changes in thought and behavior and a greater sense of intellectual independence (e.g., freedom from dogma).

In The Socrates Express, Eric Weiner takes the reader on a journey as he travels the world reading and reflecting on the works and ideas of 14 great philosophers from across history. Each chapter is devoted to a particular philosopher and idea that can help us to lead more examined and ultimately more fulfilling and rewarding lives. The reader will learn how to grapple with the big questions and apply the lessons from philosophy to develop gratitude, become more attentive and present, build character, cultivate generosity, better handle adversity, and much more. In this sense, the book works.

On the other hand, for seasoned readers of philosophy, the treatment of each philosopher will at times feel rather shallow. If you strip away the biographical details and personal commentary about the author’s life and travels, youre left with very superficial accounts of the actual ideas. If you are interested mainly in the ideas, dont be surprised if you lose patience with the authors digressions and constant attempts at humor.

Take the first chapter on the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius as a case in point. The Meditations is a brilliant work of philosophy with countless examples of deep philosophical wisdom, worthy of extended analysis and reflection. However, the author condenses all of this down into a few quotes and a couple brief comments about getting out of bed in the morning and fulfilling your duties. The rest of the chapter is devoted to the authors experience on the train and some biographical details of Marcus. While some chapters are better than others, the coverage often feels superficialalmost like the author could have read an encyclopedia article on each philosopher and then wrote the chapter based on that alone.

The bottom line: some people are going to love the book while others are going to lose patience quickly. Im somewhere in the middle. But before we criticize too harshly, we should remember that philosophy can be studied and practiced on multiple levels. If we insist that philosophy must always be highly technical, a wider audience cannot be reached, and instead of philosophy people will flock to religion and related forms of dogma. This is what we should want to avoid. While this may not be the most rigorous philosophy book youve ever encountered, its valuable in that it exposes the reader to fundamental questions in an entertaining and easily accessible manner. And, considering the entire subject of philosophy is essentially ignored in our public education system, theres always a need for this.

The Socrates Express is just that: an express train paced tour through the philosophic tradition. Avoiding abstruse topics like metaphysics and epistemology, Weiner focuses on one life lesson from each selected philosopher. This allows him to go into some depth about his own life as well as the philosophers life and how the lesson connects to both of these subjects.

Ive studied most of these philosophers and can vouch that Weiner accurately represents their thought. Of course, the decision to concentrate on how to live is itself a selection process. Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Aquinas, whose ethics cannot be separated from their larger worldview, dont form part of the study.

Although Weiner expresses the conventional disdain for academic philosophy, the book could really be used in Philosophy 101. It answers questions like what is wisdom, what is the love of wisdom and why would one study a tradition that comes to no mutually agreed upon conclusions.

It also provides a succinct view of much of what Western and Eastern philosophy has to say about how to live. While philosophers themselves may not learn much, even they can enjoy a highly personal and original perspective.

But the book is really intended for those who have yet to encounter philosophy or remember it only from textbooks gathering dust on their bookshelves. A well-written and accessible guide to the advice some philosophers have provided on life. Now, if only we could put these ideas into practice!

I loved this book. Eric Weiner is a great storyteller and with a sense of humor, he distills the wisdom of philosophers all the way from Socrates, to Rousseau, Gandhi, de Beauvoir, and even to Confucius. He makes philosophy understandable and fun and raises serious questions about the realities of our modern life. I highly recommend this book.

I really like this book. I have never studied philosophy. When I was young, I remember my parents and their friends talked about older kids in college studying it and what a waste it was, what in the heck will they do with a degree in philosophy? I didn’t graduate from college, have about 75 credit hours and I thought the book would be difficult to understand but I was up for a challenge. Nothing could be further from the truth, the book made the philosophers discussed seem like irregular people trying to live the best life they could. Who can’t identify with that?

I think it’s safe to say at this point that Eric Weiner is among the most talented travel writers out there. I was an enormous fan of The Geography of Bliss, Genius, and each of his books prior travelogues. SOCRATES EXPRESS is no different. The writing is consistently funny, accessible, but most importantly, thought-provoking. Seeing as we’ve all been collectively stuck inside for half a year, I can imagine no better way to escape, at least vicariously, than through Eric Weiner’s travel writing. The wisdom is practical in an everyday sense and just plain entertaining. Highly recommend.

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