A School of Life for Atheists

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• published: 20 Dec 2012
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Alain de Botton, FRSL (born 20 December 1969) is a Swiss writer, philosopher, television presenter and entrepreneur, resident in the United Kingdom. His books and television programmes discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. At 23, he published Essays In Love (1993), which went on to sell two million copies. Other bestsellers include How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997), Status Anxiety (2004) and The Architecture Of Happiness (2006). In August 2008, he was a founding member of a new educational establishment in central London called The School of Life. In May 2009, he was a founding member of a new architectural organization called "Living Architecture". In October that year, de Botton was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in recognition of his services to architecture. In 2011, de Botton was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) The School of Life is a social enterprise founded in 2008 and based in a small shop in Central London. The School offers a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well, addressing such questions as why work is often unfulfilling, why relationships can be so challenging, why it's ever harder to stay calm and what one could do to try to change the world for the better. The School also offers psychotherapy and bibliotherapy services and runs a small shop which has been described as 'an apothecary for the mind'. The School of Life is not affiliated to any religious, educational, charitable or other organisations. It declares itself a place 'free from dogma', where participants are 'directed towards a variety of ideas - from philosophy to literature, psychology to the visual arts -- that tickle, exercise and expand your mind' and where participants can 'meet other curious, sociable and open-minded people in an atmosphere of exploration and enjoyment'. Krista Tippett (née Weedman, born November 9, 1960) is a broadcaster, journalist, and author. She is best known for creating and hosting the public radio program On Being (formerly Speaking of Faith), distributed and produced by American Public Media. The program is currently broadcast on more than 200 public radio stations in the United States and globally via NPR Worldwide, its website, and its podcast. Tippett's first book, Speaking of Faith — Why Religion Matters and How to Talk about It, was published In 2008. Of the book, the author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, "Her intelligence is like a salve for all who have been wounded or marginalized by the God Wars On Being (also known as Krista Tippett on Being, formerly known as Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett) is a weekly public radio program about "religion, meaning, ethics, and ideas", produced by American Public Media. Initially launched as a monthly broadcast in 2001 with Minnesota Public Radio, the program became a national weekly broadcast in 2003 airing on NPR stations across the United States. Operating from a neutral position, the program explores the relationship between religion and the human experience around the world. Speaking of Faith was awarded its first Webby Award in 2005—the first public radio program to win the juried prize—and a second in 2008. That same year, the program was given a George Foster Peabody Award for its radio and online production of "The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi" in 2007. Tippett believes that "what most Americans want, whether they are religious or not, is for the religious voice in our public life to be more constructive—to reflect the capacity religion has to nourish lives and communities." The radio program also spawned the book Speaking of Faith — Why Religion Matters and How to Talk about It. Written by Tippett, it was published in 2007. A School of Life for Atheists [06.09.2012] Alain de Botton is a philosopher who likes the best of religion, but doesn't believe in God. So he's created "The School of Life," a secular community in London. He explains why wisdom and ritual shouldn't be reserved just for believers. The School of Life was founded by philosopher Alain de Botton, with the help of Sophie Howarth, a former curator of Tate Modern, in collaboration with a number of writers, artists and educators. It is currently staffed by Morgwn Rimel (Director), Harriet Warden, Caroline Brimmer and Angharad Davies. The faculty includes philosophers Mark Vernon, Robert Rowland Smith and Nigel Warburton, writers Tom Hodgkinson, Charles Fernyhough, John-Paul Flintoff, Catherine Blyth and Rebecca Abrams. Ambassadors for the project include Alain de Botton, photographer Martin Parr, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, journalist Rosie Boycott and publishers Patrick Walsh, Toby Mundy and Simon Prosser. © "On Being" Podcast 2012 © "A School of Life for Atheists" Art by 'On Being' 2012