Photo: Fronteiras do Pensamento / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on December 20, 1969 in Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, Alain de Botton is a writer, philosopher and publisher. Alain de Botton is 56 years old as of 2026. Education on record includes Gonville and Caius College. Recorded honors include Prix Européen de l'Essai Charles Veillon (2003) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (2011). Credited works include The Architecture of Happiness.
My Take
Alain de Botton is the rare thinker who drags philosophy out of the seminar room and into your actual life. I value him precisely because he refuses to be clever for its own sake; whether writing about love, Proust, status anxiety, or architecture, he treats human frailty with unusual tenderness. Two million copies of Essays in Love is not an accident, it reflects how many people feel quietly understood by him. Some critics find him too accessible, but I read that accessibility as generosity. He makes you feel less alone in your worries, and that, to me, is a genuinely useful kind of wisdom.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Alain de Botton
- Name (Japanese)
- アラン・ド・ボトン
- Reading
- あらん・ど・ぼとん
- Born
- December 20, 1969 (age 56)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rooster
- Origin
- Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
- Occupation
- writer / philosopher / publisher / journalist
2. Background
- University
- Gonville and Caius College
Awards & achievements
- 2003 Prix Européen de l'Essai Charles Veillon
- 2011 Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Architecture of Happiness | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.alaindebotton.com
- Xhttps://x.com/alaindebotton
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain%20de%20Botton
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9C%E3%83%88%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123273
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Alain de Botton born?
Born December 20, 1969 (age 56).
Where is Alain de Botton from?
Alain de Botton is from Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.
What does Alain de Botton do?
Alain de Botton works as writer, philosopher, publisher, journalist.
What is Alain de Botton known for?
Notable works include The Architecture of Happiness.
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