On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times

This book presents timely philosophical meditations by historian Michael Ignatieff that explore how great figures in history, literature, music, and art sought solace during tragedies and crises.

When we face loss, defeat, or catastrophe, we seek consolation. Once a domain of priests and philosophers, the language of consolation has largely vanished from modern vocabulary, and religious institutions are often empty. Rejecting ancient religious texts, humanity has increasingly relied on science, ideology, and therapy.

In an age of unbelief, how do we console ourselves? Ignatieff’s meditations on writers, artists, and their works that show how men and women in extremity have found hope and resilience by looking to each other across time. Ignatieff argues that we can revive these traditions of consolation to meet the anguish and uncertainties of our modern world.

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