Anxiety—that curse of the young adult we are all no doubt familiar with. Everyone is talking about anxiety, and the number of people diagnosed with anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and phobias) seems to be ever on the increase. Tapping into the zeitgeist, Samir Chopra’s new book Anxiety: A Philosophical Guide (published by Princeton University Press) takes a—you guessed it—philosophical approach to the phenomenon. Drawing on philosophers of old and his own experiences of grief and anxiety to inform his research, Chopra suggests that philosophy can aid us in learning to live with anxiety and to embrace it as an essential part of human existence.
[Chopra’s] personal account is a great way to lead readers into the book.
Anxiety is evidently a very personal project for Chopra as much as it is a professional one. The book opens with his own experiences of anxiety, intensified especially following the early deaths of his parents. This personal account is a great way to lead readers into the book. Unfortunately, the writing style is very convoluted, which makes the more academic sections of the book harder to enjoy.
It is clear that Chopra has done some significant research. However, it is disappointing that the philosophers he draws on are all male: the Buddha, Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Martin Heidegger, Karl Marx, and Herbert Marcuse. With the exception of the Buddha, these men are also all white. A proper exploration of anxiety should have included philosophers from a diverse range of backgrounds—it felt that none of the arguments in this book really took into account the anxieties engendered by systemic inequalities such as racism, sexism, or ableism. Indeed, while the book showcases some interesting philosophical ideas and puts forward thought-provoking arguments, it does not engage with the key, practical anxieties that plague many of us in our day-to-day lives, particularly those resulting from discrimination, prejudice, and the catastrophic effects of climate change.
A proper exploration of anxiety should have included philosophers from a diverse range of backgrounds
Furthermore, Chopra does not offer anything new to the current discourse on anxiety. The key takeaway of the book: anxiety is a normal part of life and we just have to live with it. Almost any well-informed book, podcast, or Instagram post can tell you this. As someone who lives with obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder myself, I was left rather disappointed with the book’s lack of practical advice (which even the most academic philosophy can provide).
I was left rather disappointed with the book’s lack of practical advice
Overall, while Anxiety is a book that is infused well with personal experiences and contains some very interesting philosophical ideas, it does not add anything revelatory to our current understanding, nor does it offer much in the way of help or comfort to those who struggle with anxiety disorders. Furthermore, using only male, mostly white philosophers means that the book’s scope is hugely limited.
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