The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety

Alan W. Watts (1915-1973) was an English philosopher of religion whose work combined various Eastern schools of thought—especially Zen Buddhism and Taoism—with a Western approach, introducing and popularizing Eastern philosophy for a largely Western audience. Watts was the author of dozens of books, including The Way of Zen (1957), The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are (1966), and Tao: The Watercourse Way (1975). Watts lectured at several American universities and to wide audiences, hosting a public television and a radio show on Eastern philosophy. Many of his recorded lectures are still available via streaming; they remain popular.

Watts was born in Chislehurst, England. He spent his childhood receiving a Christian education, though, in adolescence, his exposure to Buddhism led him down a different spiritual path. In 1938, Watts and his wife moved to the United States, eventually becoming citizens. After earning a master’s degree in theology from an Episcopalian seminary, Watts returned to studying Eastern philosophy and spirituality. In 1951, he received a job at the American Academy of Asia Studies in San Francisco. While there, he wrote some of his most popular works, and continued researching Zen, Vedanta, and Chinese philosophies, like Taoism.