Kieran Setiya Books

How can you reconcile yourself with the lives you will never lead, with possibilities foreclosed, and with nostalgia for lost youth? How can you accept the failings of the past, the sense of futility in the tasks that consume the present, and the prospect of death that blights the future? In this self-help book with a difference, Kieran Setiya confronts the inevitable challenges of adulthood and middle age, showing how philosophy can help you thrive. You will learn why missing out might be a good thing, how options are overrated, and when you should be glad you made a mistake. You will be introduced to philosophical consolations for mortality. And you will learn what it would mean to live in the present, how it could solve your midlife crisis, and why meditation helps. Ranging from Aristotle, Schopenhauer, and John Stuart Mill to Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir, as well as drawing on Setiya’s own experience, Midlife combines imaginative ideas, surprising insights, and practical advice. Writing with wisdom and wit, Setiya makes a wry but passionate case for philosophy as a guide to life.

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORKER AND THE ECONOMIST “Life Is Hard is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up, but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes you feel better anyway.” —The New York Times Book Review There is no cure for the human condition: life is hard. But Kieran Setiya believes philosophy can help. He offers us a map for navigating rough terrain, from personal trauma to the injustice and absurdity of the world. In this profound and personal book, Setiya shows how the tools of philosophy can help us find our way. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophy as well as fiction, history, memoir, film, comedy, social science, and stories from Setiya’s own experience, Life Is Hard is a book for this moment—a work of solace and compassion. Warm, accessible, and good-humored, this book is about making the best of a bad lot. It offers guidance for coping with pain and making new friends, for grieving the lost and failing with grace, for confronting injustice and searching for meaning in life. Countering pop psychologists and online influencers who admonish us to “find our bliss” and “live our best lives,” Setiya acknowledges that the best is often out of reach. Instead, he asks how we can weather life’s adversities, finding hope and living well when life is hard.

Written with charming simplicity and wry humor, Midlife is a philosophically rich source of what might be called the higher life hacks' - reflective ways of dissolving the sense of emptiness and regret that tends to hit each of us with the onset of middle age. A work of disarming wisdom.--Jim Holt, author of Why Does the World Exist?

A NEW YORKER AND THE ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2022, this work offers a humane consolation for challenging times. It resembles a conversation with a thoughtful friend who, rather than urging you to cheer up, provides gentle companionship and a fresh perspective that ultimately uplifts. Life is undeniably hard, as recent years have shown, filled with personal trauma and global injustice. Yet, could there be solace in recognizing the hardships of the human condition? Embracing this reality might liberate us from the relentless pursuit of our "best lives," allowing us to discover warmth, humanity, and humor in our actual experiences. In this profound and personal exploration, Kieran Setiya illustrates how philosophy can guide us through life's difficulties. He shares his journey with chronic pain and the insights gained from it, reflecting on what loneliness and loss teach us about the value of human life. Setiya examines how we can gracefully navigate failure, confront injustice, and seek meaning amid despair. Drawing from ancient and modern philosophy, alongside fiction, comedy, social science, and personal essays, this book serves as a source of solace and compassion, urging us toward justice for ourselves and others by acknowledging the essence of being alive.

Kieran Setiya zeigt, wie wir mithilfe der Philosophie den Herausforderungen des Lebens begegnen und in Einsamkeit, Leid und Trauer nach Sinn suchen können. Trotz unseres Strebens nach einem erfüllten Leben müssen wir immer wieder schmerzlich erkennen, dass die Realität oft unerwartete Schwierigkeiten bereithält. Krankheit, Einsamkeit, Trauer und Ungerechtigkeit sind allgegenwärtig und lassen sich nicht ignorieren. Setiya betont die Notwendigkeit, sich diesen Zumutungen zu stellen und das Beste aus unserem gemeinsamen Schicksal, der Conditio humana, zu machen. Anstatt das Leid zu beklagen, sollten wir lernen, es zu akzeptieren. Mit Erkenntnissen antiker und moderner Philosophen führt er uns behutsam und tröstend vor Augen, wie dies gelingen kann und was es letztlich bedeutet, am Leben zu sein. Sein Werk ist ein kluger, persönlicher philosophischer Leitfaden, der in schweren Zeiten Hoffnung spendet. Oliver Burkeman beschreibt es als „eine wortgewandte, bewegende und nützliche Machtdemonstration der Philosophie“, während Katherine May betont, dass Setiya uns zeigt, wie wir trotz der Härten des Lebens Hoffnung finden können. Die New York Times Book Review vergleicht es mit einem Gespräch mit einem aufmerksamen Freund.

Kieran Setiya pokazuje, że filozofia może być cennym narzędziem w radzeniu sobie z kryzysem wieku średniego, który może przyjść niespodziewanie wcześnie. Z humorem analizuje poczucie bezsensu i tęsknoty za utraconą młodością oraz czasem, gdy wszystkie życiowe drogi były jeszcze możliwe. Kryzys wieku średniego ma fascynującą historię, którą warto poznać, aby przekuć życiowe przesilenie w szansę. Jeśli martwicie się nieodwracalnością czasu, analizujecie porażki życiowe, a w bezsennych nocach pytacie: „czy coś się jeszcze wydarzy?” – ta książka jest dla was. Łączy lekkość eseju z racjonalnym podejściem oraz historią filozofii, odpowiadając na pytanie, kiedy zaczyna się wiek średni i czy zawsze wiąże się z kryzysem. Książka pokazuje, że filozofia jest skuteczną metodą refleksji nad nieodłącznymi aspektami życia: przemijaniem, utratą i śmiercią. Refleksja ta nie oznacza zaprzeczenia ani idealizacji. To lektura obowiązkowa dla wszystkich, niezależnie od wieku i stanu ducha. Setiya jest filozofem, etykiem i wykładowcą w Massachusetts Institute of Technology, autorem bestsellerów wyróżnionych w rankingach najlepszych książek.