Life is hard. We want to think that isn’t the case but again and again, the universe shows us we’re wrong. We face loss, periods of illness and infirmity, and failure. Such is the human condition and there is no escaping these essential truths. Where better to turn for comfort, insight, and wisdom than the great minds of philosophy that came before us?

Our guest, Kieren Setiya, professor of philosophy at MIT, has been on the show before and he's back to share what he's learned writing his most recent book, Life is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find our Way. Kieren’s writings have appeared in London Review of Books, The New York Times, Aeon, and elsewhere.

Kieren’s unique and thoughtful writings and teaching won’t necessarily make life any less hard but they will give you some tools, frameworks, and perspective to think differently about the challenges of life and in the end, what other kind of comfort is there?

Show notes and links: http://reconsidering.org/episodes/23