John Kaag

The father of American philosophy, William James, once asked: “Is life worth living?” It was not a theoretical question, but a very real one: “James’s entire philosophy, from beginning to end, was geared to save a life—his life,” writes John Kaag. In his deeply personal, thought-provoking book, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds, John looks to philosophy, but also empirical psychology, to help answer some of life’s biggest questions—using his own life as the template. In doing so, he confronts the challenges and uncertainties that we will all face: how should we process feelings of isolation and meaninglessness? How should we approach romantic relationships or raise our children? And how should we balance our routines, necessary and yet often anesthetizing, with the spontaneity and indulgence needed to truly experience life? Practical, compelling, and crucial for the anxiety-inducing times we live in, John’s book shows us how to actively pursue a life worth living. Chosen as one of Malcolm Gladwell’s Next Big Idea Club’s most anticipated non-fiction books of spring, Sick Souls, Healthy Minds has been described as “earnest [and] accessible” (New Yorker), “pithy and exacting” (Wall Street Journal), and “characteristically elegant” (New York Times Book Review).

John’s latest book, American Bloods, is an expansive and unflinching history of our nation. It’s told through the story of one of America’s first pioneer families, the Bloods, who were active participants in virtually every pivotal moment in American history, coming into contact with everyone from Emerson and Thoreau to Frederick Douglass and William James. John follows 8 members of this family from the British Civil Wars all the way to the beginning of the 20th century, revealing the making of America, the soul of our nation, and how we got to where we are today. Pulitzer Prize winner Doris Kearns Goodwin calls it “a breakout book for John Kaag—the natural extension of his genre-defining writing.”

Mr. Kaag deftly weaves his philosophical concerns with the small and large crises of daily life.The Wall Street Journal

John is also the author of several other books. His debut, American Philosophy: A Love Story, was chosen as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2016, selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and took home the John Dewey Award in American History. His book Hiking with Nietzsche, also an NPR Best Book of 2018, is described as “a stimulating book about combating despair and complacency with searching reflection.” His other books include Be Not Afraid of Life and Henry at Work. As a teacher, John is both approachable and profound—introducing audiences to deep, life-altering concepts that have the power to influence where we find meaning and how we become who we are.

In addition to his role as Professor and Chair of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, John is the External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and a Professor of Philosophy and Writing at Outlier.org (an offshoot of Master Class). His engaging teaching style has earned him a number of awards throughout his career, including the University of Massachusetts Teaching Excellence Award (awarded to one professor across the university system) and Harvard’s Bok Center Award for Teaching Excellence. He has appeared with Derren Brown at the Barbicon Theatre to talk about living through suffering. John has written extensively in academic philosophy but his work has also appeared in popular media such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Outside Magazine, The Paris Review and Harper’s Magazine. John studied at the University of Cambridge and received his doctorate in American Philosophy from the University of Oregon.