Kieran Setiya, Professor of Philosphy, MIT
Absurdity and Meaning
Fall 2022 David Norton Memorial Lecture
“It is a cliché about philosophers that they ponder the meaning of life. Except they don’t! In recent philosophy, the question of life’s meaning is usually dismissed as nonsense; and for most earlier philosophers, the question doesn’t arise. In this talk, I’ll use the surprisingly recent origins of “the meaning of life” to argue that the question of life’s meaning does make sense, I’ll relate this question to the problem of life’s absurdity, explaining how it could have a positive answer- even if there is no God – and how the answer depends on us.”
Friday, September 16th, 3:30pm
Gore Hall, Room 103
Free and Open to the Public- reception to follow in Gore Hall Lobby
