Kieran Setiya
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ksetiya.bsky.social
Kieran Setiya
@ksetiya.bsky.social
1.6K followers 120 following 130 posts
MIT philosopher; would-be self-help guru; master of the semi-colon; substack: http://bit.ly/-ksetiya; podcast: http://bit.ly/-five-q; home: http://bit.ly/-ks-home
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ksetiya.bsky.social
Newly discovered poetry by Iris Mudoch, introduced by Miles Leeson in the TLS!
www.the-tls.com/literature/p...
Playing a game to tell the truth
Two poems by Murdoch are published below Miles Leeson’s essay During her lifetime, only one collection of poems by Iris Murdoch was made widely available: A Year of Birds, first published in 1978. A s...
www.the-tls.com
November 2, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Alice Ambrose: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/it-is-a-pe...
‘it is a person’s privilege to go to hell’
Until recently, I knew exactly one story about Alice Ambrose, to whom (along with Francis Skinner), Ludwig Wittgenstein dictated what would come to be known as the “Brown Book” in 1934-35.
ksetiya.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Alice Ambrose: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/it-is-a-pe...
‘it is a person’s privilege to go to hell’
Until recently, I knew exactly one story about Alice Ambrose, to whom (along with Francis Skinner), Ludwig Wittgenstein dictated what would come to be known as the “Brown Book” in 1934-35.
ksetiya.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about the rituals of mourning: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/joy-in-the...
Joy in the Morning
A mantra to repeat in the philosophy of self-help: being happy is not the same as living well. Philosophers make the case with “experience machines” that offer streams of blissful, meaningless illusio...
ksetiya.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about the rituals of mourning: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/joy-in-the...
Joy in the Morning
A mantra to repeat in the philosophy of self-help: being happy is not the same as living well. Philosophers make the case with “experience machines” that offer streams of blissful, meaningless illusio...
ksetiya.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Jonathan Lear on the virtue of irony: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/becoming-h...
Becoming human is not that easy
“In what did Socrates’ irony really lie?”, Søren Kierkegaard asked, and answered rhetorically: "In expressions and turns of speech, etc.? No, such trivialities, even his virtuosity in talking ironical...
ksetiya.substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Jonathan Lear on the virtue of irony: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/becoming-h...
Becoming human is not that easy
“In what did Socrates’ irony really lie?”, Søren Kierkegaard asked, and answered rhetorically: "In expressions and turns of speech, etc.? No, such trivialities, even his virtuosity in talking ironical...
ksetiya.substack.com
October 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
ksetiya.bsky.social
Zadie Smith writes about a secret breakthrough in non-fiction: the SIX paragraph essay!
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
The Art of the Impersonal Essay, by Zadie Smith
In my experience, every kind of writing requires some kind of self-soothing Jedi mind trick, and, when it comes to essay composition, the rectangle is mine.
www.newyorker.com
September 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I talked to Dan Harris about living well when life is hard.
youtu.be/mJnTAqB-Thw?...
How To Live Well | Kieran Setiya
YouTube video by 10% Happier
youtu.be
September 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I talked to Dan Harris about living well when life is hard.
youtu.be/mJnTAqB-Thw?...
How To Live Well | Kieran Setiya
YouTube video by 10% Happier
youtu.be
September 22, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Joe Brainard: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/i-remember
I Remember
One of the pleasures of writing here is that you don’t need a bold new insight or novel argument to justify posting about a book: you can simply share something you’ve read and loved—or that you happe...
ksetiya.substack.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:01 PM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Joe Brainard: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/i-remember
I Remember
One of the pleasures of writing here is that you don’t need a bold new insight or novel argument to justify posting about a book: you can simply share something you’ve read and loved—or that you happe...
ksetiya.substack.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I talked to Troy Jollimore and Robert Jones about stand-up comedy and/as philosophy
www.kzfr.org/broadcasts/4...
September 11, 2025: Kieran Setiya on the Philosophy of Humor - Philosophers on Culture | KZFR 90.1 FM CHICO
Philosophers Troy Jollimore and Robert Jones welcome fellow philosopher Kieran Setiya for a discussion of his recent work on the philosophy of humor, jokes, and standup comedy. (60m)
www.kzfr.org
September 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I talked to Troy Jollimore and Robert Jones about stand-up comedy and/as philosophy
www.kzfr.org/broadcasts/4...
September 11, 2025: Kieran Setiya on the Philosophy of Humor - Philosophers on Culture | KZFR 90.1 FM CHICO
Philosophers Troy Jollimore and Robert Jones welcome fellow philosopher Kieran Setiya for a discussion of his recent work on the philosophy of humor, jokes, and standup comedy. (60m)
www.kzfr.org
September 13, 2025 at 12:15 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about poetry and philosophy (again): Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/analogy
Analogy
Philosophy and poetry are mired in an ancient quarrel, so we’re told—on one side, the pursuit of demystifying truth; on the other, enchanted polyphony. And yet they have one thing in common: each is s...
ksetiya.substack.com
September 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about crossword puzzles: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/compositio...
Composition with Grid
A few months into the pandemic, my wife and I adopted a new pastime: we would complete the New York Times crossword puzzle every day.
ksetiya.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 11:36 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about crossword puzzles: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/compositio...
Composition with Grid
A few months into the pandemic, my wife and I adopted a new pastime: we would complete the New York Times crossword puzzle every day.
ksetiya.substack.com
August 23, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Christian Marclay’s “Doors”: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/no-entry
No Entry
It shouldn’t be surprising that art critics have wanted to read Doors—Christian Marclay’s looping montage of movie clips, in which one protagonist enters a door and another steps out, seamlessly, over...
ksetiya.substack.com
August 9, 2025 at 11:33 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Christian Marclay’s “Doors”: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/no-entry
No Entry
It shouldn’t be surprising that art critics have wanted to read Doors—Christian Marclay’s looping montage of movie clips, in which one protagonist enters a door and another steps out, seamlessly, over...
ksetiya.substack.com
August 9, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Andrea Long Chu: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/literally-...
Literally Figurative
Pedants complain that the word “literally” is more often misused than used correctly. “This post will literally blow your mind! Your brain will literally explode!” “Literally?” they exclaim. “Then I h...
ksetiya.substack.com
July 26, 2025 at 11:34 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about Andrea Long Chu: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/literally-...
Literally Figurative
Pedants complain that the word “literally” is more often misused than used correctly. “This post will literally blow your mind! Your brain will literally explode!” “Literally?” they exclaim. “Then I h...
ksetiya.substack.com
July 26, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about McDowell on method: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/horse-whis...
Horse Whispering
I confess that, when I allow myself to think about it, I am amazed that I understand so little about what it is we philosophers do.
ksetiya.substack.com
July 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about McDowell on method: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/horse-whis...
Horse Whispering
I confess that, when I allow myself to think about it, I am amazed that I understand so little about what it is we philosophers do.
ksetiya.substack.com
July 12, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Reposted by Kieran Setiya
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about John Baskerville: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/font-of-wi...
Font of Wisdom, Font of Truth
I became a Baskerville convert in 2012, the year film-maker Errol Morris ran an uncontrolled experiment in The New York Times. By his arrangement, an article about the risk of asteroids colliding with...
ksetiya.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 11:45 AM
ksetiya.bsky.social
I wrote about John Baskerville: Under the Net
ksetiya.substack.com/p/font-of-wi...
Font of Wisdom, Font of Truth
I became a Baskerville convert in 2012, the year film-maker Errol Morris ran an uncontrolled experiment in The New York Times. By his arrangement, an article about the risk of asteroids colliding with...
ksetiya.substack.com
June 28, 2025 at 11:45 AM