About

John Kaag is professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Kaag specializes in American philosophy and is the Donohue Professor of Ethics and the Arts at UMass Lowell, External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and Advisor at Outlier.org

In February 2023, Kaag delivered the lecture "William James and the Sick Soul" for Harvard Divinity School's William James Lectures on Religious Experience series.

Kaag lives in Carlisle, MA with his wife, Kathleen, and their two children.

• Ph.D.: Philosophy, (2007), University of Oregon - Eugene, OR
  Supporting Area: American Philosophy/History of Philosophy
• Other: International Relations, (2005), University of Cambridge - Cambridge, United Kingdom
  Supporting Area: Politics and international security
  Dissertation/Thesis Title: "The UN in History, Theory, and Practice"
• MA: Philosophy, (2003), Pennsylvania State University - Middletown, PA
  Dissertation/Thesis Title: "Re-turning: A Philosophic Revisiting of the Aesthetic"

• Idealism, Pragmatism, and Feminism: The Philosophy of Ella Lyman Cabot (2011). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7391-6781-6.
• Thinking Through the Imagination: Aesthetics in Human Cognition (2014). New York: Fordham University Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-5493-4.
• American Philosophy: A Love Story (2016). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-3741-5448-6.
• Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are (2018). New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-3741-7001-1.
• Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life (2020) Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-6911-9216-1.
• Be Not Afraid of Life: In the Words of William James (2023) Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-6912-4015-2.
• Henry at Work: Thoreau on Making a Living (2023) Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-6912-4469-3.

"Kaag is a lively storyteller who brings Nietzsche's life into continual contact with his own . . . [He] challenges his readers to be what they might become." --Steven B. Smith, The New York Times Book Review

"Not just an approachable introduction to Nietzsche’s thought. Kaag’s book is also . . . a confirmation that philosophy thrives when it provides an antidote to the wholesome doldrums of sanity . . . Kaag may have outgrown his youthful dramatics, but he continues to let philosophy upend him." --Becca Rothfeld, The Atlantic

"[An] engagingly unacademic meditation . . . The question, ultimately, is whether Nietzsche’s philosophy, so attuned to lurking monstrous urges, can be of use in daily life. Kaag’s answer is both elliptical and profound, manifesting a deep understanding of his subject matter." --The New Yorker

"As in American Philosophy, Kaag deftly intertwines sympathetic biography, accessible philosophical analysis, and self-critical autobiography . . . Kaag extracts plenty of relevant ideas from Nietzsche and his followers in this stimulating book about combating despair and complacency with searching reflection." --Heller McAlpin, npr.org

"Mr. Kaag deftly weaves his philosophical concerns with the small and large crises of daily life . . . his honesty is bracing." --Geoff Wisner, The Wall Street Journal

"In [Hiking with Nietzsche] and in his previous book American Philosophy: A Love Story . . . Kaag has perhaps created a genre . . . [He combines] almost seamlessly a relatively rigorous though highly readable tour of Nietzsche’s life and authorship with personal writing in the mode of contemporary 'creative non-fiction' . . . Hiking with Nietzsche may provide a new template for autobiographical philosophy and philosophical autobiography." --Cirspin Sartwell, TLS

"Kaag has a pleasingly wry, compact style, and is particularly interesting on thinkers that that Nietzsche influenced heavily." --Steven Poole, The Guardian (Book of the day)

"While the book serves as an entry point to Nietzsche’s writing, its real success is as an embodiment of one of his core ideas ― and one that you needn’t have read his works to appreciate: the imperative of becoming who you are . . . Call it philosophy. Call it memoir. This is a book with verve. Read it at the risk of being drawn in to your own becoming." --Scott F. Parker, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Kaag has carved out a genre all his own, a genre with the promise to narrow some of the gaps between the esoteric and the familiar, the academic and the non-academic, the philosopher and the self-help guru. For those with Kaag’s unusual mixture of philosophical sophistication and narrative skill, it is a genre well worth emulating.” --John F. Muller, Los Angeles Review of Books

"You don’t need to like Nietzsche to love this book… [it] is more than a well-marked trail into Nietzsche’s world. It is an attempt to reclaim his philosophy for the middle-aged… [Kaag provides] deft storytelling and prose of such momentum and transparency… there are glorious descriptions of nature, lakes and mountains… I’ll read whatever [Kaag] writes." --Kieran Setiya, Literary Review

"Hiking with Nietzsche serves as a straightforward and even practical introduction to the German philosopher’s writings, and makes a convincing case for why they continue to matter. Even readers not necessarily tempted to descend into the Nietzschean abyss will surely find Kaag’s exploration of selfhood, decadence, companionship, and physical duress both invigorating and thought-provoking. Contrary to the how-to-live-your-life genre, and in keeping with Nietzsche’s explosive and discomforting ideas, Kaag manages to ask all the right questions without irritably reaching for any palliative answers or solutions." -- Morten Høi Jensen, Los Angeles Review of Books

"In Hiking with Nietzsche, Kaag explores how the idea of striving mentally and physically are tied together. To be honest, at this point in my life I’m probably never going to read Nietzsche, but Kaag’s clear writing and insight into why we get obsessed with peaks . . . rang true and made me feel slightly more enlightened." --Heather Hansman, Outside

"[Hiking with Nietzsche] artfully blends Nietzsche’s biography, an accessible yet subtle introduction to his big ideas, and Kaag’s own reminiscences . . . funny and moving." --Paul W. Gleason, Newsday

"Lively . . . a deeply personal account of a lifelong engagement with the philosopher's works." --Tatler Magazine (U.K.) (10 books to read this spring)

"Kaag has the perfect resume for this type of introspective blend of memoir and biography . . . He pairs breathtaking descriptions of the Sils region with Nietzsche’s fascinating personal history, providing a unique, engaging narrative . . . With Hiking with Nietzsche, Kaag can now add his own name to the list of thoughtful wanderers." --Becky Libourel Diamond, BookPage

"This isn’t a misery memoir or anything like that. This is a serious discussion of how philosophy relates to life, told through part of the author’s own life. It takes a very skillful writer to weave those things together in a way that is readable and interesting without seeming indulgent." --Nigel Warburton, Five Books (Best Philosophy Books of 2018)

"Meditative . . . thought provoking . . . Kaag has crafted a stirring account of a personal encounter with a great mind." --Publishers Weekly

"Kaag succeeds . . . through his courage to approach Nietzsche, and philosophy in general, from a personal―and not just intellectual―perspective . . . A meditative work full of self-understanding that will resonate with anyone who has ever been drawn toward the void." --Kirkus

"Fusing intense emotion with unflinching analysis, Kaag invites readers to make philosophy a life-elevating adventure." --Booklist

"A wonderful introduction to Nietzsche set against the unique backdrop of the landscape and cities he experienced. The tone and writing style make it accessible to general readers, while the content will reward those familiar with Nietzsche as well." --Library Journal

“A searing, very personal journey through John Kaag’s own Nietzschean abyss.” ―Sue Prideaux, author of I Am Dynamite: A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche

“John Kaag is the perfect guide for this bold trek, a journey from solitude and yearning to mature acceptance and, well, love. An elegant reckoning with the tough questions, a challenging lesson in philosophy, a deep pleasure to read.” ―James Carroll, author of Constantine’s Sword and The Cloister

“I never truly appreciated Friedrich Nietzsche. I might even have been a little afraid of him. But Hiking with Nietzsche changed that. John Kaag's luminous new book provides the reader with a deep understanding of and empathy for the philosopher's thought, along with capacious and original insights into companionship, marriage, fatherhood, solitude, decadence, self-deception, self-actualization, despair, and, finally, joy.” ―Eileen Pollack, author of The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science Is Still a Boys' Club

• Kaag, J.J. (2018). Hiking with Nietzsche : On Becoming Who You Are.
• Kaag, J.J. (2016). American Philosophy: A Love Story.
• Ward, R., Kaag, J.J. (2015). A Review Essay of The American Pragmatists. The Pluralist, (1) 114.
• Kaag, J.J., Newmann, W. (2015). Drone warfare. CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, (9) 1588.
• Kaag, J.J. (2015). Halls of Shame. Times Higher Education, (2216) 36-38.
• Kaag, J.J. (2015). Haunted by Spirits. Chronicle of Higher Education, 62(13) B10-B13.
• Kaag, J.J. (2015). The Curse of Credentials. Chronicle of Higher Education, 61(30) B10-B12.
• Kaag, J.J. (2015). The Lot of the Beautiful: Pragmatism and Aesthetic Ideals. British Journal for the History of Philosophy British Journal for the History of Philosophy, 23(4) 779-801.
• Kaag, J.J. (2015). The Object of My Deception. Times Higher Education, (2190).
• Blackburn, S., Alessandri, M., Kaag, J.J. (2015). To Utility and Beyond. Times Higher Education, (2233) 30-37.
• Kaag, J.J. (2014). A New Father’s Conceptions. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(39) 1.
• Frank M. Oppenheim, S.J. Dawn Aberg,John J.Kaag,, . (2014). A Report on the Recent “Dig” into Royce’s MSS in the Harvard Archives (pp. 23). Fordham University Press
• Kaag, J.J., Bhatia, S.K. (2014). Designs for Living; Why Engineers Need to Become Philosophers. The Chronicle of Higher Education, (13).
• Kaag, J.J., BHATIA, S.K. (2014). Fools For Tools. Chronicle of Higher Education, 61(13) B13.
• Kaag, J.J. (2014). I ask the First-Years if They Would Die for Anything. Of Course They Would. Times Higher Education, (2160) 36 - 37.
• Kaag, J.J., O’Hara, D. (2014). Market Values. Times Higher Education, (2140) 30.
• Oppenheim, F.M., Aberg, S.J., Kaag, J.J. (2014). Royce’s Relevance for Intrafaith Dialogue (pp. 213). Fordham University Press
• Kaag, J.J. (2014). The Fathers of Philosophy. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(39) B13.
• Kaag, J.J. (2014). Thinking Through the Imagination : Aesthetics in Human Cognition.
• Garchar, K., Kaag, J.J. (2013). Classical American Philosophy and Modern Medical Ethics: The Case of Richard Cabot. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, (4) 553.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Father’s Day: Why a ’superhero’ father wants to join the Mothers Association. Christian Science Monitor, N.PAG.
• O’Hara, D., Kaag, J.J. (2013). In the Shadow of Drones. Chronicle of Higher Education, B4.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Loyalty to Loyalty: Josiah Royce and the Genuine Moral Life. Ethics, 123(4) 755 - 759.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). My Student Nemesis. Times Higher Education, (2101) 34 - 41.
• Kaag, J.J., Anderson, D., Lally, D. (2013). Pragmatism and the Philosophy of Sport.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Reconstructing Individualism: A Pragmatic Tradition from Emerson to Ellison By James M. Albrecht. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society, 49(2) 259 - 262.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Returning to the Unformed: Emerson and Peirce on the ’Law of Mind’. Cognitio: Revista de Filosofia, 14(2) 189 - 201.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Short is Sweet. Times Higher Education, (2118) 34.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Teething Troubles. Times Higher Education, (2105) 30.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). The Politics of Survival: Peirce, Affectivity, and Social Criticism. Pluralist, 8(1) 119.
• Kaag, J.J. (2013). Transgressing the Silence: Lydia Maria Child and the Philosophy of Subversion. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, 49(1) 46 - 53.
• Kaag, J.J. (2012). Emptiness, Selflessness, and Transcendence: William James's Reading of Chinese Buddhism. Journal of Chinese Philosophy Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 39(2) 240-259.
• Kaag, J.J. (2012). Fallibility and Insight in Moral Judgment. Hum Stud Human Studies, (2).
• Kaag, J.J. (2012). The Place of 'The Problem of Job' in Philosophy of Josiah Royce. American Journal of Theology and Philosophy, 33(1) 32-56.
• Sarah, K., Kaag, J.J. (2012). The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Contemporary Conflict: A Legal and Ethical Analysis. Polity, (2) 260.
• Kaag, J.J. (2011). Hegel, Peirce, and Royce on the Concept of Essence. Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review, 50(3) 557-575.
• Kaag, J.J. (2011). Idealism, Pragmatism, and Feminism : The Philosophy of Ella Lyman Cabot.
• Kaag, J.J. (2011). Narrative and Moral Psychology in the Philosophy of Ella Lyman Cabot. The Pluralist, 6(3) 64-79.
• Kaag, J.J. (2010). 'Everyday Ethics': Morality and the Imagination in Classical American Thought. Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, 46(3) 364-385.
• Kaag, J.J. (2010). Religion, Pragmatism, and Dissent: Theodore Parker's 'Experience As a Minister'. The Pluralist, 5(1) 1-20.
• Kaag, J.J. (2009). A Call to Arms? -- Militarism, Political Unity, and the Moral Equivalent of War. The Pluralist, 4(2) 108-124.
• Kaag, J.J. (2009). American Interpretations of Hegel: Josiah Royce's Philosophy of Loyalty. History of Philosophy Quarterly, 26(1) 83-101.
• Kaag, J.J. (2009). Getting Under My Skin: William James on the Emotions, Sociality, and Transcendence. Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, 44(2) 433-450.
• Kaag, J.J., Kaufman, W. (2009). Military Frameworks: Technological Know-how and the Legitimization of Warfare. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 22(4) 585-606.
• Kaag, J.J. (2009). Pragmatism & The Lessons of Experience. Daedalus, 138(2) 63-72.
• McDermott, J.J., Anderson, D., Kaag, J.J. (2009). The Drama of Possibility: Experience as Philosophy of Culture. Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society, 45(2) 244-248.
• Kaag, J.J. (2009). The Neurological Dynamics of the Imagination. Phenom Cogn Sci Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 8(2) 183-204.
• Kaag, J.J. (2008). Chance and Creativity: The Nature of Contingency in Classical American Philosophy. Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, 44(3) 393-411.
• Kaag, J.J. (2008). We Are 'Who'?: A Pragmatic Reframing of Immigration and National Identity. The Pluralist, 3(3) 111-131.
• Kaag, J.J. (2008). Women and Forgotten Movements in American Philosophy: The Work of Ella Lyman Cabot and Mary Parker Follett. Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, 44(1) 134-157.
• Kaag, J.J. (2006). Paddling in the Stream of Consciousness: Describing the Movement of Jamesian Inquiry. Journal of Speculative Philosophy: A Quarterly Journal of History, Criticism, and Imagination, 20(2) 132-145.
• Kaag, J.J. (2005). Continuity and Inheritance: Kant's 'Critique of Judgment' and the Work of C. S. Peirce. Transactions of the Charles S.Peirce Society: A Quarterly Journal in American Philosophy, 41(3) 515-540.