Can philosophy really save your life? Well, it might not stop you from dying, but it can make sure you are truly alive. Find out how in this talk.

Scott Samuelson studied philosophy at Grinnell College (BA, 1995, valedictorian) and Emory University (PhD, 2001). Since 2000 he has taught at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa. Inspired by his students, he wrote his first book The Deepest Human Life: An Introduction to Philosophy for Everyone (University of Chicago Press, 2014). He also writes movie reviews for Little Village and hosts Ethical Perspectives on the News, a Sunday-morning talk show on KCRG, the local ABC affiliate. For a decade he moonlighted as an occasional sous-chef at Simone’s Plain and Simple, a French restaurant on a gravel road. He’s published articles in the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Philosopher’s Magazine, and The Atlantic. On top of his job at Kirkwood, he teaches philosophy at Oakdale Prison. He’s currently working on his second book, Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx