We’ve all had to puzzle over such profound matters as birth, death, regret, free will, agency, and love. How might philosophy help us think through these vital concerns? In On Being Me, renowned moral philosopher J. David Velleman presents a concise, accessible, and intimate exploration into subjects that we care deeply about, offering compelling insights into what it means to be human.
Each of Velleman’s short, personal chapters begins with a theme: “Being Glad I Was Born,” “Wanting to Go On,” “Fearing the End,” “Regretting What Might Have Been,” “Aspiring to Authorship,” “Making Things Happen,” and “Wanting to Be Loved.” Reflecting on how daily life presents us with thorny riddles that need working out, Velleman arrives at unexpected conclusions about survival and personal identity, the self and its future, time and morality, the rationality of regret, free will and personal efficacy, and goodness and love. He shows that we can rely on our own powers of thought to arrive at a better understanding of the most fundamental parts of ourselves—and that the methods of philosophy can help get us there.
Beautifully illustrated by New Yorker contributing artist Emily Bernstein, On Being Me invites us to approach life philosophically.
J. David Velleman is professor of philosophy and bioethics at New York University (retiring in 2020) and the Miller Research Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. His books include How We Get Along and Self to Self. He is a founding editor of the open-access journal Philosophers’ Imprint. He lives in New York City. Emily C. Bernstein is a visual artist and animator who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has been published in the New Yorker and on Vice.com.
"A pithy guide to eternal questions, by a specialist in ethics and moral psychology."—Sarah Lyall, New York Times Book Review
"The text is accompanied by . . . clever and charming illustrations. . . . And throughout, Velleman offers a resolutely first-person meditation that, in the spirit of Descartes, eschews technical jargon and scholarly references."—Emrys Westacott, Philosophers' Magazine
"Each reader will find a different mapping onto their own experience, but it is a stimulating journey."—Paradigm Explorer
"By reading [On Being Me] we should let its very personal prose nourish our understanding of the world and of ourselves. . . . On Being Me introduces many topics of academic philosophy – the self, the nature of time, free-will and responsibility – without getting lost in professional discussion and without losing sight of the importance of those themes in our daily life."—Daniel Peixoto Murata, The Journal of Value Inquiry
"A lyrical and poignant meditation on our deepest problems: the self, time, death, freedom, ethics, and love. Velleman does not write to persuade, but to disclose—which is what makes this book so very persuasive."—Amia Srinivasan, University of Oxford
"On Being Me is terrific. It will help students become invested in philosophical problems connected with what it means to be a person, and at the same time remind teachers why they became interested in these problems. Written as a meditation, this book is both deep and delightful. And the illustrations are simply wonderful!"—John Perry, author of Dialogue on Consciousness: Minds, Brains, and Zombies
"This is a bold, stimulating reflection on what it is to be a person. Written with flair and wit, it is at once remarkably personal and universal. There is no other book out there comparable in style and ambition."—Susan Wolf, author of The Variety of Values: Essays on Morality, Meaning, and Love
"On Being Me is an exhilarating intellectual journey, filled with vivid moments of insight and some surprising twists. Velleman's writing is elegant, his style oracular but down to earth, and his ideas consistently provocative and engaging. A book to savor."—Kieran Setiya, author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide
