Victor Perton: John, may I ask what makes you optimistic?
Professor John Kaag: "I am not, and have never been, a naive optimist. The world is brutally difficult and many days I feel that it is wholly indifferent to my purposes and life. I do, however, harbor some sense that maybe, just maybe, the universe is suited to my growth and flourishing. And this, I think, is enough to make me an optimist of a certain stripe. Live while you still can. Really -- live."
Professor John Kaag is the author of "American Philosophy: A Love Story" and "Hiking with Nietzsche." John is Chair of Philosophy at UMass Lowell.