Current Student Meg Richardson Translates ‘When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask A Philosopher’

A Dear Abby for those who like their life questions answered on a higher plane, French educator Marie Roberts’ new book, When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas, translated by current writing student Meg Richardson, offers perspective on the conundrums and prosaic dilemmas of daily life through the philosophy of major figures.
By
Rochelle Goldstein
December 12, 2019

A Dear Abby for those who like their life questions answered on a higher plane, French educator Marie Roberts’ new book, When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas, translated by current writing student Meg Richardson, offers perspective on the conundrums and prosaic dilemmas of daily life through the philosophy of major figures. 

In a recent excerpt in Lit Hub, the words of Immanuel Kant, for instance, who famously praised reason and condemned passion, are offered as a coping strategy in a modern day breakup scenario. Problems such as how to disconnect from social media are tackled through the lens of Epicurious. In each of its twelve chapters a specific everyday problem is given over to the likes of Nietzsche, Aristotle, and Heidegger for guidance on how to live well in the contemporary world.

A former Fulbright scholar in Spain, Richardson’s work can be found on The Rumpus, Chaleur, and The Rational Creature. She is currently teaching writing in the Undergraduate Writing Program at Columbia. The book, published by the Hachette Book Group can be purchased at your local book store.