Kismet Magazine presents.... s+2
Transcendence for Beginners,
feat. Clare Carlisle and Simon Critchley
at McNally Jackson s+6
A lyrical work of philosophy that draws from the work of Spinoza, George Eliot, biographers, memoirists, and more to examine how wisdom and goodness are transmitted by individual human lives.
Transcendence for Beginners is an innovative book about philosophy and life writing, exploring how each practice might complement the other and so contribute to a greater understanding of human existence. In six short chapters, guided by a pantheon of exemplars drawn from European and Indian traditions as well as her own experience as a biographer and philosopher, Clare Carlisle examines how deep, genuine wisdom and goodness are transmitted by individual lives.
Animated by the spirit of enquiry and the desire to share its rewards, Transcendence for Beginners is a generous, enlivening work by one of the UK’s most original thinkers.
Clare Carlisle is the author of eight books on philosophy and philosophers, including Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard and The Marriage Question: George Eliot’s Double Life, which won the 2024 PEN Prize for Biography. Carlisle grew up in Manchester, studied philosophy at Trinity College, Cambridge, and now lives in London. She is Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London..
Simon Critchley has written over twenty books, including studies of mysticism, Greek tragedy, David Bowie, football, suicide, Shakespeare, how philosophers die, and a novella. He is the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York. Critchley is an advisor and contributor to Kismet Magazine.
Event Details
Thursday, April 16, 2026
7:00pm
Price
$5
Location
McNally Jackson Seaport
4 Fulton St
New York, NY 10038
RSVP Now
About S+4
McNally Jackson Books
Books. Some 65 thousand of them. History. More than 200 years of it. NYC’s beloved McNally Jackson’s Seaport outpost spans two floors of the historic Schermerhorn Row building, built in 1811. Windows overlook the cobblestones and armchairs anchor each room. Browse the shelves. Bring the kids to explore the big children’s section. Chat to the McNally staff and find your next great read.
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