The Good Life: Religion, Philosophy, and Life's Ultimate Concerns

What does it look like for a human life to go well? What leads to human flourishing or 'happiness' or 'success'? What is freedom? Love? Justice? What is the basis for ethics? What is our relationship to the natural world? What is the significance of death? How do our beliefs (or lack thereof) about God or the gods shape how we view the world? We will examine how philosophical or religious traditions around the globe have answered life's biggest questions. Traditions may include Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, Stoicism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, scientific naturalism, expressive individualism, and utilitarianism. Part of the Transformative Ideas Sophomore Program.