Making Sense of Ourselves (PHIL 112.001)

In this course, we will investigate some of the central themes that arise from the enduring human effort to confront the problem of the meaning of life – death and suffering, the immortality of the soul, religious faith and the existence of God, the moral purpose of human life, aestheticism and hedonism, and the value of happiness. We will study some of the major philosophical and literary figures who have engaged with these themes and use their insights and challenges to confront the problem with new depth and acuity. Authors include Plato, Kant, Aristotle, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Camus, Oscar Wilde, among others. Excerpts from the works of Aristotle and Kant will be provided in class.

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