Humanities and Fine Arts 191HFA32 - FYS- How to/a Meaningful Life

What is the best way to live a good and meaningful life? Some say the best life is a life of happiness, while others say it is a life of virtue or human flourishing. Some religious people believe that God makes life meaningful. On the other hand, perhaps life is ultimately not meaningful. Or perhaps we can create our own meaning. In this seminar we will critically engage with these answers, compare them with one another, and consider how they apply to concrete situations. The seminar will be philosophical in its approach, so most of the readings will pieces of philosophy, but there will also be some readings drawn from literary and religious texts. This topic will give students a chance to engage with philosophy and the liberal arts more generally by considering a traditional topic in the humanities that has wide interest.

Open to first-year Humanities and Fine Arts Exploratory Track students and first-year HFA Majors.