The central, overarching question of this course is, “What does it take for someone’s life to go well?” – also known as the question of what Well-being or the Good Life consists in. At the beginning of the course, we’ll survey several historically important answers to this question. Then we will turn to an in-depth examination of four perennial philosophical concerns:
- Theism vs. Atheism & Agnosticism (“To believe or not to believe?”)
- The Nature of Morality
- Death and Meaning
- The Pursuit of Truth
The readings, videos, lectures, assignments and activities of the course have all been chosen with the aim of helping you to develop your own reasoned account of what well being is, and of how each of these philosophical concerns relate to it. In so doing, we hope that you will come to appreciate the lifelong value of philosophical activity, especially in the form of sincere, respectful, truth-aimed dialogue with others. Through such activity, you will arrive at a deeper, more reasoned and reflective sense of who you are, where you are going and why, and how you relate to others.
Learning Objectives
In addition to the University Learning Outcomes of critical inquiry and oral communication, God and the Good Life incorporates the following course-specific objectives:
You will know…
K1. The key arguments for and against living a religiously informed life.
K2. Some influential philosophical accounts of what it takes to live ethically.
K3. Major positions about what it takes for one’s life to go well and to be meaningful.
K4. Why many philosophers have thought a “love of the truth” and philosophical friendship are core aspects of living a good life
K5. How to express your “good life” beliefs, identify objections, and offer responses to those objections.
K6. How views about God, value, and meaning shape the way one decides to live one’s life
K7. How to cultivate habits that communicate care and respect even in the midst of disagreement.
K8. Skills that lead to productive discussions like: active listening, charitable inquiry, empathetic reasoning, intellectual courage, and intellectual humility.
You will do the following…
D1. Seek out and critically examine views about God, how we should treat other people, and what it takes to live a full and meaningful life.
D2. Identify, through self-reflection, your own beliefs on the central questions of this course, and express and defend those beliefs verbally and in writing.
D3. Have meaningful and respectful dialogues about what it takes to live a good life with family members, friends, and peers who come from various backgrounds and who may have very different answers to the central questions of this course.
You will become someone who…
B1. Recognizes and evaluates their own deeply-held philosophical views (Self-Reflection)
B2. Is passionate about the truth, and actively seeks it in open-minded dialogue with others (Curiosity)
B3. Confidently expresses your most deeply held beliefs, values, desires, and goals (Courage)
B4. Develops critical self-awareness through inquiry into big questions like whether God exists, what it would take to make your life meaningful, and how truth fits into a well-lived life (Intellectual Humility)
B5. Is willing and able to engage in respectful discussion (verbally and in writing) about deep and controversial issues (Communication)