Spotlight on a new course: PHIL101: Meaning of Life (FA17)

This coming FA17, the Department of Philosophy is offering a new 100-level course: PHIL101: The Meaning of Life

PHIL101 will introduce students to central questions about the meaning of life. The question itself may be taken in a number of ways: Why is there a universe that contains life? What is the nature or purpose of human persons? What is the point of our existence? What should we do with our lives? This course examines these and other questions relating to meaning in life. It investigates our place in the physical universe, the possibility and significance of God’s existence, the nature of human persons (including the relation between body, mind, and consciousness, and the nature of mind and body), what death tells us about the nature of life and whether it is appropriate to fear death, the nature of ‘the good life’ (including the import for ‘the good life’ of knowledge, success, pleasure, health, friendship, love, in both physical and mental life, etc.), the nature of value and its relation to meaning in life, and our obligations to other beings.

PHIL101 also satisfies two GE requirements: (i) C2 Humanities: Philosophy and (ii) E: Lifelong Learning & Self-Development. Additionally, philosophy majors can also use this course to satisfy their three units of lower-division electives and minors can count the course toward their maximum of nine lower-division units.

The course will be offered in FA17 by Prof. Marcy Lascano on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 12:30pm–1:45pm. Please contact her if you have any questions.