This class addresses two important questions in ethics and
metaphysics:  (1) What is the good life for a human being?  (2) What
is ultimately real?  We shall examine several partial answers to
these questions as they have been given by some of histories greatest
minds, for example, Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine.  Along the way
we consider various subtopics -- Whether human nature is good or
evil, whether fate plays any role in the good life, whether there is
an invisible world accessible only to the mind, and whether there is
such a thing as a "universal" or "common nature."

Course work consists of reading texts, and attending lectures and
discussions.  Grades are based on two exams, as well as short weekly
quizzes.