Is Human Life A Comedy? The Vanity Of Existence, Arthur Schopenhauer What do you think is the strongest element of Schopenhauer's argument for the meaninglessness of life? What is the best argument you can provide against Schopenhauer's argument? What Does It Mean To Live For The Moment? The Movie Of Our Life, Tom Wolfe Where I Lived and What I lived, Henry Thoreau The significance of "the present moment" is very different for Ken Kesey than it was for Arthur Schopenhauer. Discuss the difference or discuss your own understanding of what it is to live for the moment. Henry Thoreau refers to "the waste of life" in a very different way than Arthur Schopenhauer. Discuss this difference. Why Should You View Your Life From The Perspective of Death? The Death Of Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoi Walden, Henry Thoreau Do you think that the Death of Ivan Illych justifies Schopenhauer's view of the meaninglessness of life? Ivan Illych was probably one of those men who, as Thoreau put it, "lived a life of quiet desperation." What advice might you have given Illych in order to avoid that fate? Do Clothes Make the Man (or the Woman)? Fashion and Identity, Charles Taylor Being Dandy, Mark Kingwell Walden, Henry Thoreau Traditional Islamic Dress, Clifford Geertz Give a sympathetic or critical account of a man who, as Taylor and Kingwell put it, gives meaning to his life by becoming a "dandy." Both Thoreau and Geertz discuss a relationship between the way a man or woman dresses and human identity. Give your own interpretation of this relationship. What Is The StoicAttitude To Life? The Enchiridion, Epictetus Epictetus, Friedrich Nietzsche Vulnerability, Trudy Govier Can you formulate an argument which defends Epictetus against the charge of fatalism? Do you think it is possible to adapt Epictetus' idea of "playing one's role in life" to the 21st century? Could You Live Your Life With No Regrets? Je Ne Regrette Rien, Mark Kingwell Amor Fati, Nietzsche What would be the greatest obstacle you yourself would have to overcome in order to live with no regrets? How would you answer the question regarding "the eternal hourglass of existence" posed by Nietzsche's demon? What Is The Meaning of Our Dreams? Dreams, Nietzsche Imaginary Causes, Nietzsche What do you think is the fundamental difference between the "meaning" inherent in our dreams in contrast to waking reality? What Is the Secret of Optimism? On A Certain Blindness In Human Beings, William James What Makes Life Significant? William James The Energies of Men,  William James How would William James respond to Schopenhauer's argument regarding the meaninglessness of life? Do you agree with James that it is possible to achieve an optimistic outlook by "methodical self-suggestion"? Why Do Some People Have A Need To Believe? The Will To Believe, William James The Need To Believe,  Nietzsche James seems to think that religious faith is justified insofar as it makes one happy and fulfilled. Do you agree? How do you think would Nietzsche respond to Jame's argument? Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? Night, Elie Wiesel Evil, Trudy Govier God Is Dead, Nietzsche What do you think is the best way of understanding the relationship between God and the severe pain and suffering of good people? After reading the brief selections from Wiesel and Nietzsche, how would you explain the claim that "God is Dead"? Can A Masochist Live A Meaningful Life? Notes From The Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky The underground man says "to be too conscious is an illness, a real thorough-going illness" (sect. #2). Do you agree? Does the underground man elaborate on boredom any differently than Schopenhauer?