There are moments in life when everything changes, imperceptibly or all too abruptly: a catastrophe, death, war, crime, disease, revolution, loss, defeat, captivity, an enforced separation from loved ones—all of these are some of the powerful catalysts for change when a new outlook on life is born —as are events of transcending joy, victory, love, liberation, justice served. One need not be a professional philosopher to have the experience of this change in outlook, but it is hard to avoid asking questions of philosophical nature while trying to assign meaning and make sense (or nonsense) of the puzzles, riddles and challenges of living. The texts, interviews and materials considered in the course are mostly short, representing many genres, time periods, cultures, social stations, ages and genders and personal situations of their participants, allowing for a maximum variety of perspectives with which to engage in order to develop a response of your own. The philosophical selves to be encountered through the work in the course may be meditative, contemplative, empathetic, rationalistic, visionary, prophetic, holy, but also ridiculous, comic, vagrant, pathetic, rebellious, irrational, dangerous, absurd, virtual, criminal and even otherworldly. In addition to a carefully curated selection from the treasure trove of philosophy, other texts include romantic, modernist and postmodern poetry, drama, fiction and nonfiction. The final weeks are reserved for converting your preliminary responses created through the course of the semester into your final philosophical statement on the problem, in dialogue with the classics and/or our contemporary writers and thinkers.This course meets the introductory course requirement for Literary Studies majors and is intended for beginner Literary Studies students.