A provocative sequel to The Torchlight List, this book examines the answers that thinkers throughout the ages—from Plato in ancient Greece to contemporary psychologists and scientists—have proposed for life’s great questions: Do human beings have free will? Is a good society possible? Is patriotism ethical? and Can modern science penetrate the mind? Exploring the moral ideals, attitudes, and religious beliefs that affect everyday life, this account is an exhilarating introduction to philosophy and a manual for becoming a fully alive member of the human race. It is also a stunning exploration of the challenges that 21st-century science—from brain research to the discovery of dark matter in the universe—pose to long-held philosophic beliefs.