This course guides students into a thorough discussion of central themes in philosophy, as addressed by scholars from across the philosophical tradition. Such themes may be: God and human freedom, love and its effects on life; death and how to deal with it; the nature of suffering, and its effects on our lives; and empathy and its effects on our well-being in times of suffering. All these - and other themes- are treated in the light of the quest for happiness, which ultimately leads to joy, another central theme in Philosophy. Different theories on the mentioned themes are meant to help students enter more deeply into these perennial questions. Prerequisite: ENL 213.