An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 16 – Final Exam Week – Part 6: How old are you in star years?

In star years, your job isn’t to conquer the universe. It’s to notice it. To add a little kindness to the brief chapter you occupy. To pass the light forward, however you can. You don’t have to matter forever to matter now. If you really are the universe looking back at itself for just a moment, what would you like to see before you go?

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 15 – Meaning of Life – Part 7: Summary – Would you like this dance?

The meaning of life isn’t something to be figured out or discovered at the end. It’s something we practice in every moment. The music is already playing. The clock is counting down. And you, dear reader, are already in it. So the real question isn’t philosophical—it’s personal: Would you like this dance? How are you going to move?

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 15 – Meaning of Life – Part 6: What time is it on the sun?

Asking “What’s the meaning of life?” is like asking what time it is on the sun. The answer isn’t waiting to be discovered; it’s made through how we show up in life. Meaning isn’t found. It’s lived. Through love, through relationships, and by being present. Instead of searching for an answer, we’re meant to step into life. The meaning of life is life itself, and the meaning we create shows up in the connections we make.

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 15 – Meaning of Life – Part 4: Did you make your bed?

What if you only had a limited number of days left? Would you make them count? Every day, we live with death in the room, but instead of fearing it, we can use it to sharpen our lives. Making your bed existentially means living fully today—choosing presence, boldness, and engagement over procrastination and hesitation. Carpe diem isn’t about recklessness; it’s about living with courage. If today were your last clean page, would you have written something worth rereading?

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 15 – Meaning of Life – Part 3: Who’s your hero?

Sometimes, the most meaningful lives don’t look meaningful at all. It’s not about grand achievements or leaving a name etched in history—it’s about the impact we have on others. A kind word, a listening ear, a small act of care—it all adds up. What if the meaning of life isn’t about greatness, but about connection? George Bailey didn’t build an empire, but he changed lives just by being there. We all do, too, whether we notice it or not. So ask yourself: who will you help tomorrow—just by being you?

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 15 – Meaning of Life – Part 1: Introduction – How long do you want to live?

We all know we’re going to die. It’s the one certainty in life. But what if we could live forever, like the immortal jellyfish? Would we want that? Would the urgency of living fade if time no longer had a limit? The real question isn’t how long we live, but how we live. Time is the one resource we can’t replace, and it’s up to us to make it count. What makes a life feel full? And if you knew your time was short, would you feel like you’d shown up for it?

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 06 – Metaphysics 3 (Metaphysical Monism) – Part 7: Summary – Do you want to be a millionaire?

Metaphysical monism leaves us without certainty but not without meaning. Whether we live as if the physical world is the destination or as if something deeper is unfolding beneath it, our choices reveal what we believe is real. Philosophy invites us to live deliberately, aware that the ability to reflect, to question, and to choose at all may be the most extraordinary reality we ever encounter.

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 06 – Metaphysics 3 (Metaphysical Monism) – Part 3: Would rather be buried, cremated, or cryofroze?

Physicalism offers a sobering clarity: if consciousness ends with the body, then this life is not a rehearsal. Philosophy invites us to meet that truth without despair, recognizing that meaning doesn’t require permanence. The finitude of life sharpens its value, reminding us that what matters most is how we live, love, and leave traces of care in the world while we are here.

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 05 – Metaphysics 2 (Metaphysical Dualism) – Part 7: Summary – What happens after you die?

Dualism often grows from our desire for continuity, for the hope that something of us persists beyond the body. Philosophy asks us to sit gently with that desire without rushing to resolve it. Whether consciousness continues or not, the question itself can sharpen how we live now. Meaning may not depend on what comes after death, but on how fully, thoughtfully, and authentically we inhabit the life we have.

Read the letter →

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 04 – Metaphysics 1 (The Nature of Reality) – Part 7: Summary – What if I get lost?

Reality resists being pinned down. Each framework we explore reveals something true, yet never the whole truth. Metaphysics teaches us to live with uncertainty without fear, to question without needing final answers. When we accept that reality may always be partly out of reach, we discover that meaning lives not in certainty, but in the courage to keep wondering.

Read the letter →