Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy

Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

Mysticism & Contemplative Traditions
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

It has been said that all religions converge in the contemplative tradition – the great world illuminated by the swamis and yogis of Hinduism, the core meditation practices of the Buddha, the Kabbalist teachers of Judaism, the Sufis of Islam and the...

The Holocaust
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

How did the Holocaust happen? How could some people commit such heinous crimes, while others remained bystanders, and still others risked their lives to save innocent people? We will attempt to answer these questions and many more as we examine the Holocaust...

East Asian Ways
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

Exactly what is Zen Buddhism? Through readings ancient and modern, videos, visits with a meditation instructor and independent projects, students will learn about the origins, philosophy and varied expressions of a movement that reaches back to the 5th...

Epistemology
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

Epistemology is a philosophical term meaning “the study of knowledge,” or the question of how we know what we know about the world around us and within us. Our readings include sources in the Western philosophical tradition of reason (Plato,...

Imagining Your Future
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

One of the most popular undergraduate courses at Stanford is entitled “Designing Your Life” – which implies that life, in fact, can be designed or planned out ahead of time. More often than not, however, life is not linear, but probably not...

Silicon Valley Ethics: Case Studies
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

(Students paired with Exeter alumni working in the technology field) In a world where the products of technology permeate almost every aspect of our lives – the internet, smart phones, thousands of apps, cloud-based voice systems, screens in our...

Spring Book Club
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

This course reads down selectively The New York Times hard- and paperback nonfiction bestseller list, searching for books which would make for lively Harkness conversations about meaning, purpose and value in one’s life. The primary focus of the class...

Criticizing Religion
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

Critics of religion have traditionally been silenced, but is there a destructive side to religion? Religion and religions have undoubtedly shaped the lives of individuals and communities around the globe for millennia for the better, but would the world be a...

Soul Searching: Self Identity & Meaning
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

As human beings, we struggle with the existential questions of life: What should I do? How should I live? Who shall I become? Why do some people find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life, but others do not? Our sense of identity and belonging shifts and...

Hebrew Bible / Old Testament
Religion, Ethics & Philosophy

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . .” So begins one of the most influential books in human history. From ancient times until the present, Jews, Christians and Muslims have grappled with the cosmic questions, universal...