Philosophy, Religion, Psychology, and Culture   

What happens to human consciousness when we die? In 1978, Dr. Raymond Moody's landmark book Life After Life reported on Moody's investigation of 150 people who died clinically, were subsequently revived, and reported similar extraordinary experiences. His book started a revolution in popular attitudes regarding an afterlife and forever changed how we understand both death and life.

Since then, with vastly improved resuscitation techniques, five decades of research on thousands upon thousands of NDEs reported around the world have brought us powerful evidence that yes, Virginia, there is “life" after physical death and, as frosting on the cake, what awaits us is both heart-warming and extremely comforting. Physicians and professors at prominent universities, medical schools, and hospitals worldwide continue to study this phenomenon with mind-blowing results. This course brings you up to speed on these findings and on what we now know about other exceptional paranormal phenomena like Out-of-Body and Shared Death Experiences.

This is Part Four of a four-course political philosophy ensemble extending over four academic periods starting Fall 2024 and concluding Winter 2026. Its primary focus is on issues of inequality and their relationship to capitalism and liberalism. The primary text, Thomas Piketty's Capital and Ideology (Part Four for this course), is divided into four parts of roughly 200–250 pages each. The course will generally follow the chapter structure with additional readings and videos augmenting and critiquing Piketty's arguments. The Winter 2026 course will generally focus on Piketty's thinking regarding the political-ideological conflicts on the question of "just inequality." The text provides a foundation for thinking about inequality as well as a point of departure for considering contemporary capitalism, liberalism, illiberalism, and democracy. The previous courses, Parts 1 through 3, are not necessary prerequisites for Part 4; however, participants will be expected to be familiar with the key concepts introduced in the Piketty text.

Required text: Thomas Piketty, Capital and Ideology. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2020. Available in hard copy, EBook, and Audio Book.

Though humans share 99.9% of their genes, human learning across the planet results in great differences in languages, values, beliefs, and tastes. This course will address how humans--united by nature--still divide and suffer conflict and frustration. It also addresses how humans tap into their inherent strengths, both genetic and learned, to minimize conflict and frustration and to flourish.

Common Humanity is a multidisciplinary course that taps into history, biology, psychology, and anthropology. Participants will explore the basic human forces of instinct, emotion, thought, and habit that determine why individuals and groups succeed and fail.

Participants are asked to bring an open mind and heart to class. Activities to fuel learning include group conversations, short lectures, game-playing, short videos, and surveys. Before each weekly class, a relevant short article or a brief survey activity will be provided.

This class brings the unique history, culture, and traditions of Japan to life! Participants will enter the heart of Japanese culture—past and present. Whether you’re fascinated by art, history, philosophy, or simply seek answers about Japan’s allure, this immersive journey will deliver.

Travel through Japan’s history, explore the traditional arts, and learn about the culture’s perspectives on resilience, beauty, and harmony. Dive into the philosophies and values that shape Japanese thinking. Connect ancient wisdom with contemporary issues to see how they inform pop culture to business etiquette. Encounter Japan’s rich mythology, religious traditions, and folktales that inspired generations and still influence its art, film, and literature today.

Whether you’ve been to Japan and want to expand your knowledge, are considering a future trip, or just want to immerse yourself in another culture, this class is for you. Instruction will consist of lectures and videos, as well as opportunities to engage with the material.

Life is busy. What connects it all? Join this six-session course to discover Judaism’s timeless approach to meaning in life. Participants will hear answers to some of life’s most fundamental questions: What is meaning? Where does it come from? And if we have it all, why do we seek more? Participants will gain tools to see the meaning in the routines, relationships, and rhythms of time that shape their lives. Discover the purpose in what has been achieved and in what lies ahead. *No previous Jewish learning required.

This course will satisfy the continuing education requirements of doctors, psychologists, social workers, LMFTs, and LMHC/LPCs in most states Go to myjli.com/continuingeducation for a complete accreditation statement. myJLI.com

Please note that this course includes a $26 book fee, which will be automatically added to your course fee during checkout.

The art of a culture often reflects its values, concerns, struggles, and preoccupations. This truism is especially accurate when it comes to the birth of our world in the tumultuous years of the Renaissance and Reformation. The art of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, and Albrecht Dürer—to name only a few—is a crucial window into the birth pangs of our world. In this course we will delve into the emergence of our world and explore how the artists' eyes help us to understand, appreciate, and explore the challenges, opportunities, and anxieties that continue to shape our lives today.

The questions of who we are as human beings and our place in the world have been at the heart of human thinking since ancient times. In this class, I will cover fundamental issues about who we are and the universe we live in, drawing on two major philosophical questions and current scientific research. Do we have free will? What is time? What is our location in the universe? Is reality the same at the quantum level as it is at our everyday scale? The close relationship between philosophy and advances in science reveals answers that stretch our minds in ways our ancestors could not have conceived.