Why Am I Here? The Called Life

This course explores and works with three languages or vocabularies for understanding human meaning and purpose: authenticity, virtue, and vocation. Authenticity is the compelling notion “that each of us has an original way of being human (Charles Taylor, 1991).” According to this ideal, I need to be true to myself or I miss the point of my life. Virtue is the view that our fundamental purpose (or telos) in life is to be a good person—one who embodies key virtues like courage, justice, wisdom, moderation, faith, hope, and love. Vocation is the idea “that we each are called, by God, or by our gifts, or by our preference, to a kind of good work for which we are particularly fitted” (Wendell Berry, 2019).  Each vocabulary provides a distinctive and powerful lens for cultivating a meaningful life. While not incompatible, these vocabularies are often in tension. For example, what I consider to be my authentic self (e.g. cultivating an artistic talent) may be at odds with what I perceive I am called to do or what being virtuous requires. Drawing on narratives, essays, films, paintings, and more we will explore the contours of each of these vocabularies.