Most of us stop at times—sometimes because of startling events, often out of simple curiosity –and think seriously about fundamental life issues: What is life and why am I here? Why is there anything at all? What is the place of life in this great universe? Is the universe friendly or unfriendly? Do things operate by chance or through sheer mechanism, or is there some plan or purpose or intelligence at the heart of things? Is my life controlled by outside forces, or do I have a determining or even a partial degree of control? Why do people struggle and strive for their rights, for justice, for better things in the future? What do concepts like “right “ and “justice” mean, and what are marks of a good society?