When is the "Golden Rule" not good enough? Isn't being ethical simply following the right rules? Surely "doing unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a standard we can rely on. But tell that to a sadomasochist and you offer a prescription for perversion. Join Dr. Goldberg for an investigation of ethics from perspectives, both classical and contemporary, broader than we usually encounter when we apply traditional ethical rules. Discover why many of our debates about morality seem so intractable, and also where hope for resolving such conflicts might lie.

Learned Scots of the 18th century were unlike any group of philosophers before them. Both radical and conservative in temperament, they valued social order but sought new ways of looking at how the mind, morality, economics, and society worked. Mr. Dincher will use Alexandre Broadie's The Scottish Enlightenment:. as a base from which to argue the profound influence of Hume, Hutchinson, Smith, Stewart, et al., on America's Founding Fathers. Discover how this intellectual debt helped shape our revolution and the forms of government that emerged in America after 1776.

Go to court with Ms. Phillips as she uses two John Steinbeck works, Of Mice and Men and The Long Valley, to explore legal entanglements we wrestle with today. Both probe the dark side of human nature and contain themes of violence, murder, mob psychology, and vigilantism. They will allow her to examine cases where individuals or groups have used violence in the name of self-protection, community security, and even social reform. How does society react to such episodes? What does the law have to say? Order in the court---or is it disorder? As always, you'll make the call.

Shakespeare left a legacy of almost 40 plays and more than 150 poems. Using a mix of lecture, discussion, participation acting, and videos, Ms. Wilcox will familiarize us with selected aspects of Shakespeare's dramatic world. It's a place where young men and boys played women's parts, where audiences watched for hours under open skies, and where 'groundlings' came and went like attendees at modern baseball games. Let this veteran actress guide you into Shakespeare's world, and help polish your appreciation for the incomparable Bard.

From ice floes to boreal forests, the subarctic offers a staggering range of natural features and an amazing abundance of wildlife. Drawing on her experiences as a longtime Alaska resident and nature guide, Ms. Roberts will probe the geological and cultural history of this unique part of the globe. Learn how a land of harsh weather and long nights affects all who live there. It's a world where climate extremes drive fascinating blends of ancient subsistence ways and modern technologies. Pull on a warm coat and go north with OLLI!

Professor Markos introduces us to the poetry of Emily Dickinson, whose emotions ran the scale from deep depression and psychotic terror to exalted ecstasy and giddy delight. We'll look at poems dealing with love and loss; pain; nature; friendship; faith; doubt; and death. Dickinson wrote at a time when scientific advances, such as Darwin's theories, and the carnage of the Civil War began to disturb America's Protestant certainties. And she stood for the authentic, making sharp social and philosophical observations, and skewering the pretentious: "I like a look of Agony,/Because I know it's true-/Men do not sham Convulsion,/Nor simulate, a Throe."

The philosophy of Gautama Buddha spread over India and eastward across Asia like wildfire in the Fifth Century, offering solace to millions and the hope of escaping cycles of suffering. It came in conflict with the older traditions of Hinduism with its beliefs in reincarnation, karma, and dharma, or personal duty. Professor Garrett will analyze both the similarities between these two traditions and their differences, which were deep enough to divide the people of the Indian subcontinent. Over a billion practitioners still adhere to some variation of these two traditions. Join us for a taste of the multi-cultural ambiance of the 21st century, and also seize an opportunity to rethink/refresh your own philosophical or religious views.

Tell us what you think; OLLI wants to hear from you. Join us for a free-wheeling discussion of all things OLLI. We need your ideas about curriculum, your thoughts on classes you have taken, your suggestions for locations for OLLI events, and anything else you have to offer. Leslee Griese and Bette Felton, OLLI Advisory Board and Marketing Committee members, will field your comments using a focus group format. Your $5.00 fee pays for half of your lunch from Pascal French Oven in Danville. Don't miss this chance to sound off on OLLI! (Limited to 15 participants.)

Can thinking small --very small!-- help us resolve our energy shortfalls and lead to clean, renewable sources of power for homes and industries? Dr. Johnsen thinks so, and she will show us how nanostructured materials might raise efficiency and increase stability in such clean power applications as solar cells and fuel cells. The planet warms, oil can't last forever, coal dumps carbon into the atmosphere, but our need for energy only increases. Join Dr. Johnsen for a look at a promising technological approach to our energy dilemmas.

Dr. Sprung offers us a very special lecture and demonstration on the evolution of the French horn. His tools will include a conch, a ram's horn, a valve-less natural horn, a single horn, a double horn, and, finally, the triple horn. Join him for a description of how this haunting instrument arrived at its present form and listen to how it sounded at various stages of its evolution. It's a history lesson with a sound track, a treat for mind and ear. Don't miss it!