What are the secrets to authentic happiness? How is it possible to live a good life? What sorts of activities and experiences contribute to humans flourishing?

In a free public lecture Thursday, philosopher Tamar Szabo Gendler will lead attendees on a fascinating tour through 2,500 years of thought on these questions. Tying together cutting-edge work in contemporary psychology and neuroscience with the profound writings of ancient philosophers, she will show how deep reflection on these central questions can make life more meaningful and fulfilling.

Dr. Gendler is chair of the cognitive science program at Yale University. Her talk will focus on the insights of five ancient thinkers: Socrates on self-knowledge, Plato on self-harmony, Aristotle on habit, Epictetus on self-reliance, and Cicero on friendship. It begins at 7 p.m. March 13 in the Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University.