Explore religious, literary, philosophic, scientific, and civic questions as they emerge in the arts and letters of America in the period from 1872 to 2000. Examine questions such as the nature of reality and our knowledge of it, the relationship between tradition and science, loyalties to place, family, and country, and the possibilities and problems of progress. Study sources of wisdom in such figures as Mark Twain, Henry James, the Gershwins, William Faulkner, and important literary, political, and cultural writings from the period.