"Why rewrite the last chapter?" Because, while the faith of the world has found in Jesus much more than a philosophy of life, in its quest for greater things it has almost overlooked that. Yet Jesus' Spirit of Love is the final philosophy of life. To the question in its Jewish form, "What is the great commandment?" Jesus answers, "The first is Love to God; and the second, just like it, Love to man." Translated into modern, ethical terms his philosophy of life is a grateful and helpful appreciation; first of the whole system of relations, physical, mental, social, and spiritual, as Personal like ourselves, but Infinite, seeking perfection, caring for each lowliest member as an essential and precious part of the whole; and, second, of other finite and imperfect persons, whose aims, interests, and affections are just as real, and therefore to be held just as sacred, as our own. To love, to dwell in this grateful and helpful appreciation of the Father and our brothers,--this is life: and all that falls short of it is intellectually the illusion of selfishness; spiritually the death penalty of sin. From this central point of view every phase of Jesus' teaching, his democracy, compassion, courage, humility, earnestness, charitableness, sacrifice, can be shown to flow straight and clear. Of course such a limitation to his philosophy of life leaves out of account all supernatural and eschatological considerations. We here consider only the truth and worth of the teaching; not who the Teacher is, nor what may happen to us hereafter if we obey or disobey. Yet even from this limited point of view we may get a glimpse, more real and convincing than any to be gained by the traditional, dogmatic approach, of the divine and eternal quality of both Teacher and teaching--we may see that beyond Love truth cannot go; above Love life cannot rise; that he who loves is one with God; that out of Love all is hell, whether here or hereafter; and that in Love lies heaven, both now and forevermore. WILLIAM DE WITT HYDE. BOWDOIN COLLEGE, BRUNSWICK, MAINE, July 25, 1911. CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE EPICUREAN PURSUIT OF PLEASURE PAGE I. Selections from the Epicurean Scriptures 1 II. The Epicurean View of Work and Play 20 III. The Epicurean Price of Happiness 29 IV. The Defects of Epicureanism 36 V. An Example of Epicurean Character 46 VI. The Confessions of an Epicurean Heretic 53 CHAPTER II STOIC SELF-CONTROL BY LAW