John Milton, in his epic poem Paradise Lost, takes as his theme the creation of the angels, man, the fall of mankind from grace, and mankind's subsequent redemption by Jesus Christ. Milton attempts in his opening stanza to "justify the ways of God to man." This poem, written in the seven year period from 1658 - 1665, attempts to explain the nature of evil in the world; man's place in the cosmology of God, angels and demons; and to explain the nature of the Trinity and Jesus' crucifixion and Resurrection. Admittedly, Milton's task is enormous, but he manages to achieve his goals in noteworthy fashion, producing the finest epic poem in the English language in the process. What then, can we say of Milton's goal of "justifying the ways of God to man?' I believe that this sentiment, the understanding of man's place in the cosmos, is at the heart of the study of the humanities; of what it means to be human.