A fascinating story is making the rounds this morning. It originated with The New York Times a few days ago, and concerns a house in Valparaiso, Indiana. Two years ago, the owners bought the house for $109,000. They gutted the bathroom, refinished the hardwood floors, painted, wallpapered, and did some landscaping. Such modifications have really paid off. The house is now valued by the county at $400 million. Officials explain that someone in the appraisal office hit a wrong key. Do you think?

In case you're wondering, the owners are amused by all this hoopla. And willing to discount their house to even half its appraised value. So far, no takers.

In theory, the owners made a 4,000% profit on their investment. But reality is what we're forced to live with. So far in our Friday series we've watched speculative philosophers take the stage and offer their views of the world and life. All the while we're wondering when someone is going to get practical. This week we're in luck--sort of.

With the demise of Alexander the Great, everything Greek came into question and turmoil. His expansionist administration had created global interaction between Greeks and other worldviews. The old systems came increasingly into question, as new ideas became popular. And his death led to a long period of decline for the Greeks and their way of life, creating unrest and even rejection of many principles held dear for centuries.

The result was a move away from speculation to practice. Theories which could explain the origins of life were not nearly as needed as those which could explain its purpose today. How we should live became much more interesting than why. And so Greek philosophy moved into what we now call the "ethical period."