LS 646 - The Philosophy of Happiness

(3.00 cr.)

What is happiness? How can we create and discover it within our own lives? What are the barriers-personal, social, and existential-that seem to make this so difficult? Classical and contemporary answers to these questions are explored, including figures such as Aristotle, Epictetus, and the Buddha, and their modern re-interpreters. This course also considers the findings of modern psychology, and how these findings shed light on the perennial questions of human happiness.