Albert's Happiness Page

By Albert Fried-Cassorla albert@fried-cas.com

This page last updated 6-12-06

Dear friends,

This the first of what I hope will be answers to basic philosophic questions. Many times, I will simply provide links or initial, probably over-simplified answers. But this is a work in progress, so I ask your forbearance! Please let me know what you think... and thanks!

 

The Basic Questions of Life and Philosophy

 

 1. What is happiness?

 

I offer this definition for your slings and arrows...

Definition of Happiness:  An ever-changing condition consisting of an elevated, buoyant mood. Or, deeply rooted pleasure based upon longer-term satisfaction. 

2. Is happiness a legitimate subject for philosophical inquiry?

As far as  can tell, it has been given short shrift by traditional academics.  Certainly in my college and post-graduate studies, we never spent time on it.... though the Ancients did.

Aristotle believed by eudaemonia, a word commonly understood by the Greeks of his age as a form of happiness.  However, it was not construed as pleasure per se. 

 

3. How can we be happy?

 

Happiness would appear to have several basic pre-conditions:

  • basic life conditions - being free of calamities. Tom S. disagrees - people who win lotteries can be miserable. 
  • natural set-points - our own internal psychological thermostats. perhaps set genetically.  
  • good health - Tom S. disagrees.  Yoshio: Healthy is good, but unhealthy people can be happy.   Tom S.: Art Buchwald stopped dialysis but decided to die and was happy.
  • some income or basic standard of living

Beyond those preconditions, these activities may have an impact on happiness. Most have been studied intensively by psychologists and philosophers:

  1. Loving relationship with a spouse
  2. Loving relationship with family
  3. Loving relationship with friends
  4. Creativity - use of your own
  5. Strong health
  6. Appreciation of art
  7. Connection to the community or to a political body
  8. Meditation and breathing
  9. Prayer and religion
  10. Modeling on the success at being happy of others
  11. Appreciation - of the good things in life; or inversely, of benefits of not experiencing pain; or knowing pain's limitations. 
  12. Curiosity
  13. Acceptance
  14. Order -
  15. Physical Activity
  16. Honor - being principled and loyal
  17. Status- property ownership
  18. Power
  19. Independence
  20. Idealism
  21. Vengeance (Steven Rice's idea only!)
  22. Romance
  23. Eating
  24. Saving
  25. Tranquility

Steven Rice's Keys to Happiness: He rated his own keys. 

 

 

 

 

 

RESOURCES: Basic introduction to the topic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness

 

Historical approach:

Aristotle on Eudaemonia. See his Ethics HERE.

Read: Introduction, then Ethics, pages 23-41

 

Scientific - psychological approach:

Site: http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/

Article by Seligman and Stern from American Psychologist http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/apaarticle.pdf (12 pages)

 

Popular approach:

The Happy Guy

http://www.thehappyguy.com/

See definitions - not a rigorous approach, but interesting

The World Database of Happniess

http://www1.eur.nl/fsw/happiness/

One interesting aspect of this site is the index of hapines sby nation. Sweden at 3.3 is very happy. Norway, which has billions in reserve form its oil profits and a high standard of living, does not fare much better than te USA. (2.18)

Interesting site:

http://www.twth.org/

A non-profit site, but they want your info to download their e-book.