Description

What is happiness? How is it related to morality and virtue? Does living with illusion promote or diminish happiness? Is it better to pursue happiness with a partner than alone? Philosopher Mike W. Martin addresses these and other questions as he connects the meaning of happiness with the philosophical notion of "the good life." Defining happiness as loving one's life and valuing it in ways manifested by ample enjoyment and a deep sense of meaning, Martin explores the ways in which happiness interacts with all other dimensions of good lives--in particular with moral decency and goodness, authenticity, mental health, self-fulfillment, and meaningfulness. He interweaves a variety of examples from memoirs, novels, and films along the way, connecting his discussion of the philosophical issues to related topics that interest all of us: virtue, love, philanthropy, suffering, simplicity, balancing work and leisure, and much more. Drawing on wide-ranging and robust evidence, Martin also makes the case that we need a "politics of happiness" whereby government would apply the results of recent "happiness studies" in psychology to public policy.

Features

• Integrates philosophy with the new branch of psychology called "positive psychology"
• Draws substantially on fiction, memoir, and film
• Accessible to a wide audience in practical and applied ethics

Reviews

"Using the work of Plato, Aristotle, and contemporary psychologists as guides, as well as the writings of Mary Shelley, Goethe, and even Mike Leigh's film Happy Go-Lucky as examples, Martin rigorously investigates the complex web of interactions between happiness, morality, and virtue." --Publishers Weekly

Product Details

248 pages; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-984521-7ISBN10: 0-19-984521-2

About the Author(s)