The pursuit of happiness

Hi Philosophers!

It's time to get happy for the next event! I hope you can join us :)

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

“Being happy also requires experiencing a “sense of wellbeing”
directed upon one’s life as a whole." - Sumner

"Someone whose emotion is based upon completely and egregiously unjustified and false evaluations we will be reluctant to term happy, however he feels.” – Nozick

"The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation." - Bentham

“On [some views], a person is happy only if he meets the standards he imposes on his life. Even if many others consider his standards too low, and would never switch places with him, he can still have a happy life.” - Kraut

"Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so” - Mill

From ancient philosophers to modern psychologists, happiness has been treated as life’s ultimate goal. Yet even after millennia of reflection, it remains an elusive concept. Is happiness a fleeting feeling, a deep sense of fulfilment, or something else entirely? Can it be measured—or even pursued directly?

Philosophers talk about happiness in two main ways. Sometimes it means flourishing—living well in a broad sense. Other times it means a psychological state—how happy you actually feel. These can overlap, but they’re not the same thing.

In this session, we’ll explore different philosophical perspectives on happiness, and decide, is the pursuit of happiness a worthwhile goal?

Some questions to think about:

• Is happiness the same as pleasure, or is it something deeper?
• Can we choose to be happy, or is it largely determined by external circumstances?
• Is happiness best pursued directly, or does it come as a byproduct of other goals?
• How do cultural differences shape our understanding of happiness?
• Should governments aim to maximise citizens’ happiness, and if so, how?
• Is a life without suffering truly happier—or does hardship give life meaning?
• Can individual happiness conflict with the greater good?
• Can the suffering artist be happy? Is there happiness in suffering?
• How does perceieved happiness/suffering relate to true happiness/suffering, is there a difference?

Thought Experiment: Imagine you have the option to plug into a machine that will guarantee you a lifetime of constant happiness and pleasure, but all your experiences will be simulated—you’ll never interact with the real world again. Would you take the deal? (Based on Robert Nozick’s Experience Machine)

What makes a good life?
https://youtu.be/8KkKuTCFvzI?si=8bQFvAuxRtD7kBh4

Epicurean happiness
https://youtu.be/Kg_47J6sy3A?si=L6_Nm-Eqzd4vOiUR

Philosophy conference on Happiness
https://youtu.be/QYAxEvogoaY?si=bzmzQAT8jkFmne3Z