ANCIENT PHILOSOPHIES OF HAPPINESS WHAT IT IS & HOW TO FIND IT Dr. Michael Griffin Classics and Philosophy University of British Columbia
TODAY Brainstorming: What is happiness? Current psychological perspectives (Seligman) Ancient philosophers: an introduction
BRAINSTORMING
The fundamental thing is that everyone wants a happy, successful life. This is not only our goal but our legitimate right as well. The 14th Dalai Lama We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. US Declaration of Independence
I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It s probably the most important thing in a person. The most important thing is to enjoy your life to be happy it's all that matters.
WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT Edited by John Helliwell, Richard Layard and Jeffrey Sachs In an impoverished society, the focused quest for material gain as conventionally measured typically makes a lot of sense Now consider the opposite end of the income spectrum [in affluent countries] the lifestyles of the rich imperil the survival of the poor. Human-induced climate change is already hitting the poorest regions and claiming lives and livelihoods. These phenomena put a clear limit on the extent to which rich countries can become happier through the simple device of economic growth. In fact, there are still other general reasons to doubt the formula of everrising GNP per person as the route to happiness.
CAN WE MEASURE HAPPINESS? Denmark Finland Norway Netherlands Canada Switzerland Sweden New Zealand Australia Ireland United States The Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale, developed by pioneering social researcher Dr. Hadley Cantril, consists of the following: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time? (ladder-present) On which step do you think you will stand about five years from now? (ladder-future) 6 7 8
I am happy because I want nothing from anyone. I do not care for money. Decorations, titles or distinctions mean nothing to me. I do not crave praise. The only thing that gives me pleasure, apart from my work, my violin and my sailboat, is the appreciation of my fellow workers If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) I do not know what I can consider good, if I put out of sight the pleasures of flavour, and those that spring from lovemaking, from music, & from the contemplation of beauty. Epicurus (341-270 BC)
PERSPECTIVES FROM MODERN ACADEMIC PSYCHOLOGY
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) positive emotion, what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT positive emotion, what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of selfconsciousness during an absorbing activity, experiences which contribute to the "engaged life." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,* Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience * chick-sent-mee-hi
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT positive emotion, what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of selfconsciousness during an absorbing activity, experiences which contribute to the "engaged life." belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than you are. I N T E R N A L
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT positive emotion, what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of selfconsciousness during an absorbing activity, experiences which contribute to the "engaged life." belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than you are. other people is (sic) the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up. I N T E R N A L
Martin Seligman Authentic Happiness (2004) Flourish (2012) WELL-BEING THEORY PLEASURE ENGAGEMENT RELATIONSHIPS MEANINGFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT positive emotion, what we feel: pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like being one with the music, time stopping, and the loss of selfconsciousness during an absorbing activity, experiences which contribute to the "engaged life." belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than you are. other people is (sic) the best antidote to the downs of life and the single most reliable up. accomplishment is often pursued for its own sake, even when it brings no positive emotion, no meaning, and [no] positive relationships. I N T E R N A L EXTERNAL
What is the good life? It is pleasant, engaged, meaningful, achieving, and connected. SELIGMAN 2011
THE ANCIENTS
IN THIS COURSE Siddhartha Gautama c. 563-483 BCE, Lumbini Socrates 469-399 BCE, Athens Epicurus 341-270 BCE, Samos Plato 429-347 BCE, Athens Aristotle 384-322 BCE, Athens Zeno 334-262 BCE, Citium
REFERENCES John Helliwell et al., World Happiness Report (United Nations, 2013) Modern Positive Psychology (in the American academy) Roy Baumeister & John Tierney, Willpower (Penguin, 2011) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: the Psychology of Optimal Experience (HarperCollins, 1990) Martin Seligman, Authentic Happiness (Atria Books, 2004) Martin Seligman, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness & Well-Being (Atria Books, 2012)