Happiness

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Happiness

1.

Happiness, Pleasure, and Judgment: The Contextual Theory and Its Applications
by Allen Parducci. 230 pgs.

Book

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Title Page

Contents

Preface

Introduction

I: A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO HAPPINESS

1: On Defining Happiness: The Balance of Pleasure Over Pain

2: Pleasure as an Internal Judgment

3: The Context for Judgment

II: CONTEXTUAL THEORY AND RESEARCH

4: Life as an Even Balance Between Pleasure and Pain

5: Experimental Research On Contextual Effects

6: The Range-Frequency Compromise in Judgment

7: The Contextual Theory Of Happiness

III: APPLYING THE THEORY

8: The Happiness Game: Simplest Version

9: Optimistic Versions of The Happiness Game

10: Real-World Strategies For Happiness

11: The Imagination as The Theater for Happiness

12: Social Planning: Utopia Destroyed

13: Thoreau: A Message for The Very Strong

Glossary

References

Author Index

Subject Index
2.

Welfare, Happiness and Ethics
by L. W. Sumner. 244 pgs.

Book

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Moral philosophers agree that welfare matters. But they do not agree about what it is, or how much it matters. Wayne Sumner presents an original theory of welfare, investigating its nature and discussing its importance. He considers and rejects all notable rival theories of welfare, both objective and subjective, including hedonism and theories founded on desire or preference. His own theory connects welfare closely with happiness or life satisfaction. Professor Sumner then proceeds to defend welfarism, that is, to argue (against the value pluralism that currently dominates moral philosophy) that welfare is the only basic ethical value, the only thing which we have a moral reason to promote for its own sake. He concludes by discussing the implications of this thesis for ethical and political theory.

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Title Page

PREFACE

CONTENTS

1 The Concept of Welfare

2 Welfare and Subjectivity

3 Objective Theories

4 Hedonism

5 The Desire Theory

6 Welfare and Happiness

7 Welfarism

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX
3.

The Morality of Happiness
by Julia Annas. 502 pgs.

Book

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Ancient ethical theories, based on the notions of virtue and happiness, have struck many as an attractive alternative to modern theories. But we cannot find out whether this is true until we understand ancient ethics--and to do this we need to examine the basic structure of ancient ethical theory, not just the details of one or two theories. In this book, Annas brings together the results of a wide-ranging study of ancient ethical philosophy and presents it in a way that is easily accessible to anyone with an interest in ancient or modern ethics. She examines the fundamental notions of happiness and virtue, the role of nature in ethical justification and the relation between concern for self and concern for others. Her careful examination of the ancient debates and arguments shows that many widespread assumptions about ancient ethics are quite mistaken. Ancient ethical theories are not egoistic, and do not depend for their acceptance on metaphysical theories of a teleological kind. Most centrally, they are recognizably theories of morality, and the ancient disputes about the place of virtue in happiness can be seen as akin to modern disputes about the demands of morality.

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Title Page

Preface and Acknowledgments

Contents

Introduction

I: The Basic Ideas

1: Making Sense of My Life as a Whole

2: The Virtues

II: Justification and the Appeal to Nature

3: Nature and Naturalism

4: Aristole: Nature and Mere Nature

5: The Stoics: Human Nature and the Point of View of the Universe

6: Antiochus: the Intuitive View

7: The Epicureans: Rethinking What is Natural

8: The Sceptics: Accepting What is Natural

9: Uses of Nature

III: The Good Life and the Good Lives of Others

10: The Good of Others

11: Finding Room for Other-Concern

12: Self-Concern and the Sources and Limits of Other-Concern

13: Justice

14: Self-Interest and Morality

IV: Revising Your Priorities

15: Happiness, Success and What Matters

16: Epicurus: Virtue, Pleasure and Time

17: The Sceptics: Untroubledness Without Belief

18: Aristotle: an Unstable View

19: Theophrastus and the Stoics: Forcing the Issue

20: Aristotelian Responses

21: Happiness and the Demands of Virtue

V: Conclusion

22: Morality, Ancient and Modern

Cast of Characters

Primary Sources

Secondary Sources

Index Locorum

General Index
4.

Happiness Research: State and Prospects, in Review of Social Economy
by Bruno S. Frey, Alois Stutzer. 21 pgs.

Journal Article
5.

In Defense of Happiness: A Response to the Experience Machine, in Social Theory and Practice
by Matthew Silverstein. 21 pgs.

Journal Article
6.

'Happiness' in Cross-Linguistic & Cross-Cultural Perspective, in Daedalus
by Anna Wierzbicka. 9 pgs.

Journal Article
7.

How Not to Buy Happiness, in Daedalus
by Robert H. Frank. 10 pgs.

Journal Article
8.

The Science of Happiness, in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care
by Mary Paquette. 2 pgs.

Journal Article
9.

From the Happiness of Virtue to the Virtue of Happiness: 400 B.C.-A.D. 1780, in Daedalus
by Darrin M. McMahon. 12 pgs.

Journal Article
10.

Handbook of Positive Psychology (Chap. 5 "Subjective Well-Being: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction")
by Shane J. Lopez, C. R. Snyder. 829 pgs.

Book

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Psychology has long been enamored of the dark side of human existence, rarely exploring a more positive view of the mind. What has psychology contributed, for example, to our understanding of the various human virtues? Regrettably, not much. The last decade, however, has witnessed a growing movement to abandon the exclusive focus on the negative. Psychologists from several subdisciplines are now asking an intriguing question: "What strengths does a person employ to deal effectively with life?" The Handbook of Positive Psychology provides a forum for a more positive view of the human condition. In its pages, readers are treated to an analysis of what the foremost experts believe to be the fundamental strengths of humankind. Both seasoned professionals and students just entering the field are eager to grasp the power and vitality of the human spirit as it faces a multitude of life challenges. The Handbook is the first systematic attempt to bring together leading scholars to give voice to the emerging field of positive psychology.

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Title Page

Foreword

Preface

Contents

Contributors

I: Introductory and Historical Overview

1: Positive Psychology, Positive Prevention, and Positive Therapy

References

II: Identifying Strengths

2: Positive Psychology and the Deconstruction of the Illness Ideology and the Dsm

References

3: A Case for Including Human Strengths and Environmental Resources

Note

References

4: Positive Directions in Diagnosis and Interventions

Notes

References

III: Emotion-Focused Approaches

5: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction

Appendix

References

6: Resilience in Development

References

7: The Concept of Flow

References

8: The Disposition to Experience Pleasurable Emotional States

References

9: Positive Emotions

References

10: The Social Construction of Self-Esteem

References

11: The Adaptive Potential of Coping Through Emotional Approach

Notes

References

12: The Positive Psychology of Emotional Intelligence

References

13: Toward “spiritualizing the Passions”

Notes

References

IV: Cognitive-Focused Approaches

14: Creativity

References

15: The Role of Personal Control in Adaptive Functioning

References

16: Mindfulness Versus Positive Evaluation

References

17: Optimism

Appendix

References

18: Optimistic Explanatory Style

References

19: A Member of the Positive Psychology Family

Appendix a the Trait Hope Scale

Appendix B the State Hope Scale

Appendix C the Children's Hope Scale

Notes

References

20: The Power of Believing You Can

References

21: Problem-Solving Appraisal and Psychological Adjustment

References

22: Setting Goals for Life and Happiness

Note

References

23: A Developmental Perspective

References

24: Its Structure and Function in Regulating Successful Life Span Development

References

V: Self-Based Approaches

25: Reality Negotiation

References

26: Authenticity and Positivity in Social Relationships

Notes

References

27: Authenticity

References

28: Uniqueness Seeking

Appendix a the Need for Uniqueness (nu) Scale

Appendix B the Self Attributed Need for Uniqueness (sanu) Scale

Appendix C the Desire for Unique Consumer Products (ducp) Scale

References

29: Humility

References

VI: Interpersonal Approaches

30: The Role of Minding in the Enhancement of Closeness

References

31: Compassion

References

32: The Psychology of Forgiveness

Appendix Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Scale— 12-Itemform (trim-12)

References

33: Gratitude and the Science of Positive Psychology

References

34: Love

Appendix Love Attitudes Scale— Short Form

References

35: Empathy and Altruism

References

36: The Sources of Moral Motivation

References

VII: Biological Approaches

37: Toughness

References

38: A Role for Neuropsychology in Understanding the Facilitating Influence of Positive Affect on Social Behavior and Cognitive Processes

References

39: Integrative Science in Pursuit of Human Health and Well-Being

References

40: Toward a Biology of Social Support

References

VIII: Specific Coping Approaches

41: On the Benefits of Writing or Talking About Emotional Experience

References

42: Benefit-Finding and Benefit-Reminding

Note

References

43: Perceiving Benefits and Growth

References

44: The Pursuit of Meaningfulness in Life

References

45: Humor

References

46: Meditation and Positive Psychology

References

47: Discovering and Conserving the Sacred

References

IX: Special Populations and Settings

48: Development, Prevention, and Promotion

References

49: Outlook for the 21st Century

Note

References

50: Positive Growth Following Acquired Physical Disability

References

51: Putting Positive Psychology in a Multicultural Context

Notes

References

52: Positive Psychology at Work

References

X: The Future of the Field

53: Positive Ethics

References

54: Constructivism and Positive Psychology

References

55: A Declaration of Independence

References

Author Index

Subject Index
11.

Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (Discussion of happiness begins on p. 18)
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. 182 pgs.

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Title Page

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

One: The Structures of Everyday Life

Two: The Content of Experience

Three: How We Feel When Doing Different Things

Four: The Paradox of Work

Five: The Risks and Opportunities of Leisure

Six: Relationships and the Quality of Life

Seven: Changing the Patterns of Life

Eight: The Autotelic Personality

Nine: The Love of Fate

NOTES

REFERENCES

INDEX
12.

Ethics: A Critical Introduction (Chap. 6 "The Pursuit of Happiness")
by A. Campbell Garnett. 528 pgs.

Book

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Title Page

Preface

Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Part One: Evolution of Morals

Chapter 2: Moral Ideas of Primitive Man

Chapter 3: Development of Ethics in the Great Religions

Part Two: Critique of Ethical Concepts

Chapter 4: Beginnings of Philosophical Criticism

Chapter 5: Egoism and Anti-Egoism

Chapter 6: The Pursuit of Happiness

Chapter 7: The Intuition of Duty

Chapter 8: The Requirements of Self-Realization

Chapter 9: Are Ethical Terms Definable?

Chapter 10: Emotive and Prescriptive Theories

Chapter 11: A New Analysis and Conclusions

Part Three: Readings

Introduction: The Approach to Practical Problem

I: The Ideal Moral Life

II: Authority and Liberty

III: The Right of Property

IV: War and Revolution

V: Marriage and the Family

Name Index

Subject Index
13.

Aristotle on the Perfect Life (Chap. 2 "Perfection and Happiness" and Chap. 3 "Happiness and Self-Sufficiency")
by Anthony Kenny. 176 pgs.

Book

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Aristotle's teaching on the subject of happiness has been a topic of intense philosophical debate in recent years; it is of vital importance to the question of the relevance of his ethics in the present day. Aristotle's admirers struggle to read a comprehensive account of the supreme happiness into the Nicomachean Ethics; Kenny argues that those who are prepared to take the neglected Eudemian Ethics seriously preserve their admiration intact without doing violence to any of the relevant texts of the Nicomachean Ethics. Kenny has refined his position on the relation between the two works, offering a fresh examination and interpretation of the Eudemian Ethics on the basis of the 1991 Oxford Classical Text. He combines scholarly discussion of the Greek texts with reflection of the topics covered by Aristotle, taking account of post-Aristotelian treatments of themes such as moral vocation and moral luck.

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Title Page

Preface

Contents

1: The Ends of Life

2: Perfection and Happiness

3: Happiness and Self-Sufficiency

4: Friendship and Self-Love

5: Fortune and Virtue

6: Moral Luck

7: The Contemplation and Service of God

8: Theology, Science, and Contemplation

Appendix 1 the Relationship Between the Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics

Appendix 2 Nicomachean Ethics 1. 7, 1097a15-1098a20 (translation)

Appendix 3 Eudemiam Ethics Viii. 2 (= Vii. 14) (greek Text)

Appendix 4 Eudemian Ethics Viii.2 (= Vii. 14) (translation)

Bibliography of Works Cited

Index
14.

The Passion for Happiness: Samuel Johnson and David Hume (Chap. Three "Happiness")
by David Hume, Samuel Johnson, Adam Potkay. 241 pgs.

Book

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Although widely perceived as inhabiting different, even opposed, literary worlds, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) and David Hume (1711-1776) shared common ground as moralists. Adam Potkay traces their central concerns to Hellenistic philosophy, as conveyed by Cicero, and to earlier moderns such as Addison and Mandeville.
Johnson's and Hume's large and diverse bodies of writings, Potkay says, are unified by several key questions: What is happiness? What is the role of virtue in the happy life? What is the proper relationship between passion and reflection in the happy or flourishing individual?
In their writings, Johnson and Hume largely agree upon what flourishing means for both human beings and the communities they inhabit. They also tell a common story about the history that led up to the enlightened age of eighteenth-century Europe. On the divisive topic of religion, these two great men of letters wrote with a decorum that characterizes the Enlightenment in Britain as compared to its French counterpart. In The Passion for Happiness, Adam Potkay illuminates much that philosophers and historians do not ordinarily appreciate about Hume, and that literary scholars might not recognize about Johnson.

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Title Page

The Passion for Happiness

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction: Moral Writing in an Enlightened Age

Chapter One: Authorial Lives

Chapter Two: Experimental Reasoning in the Shadow of Descartes

Chapter Three: Happiness

Chapter Four: Reasoning with the Passions

Chapter Five: Self-Love and Community

Chapter Six: Necessity and Tragedy

Chapter Seven: The Passions and Patterns of History

Chapter Eight: Enthusiasm and Empire

Chapter Nine: Constancy

Chapter Ten: The Spirit of Ending

Bibliography

Index
15.

Suffering and Moral Responsibility (Chap. Six "The Moral Asymmetry of Happiness and Suffering")
by Jamie Mayerfeld. 237 pgs.

Book

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In this original study, Jamie Mayerfeld undertakes a careful inquiry into the meaning and moral significance of suffering. Understanding suffering in hedonistic terms as an affliction of feeling, he addresses difficulties associated with its identification and measurement. He then turns to an examination of the duty to relieve suffering: its content, its weight relative to other moral considerations, and the role it should play in our lives. L Among the claims defended in the book are that suffering needs to be distinguished from both physical pain and the frustration of desire, that interpersonal comparisons of the intensity of happiness and suffering are possible, that several psychological processes hinder our awareness of other people's suffering, and that the prevention of suffering should often be pursued indirectly. Mayerfeld concludes his discussion by arguing that the reduction of suffering is morally more important thanthe promotion of happiness, and that most of us greatly underestimate the force of the duty to prevent suffering. L As the first systematic book-length inquiry into the moral significance of suffering, Suffering and Moral Responsibility makes an important contribution to moral philosophy and political theory, and will interest specialists in each of these areas.

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Title Page

Preface

Contents

Suffering and Moral Responsibility

One: Introduction

Two: The Meaning of Suffering

Three: The Measurement of Suffering

Four: The Moral Significance of Suffering

Five: The Duty to Relieve Suffering

Six: The Moral Asymmetry of Happiness and Suffering

Seven: Trade-Offs Internal to the Duty to Relieve Suffering

Eight: The Limits of the Duty to Relieve Suffering

Author's Note

Bibliography

Index

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