Happiness and the Limits of SatisfactionIn classical and medieval times, happiness was defined as 'well-being, ' a notion that included moral goodness. Today happiness is most often defined as 'well-feeling, ' and identified with subjective states such as satisfaction and peace of mind. Deal Hudson argues that the prevailing view is dangerous in politics as well as ethics, creating individuals with no other sense of obligation than finding personal satisfaction, regardless of the moral and spiritual cost to themselves and others. Hudson calls for a return to the classical tradition: no one should be called 'happy' who cannot also be called morally good. However, a contemporary version of happiness should also go beyond the classical notion by making room in the happy life for suffering and passion. Using the history of the idea of happiness as a backdrop to a critique of contemporary views, Hudson examines happiness from philosophical, religious, psychological, sociological, literary, and political points of view--for example, he shows how the tension between the two definitions of happiness is at the heart of the Declaration of Independence. The result is an excellent overview of the history of an idea as well as a compelling argument for moral and political change in our time. |
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Contents
Popular Views of Happiness | 3 |
The Case of Anna Karenina | 19 |
The Rejection of Psychological Happiness | 39 |
The Shadow of Eudaemonism | 61 |
The Enigma of Jeffersons Pursuit | 79 |
The Science of Happiness and Its Results | 97 |
Recent Philosophical Views | 111 |
Happiness and Pain | 135 |
Imperfect Happiness | 151 |
The Passion of Happiness | 169 |
| 189 | |
| 211 | |
About the Author | 219 |
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action activity Anna Karenina Anna's Aquinas's argues Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle's attitude Augustine basic beatific vision beatitude become Boethius called happy character claims to happiness classical Conceptions of Happiness Consolation of Philosophy criteria critique desire for happiness Dolly Dolly's earthly happiness eighteenth century emotions enjoyment Epicurus eternal eudaemonism eudaemonistic eudaimonia example feeling final end freedom Freud hedonism Howard Mumford Jones human happiness human nature idea of happiness imperfect happiness individual intellect Jacques Maritain Jefferson judgment Kant kind lives mind moral natural desire ness Nicomachean Ethics notion object one's pain passion perfect philosophers piness pleasure political positive possess problem psychological happiness pursue happiness pursuit of happiness question rational reason rejection satisfaction satisfied seek sense social Stoics subjectivist suffering Summa Theologiae summum bonum theories of happiness things Thomas Aquinas Thomists tion tradition trans unhappiness University Press Veenhoven view of happiness virtue vision well-being well-feeling words York
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Happiness and the Limits of Satisfaction |
| Author | Deal Wyatt Hudson |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Rowman & Littlefield, 1996 |
| ISBN | 0847681408, 9780847681402 |
| Length | 218 pages |
| Subjects | › Philosophy / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |