Socrates (469-399 BC)
Founding figure of western philosophy
contribution to the field of ethics
know thyself... happiness is to be found by knowing thyself, our true nature, our soul.
Socrates believed wrongdoing was a consequence of ignorance and those who did wrong knew no better.
Socrates believed the best way for people to live was to focus on self-development rather than the pursuit of material wealth.
It is often argued that Socrates believed "ideals belong in a world only the wise man can understand", making the philosopher the only type of person suitable to govern others.
Plato: Socrates student
felt that reason and intuition would lead to understanding of what is eternal, beautiful and transcedent.
Happiness as the virtue of justice and the "balanced" soul.
Aristotle: Platos student
taught alexander the great
introduced 'eudamonia': possessed of true well-being
golden mean: the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and one of deficiency.
Ideal life: poise, harmony and the avoidance of emotional extremes
also, thought women were 'sub human' and 'cold' interestingly enough
Epicurus
founded epicureanism: materialism, hedonism, absence of divine principle
simple pleasures as the chief purpose of life, but doing so in moderation to avoid suffering caused by overindulgance.
More emphasis on pleasures of the mind then pleasures of the physical.
"with whom a person eats is of greater importance then what is eaten"
emphasized friendship
the "garden philosophers"
States that God, matter, and souls are all made up of atoms.
the fear of gods and death were discouraged
well-being=happiness + life satisfaction - negative emotions
Theories....
Bottom-up theory: the tangible things that make us happy
Founding figure of western philosophy
contribution to the field of ethics
know thyself... happiness is to be found by knowing thyself, our true nature, our soul.
Socrates believed wrongdoing was a consequence of ignorance and those who did wrong knew no better.
Socrates believed the best way for people to live was to focus on self-development rather than the pursuit of material wealth.
It is often argued that Socrates believed "ideals belong in a world only the wise man can understand", making the philosopher the only type of person suitable to govern others.
Plato: Socrates student
felt that reason and intuition would lead to understanding of what is eternal, beautiful and transcedent.
Happiness as the virtue of justice and the "balanced" soul.
Aristotle: Platos student
taught alexander the great
introduced 'eudamonia': possessed of true well-being
golden mean: the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and one of deficiency.
Ideal life: poise, harmony and the avoidance of emotional extremes
also, thought women were 'sub human' and 'cold' interestingly enough
Epicurus
founded epicureanism: materialism, hedonism, absence of divine principle
simple pleasures as the chief purpose of life, but doing so in moderation to avoid suffering caused by overindulgance.
More emphasis on pleasures of the mind then pleasures of the physical.
"with whom a person eats is of greater importance then what is eaten"
emphasized friendship
the "garden philosophers"
States that God, matter, and souls are all made up of atoms.
the fear of gods and death were discouraged
well-being=happiness + life satisfaction - negative emotions
Theories....
Bottom-up theory: the tangible things that make us happy
ie. coffee, chocolate, wine, skiing, quiet moments; circumstantial
Top-down theory: more cognitive, interpretation of life, our personality traits
factors that are correlated to happiness
wealthy democracies
marriage (may be causal)
avoiding negative events and emotions
strong social support network
religion
7 contributing factors to happiness/well-being
valuing the self
sense of perceived control
sense of perceived control
moving out of ourelves
optimism
relational lives
sense of meaning and purpose
personal "integration"
as far as slices of happiness pie goes, and as far as you are willing to take statistics word for it,
10% of happiness can be attributed to genetics, 40% circumstance, 50% behavior
