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Happiness Studies: An Introduction
by Tal Ben-ShaharIn this book, Tal Ben-Shahar introduces a new interdisciplinary field of study that is dedicated to exploring happiness. The study of happiness ought not be left to psychologists alone. Philosophers, theologians, biologists, economists, and scholars from other disciplines have explored ways of attaining happiness, and to do justice to this important pursuit, we ought to listen to their words and experiment with their prescriptions. Not only does the field of happiness studies embrace different disciplines, it also approaches happiness as a multifaceted and multidimensional variable that includes five parts which form the acronym SPIRE:Spiritual wellbeingPhysical wellbeingIntellectual wellbeingRelational wellbeingEmotional wellbeing This book addresses each of these elements of happiness, explains them, and addresses practical ways for their cultivation.
The Happiness Problem: Expecting Better in an Uncertain World
by Sam Wren-LewisWe appear to have more control over our lives than ever before. If we could get things right – the perfect job, relationship, family, body and mind – then we’d be happy. With enough economic growth and technological innovation, we could cure all societal ills. The Happiness Problem shows that this way of thinking is too simplistic and can even be harmful: no matter how much progress we make, we will still be vulnerable to disappointment, loss and suffering. The things we do to make us happy are merely the tip of the iceberg. Sam Wren-Lewis offers an alternative process that acknowledges insecurity and embraces uncertainty. Drawing on our psychological capacities for curiosity and compassion, he proposes that we can connect with, and gain a deeper understanding of, the personal and social challenges that define our time
The Happiness Problem: Expecting Better in an Uncertain World
by Sam Wren-LewisWe appear to have more control over our lives than ever before. If we could get things right – the perfect job, relationship, family, body and mind – then we’d be happy. With enough economic growth and technological innovation, we could cure all societal ills. The Happiness Problem shows that this way of thinking is too simplistic and can even be harmful: no matter how much progress we make, we will still be vulnerable to disappointment, loss and suffering. The things we do to make us happy are merely the tip of the iceberg. Sam Wren-Lewis offers an alternative process that acknowledges insecurity and embraces uncertainty. Drawing on our psychological capacities for curiosity and compassion, he proposes that we can connect with, and gain a deeper understanding of, the personal and social challenges that define our time
The Happiness Philosophers: The Lives and Works of the Great Utilitarians
by Bart SchultzA colorful history of utilitarianism told through the lives and ideas of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and its other foundersIn The Happiness Philosophers, Bart Schultz tells the colorful story of the lives and legacies of the founders of utilitarianism—one of the most influential yet misunderstood and maligned philosophies of the past two centuries.Best known for arguing that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong," utilitarianism was developed by the radical philosophers, critics, and social reformers William Godwin (the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley), Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart and Harriet Taylor Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. Together, they had a profound influence on nineteenth-century reforms, in areas ranging from law, politics, and economics to morals, education, and women's rights. Their work transformed life in ways we take for granted today. Bentham even advocated the decriminalization of same-sex acts, decades before the cause was taken up by other activists. As Bertrand Russell wrote about Bentham in the late 1920s, "There can be no doubt that nine-tenths of the people living in England in the latter part of last century were happier than they would have been if he had never lived." Yet in part because of its misleading name and the caricatures popularized by figures as varied as Dickens, Marx, and Foucault, utilitarianism is sometimes still dismissed as cold, calculating, inhuman, and simplistic.By revealing the fascinating human sides of the remarkable pioneers of utilitarianism, The Happiness Philosophers provides a richer understanding and appreciation of their philosophical and political perspectives—one that also helps explain why utilitarianism is experiencing a renaissance today and is again being used to tackle some of the world's most serious problems.
The Happiness Philosophers: The Lives and Works of the Great Utilitarians
by Bart SchultzA colorful history of utilitarianism told through the lives and ideas of Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and its other foundersIn The Happiness Philosophers, Bart Schultz tells the colorful story of the lives and legacies of the founders of utilitarianism—one of the most influential yet misunderstood and maligned philosophies of the past two centuries.Best known for arguing that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong," utilitarianism was developed by the radical philosophers, critics, and social reformers William Godwin (the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley), Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart and Harriet Taylor Mill, and Henry Sidgwick. Together, they had a profound influence on nineteenth-century reforms, in areas ranging from law, politics, and economics to morals, education, and women's rights. Their work transformed life in ways we take for granted today. Bentham even advocated the decriminalization of same-sex acts, decades before the cause was taken up by other activists. As Bertrand Russell wrote about Bentham in the late 1920s, "There can be no doubt that nine-tenths of the people living in England in the latter part of last century were happier than they would have been if he had never lived." Yet in part because of its misleading name and the caricatures popularized by figures as varied as Dickens, Marx, and Foucault, utilitarianism is sometimes still dismissed as cold, calculating, inhuman, and simplistic.By revealing the fascinating human sides of the remarkable pioneers of utilitarianism, The Happiness Philosophers provides a richer understanding and appreciation of their philosophical and political perspectives—one that also helps explain why utilitarianism is experiencing a renaissance today and is again being used to tackle some of the world's most serious problems.
Happiness is the Wrong Metric: A Liberal Communitarian Response to Populism (Library of Public Policy and Public Administration #11)
by Amitai EtzioniThis book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.This timely book addresses the conflict between globalism and nationalism. It provides a liberal communitarian response to the rise of populism occurring in many democracies. The book highlights the role of communities next to that of the state and the market. It spells out the policy implications of liberal communitarianism for privacy, freedom of the press, and much else. In a persuasive argument that speaks to politics today from Europe to the United States to Australia, the author offers a compelling vision of hope. Above all, the book offers a framework for dealing with moral challenges people face as they seek happiness but also to live up to their responsibilities to others and the common good.At a time when even our most basic values are up for question in policy debates riddled with populist manipulation, Amitai Etzioni’s bold book creates a new frame which introduces morals and values back into applied policy questions. These questions span the challenges of jobless growth to the unanswered questions posed by the role of artificial intelligence in a wide range of daily life tasks and decisions. While not all readers will agree with the communitarian solutions that he proposes, many will welcome an approach that is, at its core, inclusive and accepting of the increasingly global nature of all societies at the same time. It is a must read for all readers concerned about the future of Western liberal democracy.Carol Graham, Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution and College Park Professor/University of MarylandIn characteristically lively, engaging, and provocative style Etzioni tackles many of the great public policy dilemmas that afflict us today. Arguing that we are trapped into a spiral of slavish consumerism, he proposes a form of liberal communitarian that, he suggests, will allow human beings to flourish in changing circumstances. Jonathan Wolff, Blavatnik Chair of Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom
by Jonathan HaidtThe bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind draws on philosophical wisdom and scientific research to show how the meaningful life is closer than you thinkThe Happiness Hypothesis is a book about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world's civilizations -- to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives and illuminate the causes of human flourishing. Award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the author of The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind, shows how a deeper understanding of the world's philosophical wisdom and its enduring maxims -- like "do unto others as you would have others do unto you," or "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" -- can enrich and even transform our lives.
Happiness and the Good Life
by Mike W. MartinWhat is happiness? How is it related to morality and virtue? Does living with illusion promote or diminish happiness? Is it better to pursue happiness with a partner than alone? Philosopher Mike W. Martin addresses these and other questions as he connects the meaning of happiness with the philosophical notion of "the good life."
Happiness and the Good Life
by Mike W. MartinWhat is happiness? How is it related to morality and virtue? Does living with illusion promote or diminish happiness? Is it better to pursue happiness with a partner than alone? Philosopher Mike W. Martin addresses these and other questions as he connects the meaning of happiness with the philosophical notion of "the good life."
Happiness and Greek Ethical Thought (Continuum Studies in Ancient Philosophy)
by M. Andrew HolowchakThis book presents a fresh exploration of happiness through the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers. It introduces readers to the main currents of Greek ethical thought (Socratic living, Platonism, Aristotelianism, Epicureanism, Scepticism, Stoicism, Cynicism) and takes a close look at characters such as Socrates, Diogenes and Alexander the Great. Yet Happiness and Greek Ethical Thought is much more than just a casual stroll through ancient thinking. It attempts to show how certain common themes in Greek thought are essential for living a happy life in any age. The author maintains that, in many respects, the Greek integrative ideal, contrary to the hedonistic individualism that many pluralistic societies at least implicitly advocate, is a much richer alternative that warrants honest reconsideration today.
Happiness Across Cultures: Views of Happiness and Quality of Life in Non-Western Cultures (Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science #6)
by Helaine Selin and Gareth DaveyDifferent cultures experience happiness differently. Traditionally, the West is considered materialistic, and happiness is said to come from achievement and acquisition. The East is said to be more people-oriented, where happiness is a result of deep personal interactions. Thus, poor people can be happier in the East than the West, because they are not so concerned with possession and more with society. This book considers happiness and quality of life in non-Western countries and cultures. Its coverage is diverse and spans the breadth of the non-Western world, revealing unique perspectives of happiness and life quality embedded in rich cultural traditions and histories.
Happiness
by Alain Badiou'All philosophy is a metaphysics of happiness…or it's not worth an hour of trouble' claims Alain Badiou in this lively intervention into one of the most persistent themes in philosophy: what is happiness? And what do I need to do to be happy? The desire to be happy is one of our most universal goals and yet there doesn't seem to be any easy answers or formulas for achieving happiness. And the concept has become so commodified and corrupted to be almost unrecognizable as something worth pursuing. In light of this, should we just give up the aspiration to be happy altogether? Alain Badiou thinks not. While eschewing futile procedures for magically becoming 'happy', Badiou does passionately maintain that in order to be truly happy we need philosophy. And, bolder still, that a life lived philosophically is the happiest life of all!
Happiness
by Alain Badiou'All philosophy is a metaphysics of happiness…or it's not worth an hour of trouble' claims Alain Badiou in this lively intervention into one of the most persistent themes in philosophy: what is happiness? And what do I need to do to be happy? The desire to be happy is one of our most universal goals and yet there doesn't seem to be any easy answers or formulas for achieving happiness. And the concept has become so commodified and corrupted to be almost unrecognizable as something worth pursuing. In light of this, should we just give up the aspiration to be happy altogether? Alain Badiou thinks not. While eschewing futile procedures for magically becoming 'happy', Badiou does passionately maintain that in order to be truly happy we need philosophy. And, bolder still, that a life lived philosophically is the happiest life of all!
Hans Reichenbach: Logical Empiricist (Synthese Library #132)
by M. H. SalmonLogical empiricism - not to be confused with logical positivism (see pp. 40-44) - is a movement which has left an indelible mark on twentieth century philosophy; Hans Reichenbach (1891-1953) was one of its found ers and one of its most productive advocates. His sudden and untimely death in 1953 halted his work when he was at the height of his intellectual powers; nevertheless, he bequeathed to us a handsome philosophical inheritance. At the present time, twenty-five years later, we can survey our heritage and see to what extent we have been enriched. The present collection of essays constitutes an effort to do just that - to exhibit the scope and unity of Reichenbach's philosophy, and its relevance to current philosophical issues. There is no Nobel Prize in philosophy - the closest analogue is a volume in The Library of Living Philosophers, an honor which, like the Nobel Prize, cannot be awarded posthumously. Among 'scientific philosophers,' Rudolf Carnap, Albert Einstein, Karl Popper, and Bertrand Russell have been so honored. Had Reichenbach lived longer, he would have shared the honor with Carnap, for at the time of his death a volume on Logical Empiricism, treating the works of Carnap and Reichenbach, was in its early stages of preparation. In the volume which emerged, Carnap wrote, "In 1953, when Reichenbach's creative activity was suddenly ended by his premature death, our movement lost one of its most active leaders.
Hans Reichenbach: Selected Writings 1909–1953 Volume Two (Vienna Circle Collection #4b)
by M. Reichenbach
Hans Kelsen und die offene Gesellschaft
by Robert Chr. van OoyenHans Kelsens „Staatslehre ohne Staat“ und „Volk“ ist eine bedeutsame politische Theorie, vielleicht sogar die Verfassungstheorie der offenen Gesellschaft in der postnationalen Moderne: Ob Zuwanderungsgesellschaft oder europäische Integration – mit ihr lassen sich genau die aktuellen demokratie- und verfassungstheoretischen Herausforderungen pluralistischer Gesellschaften erfassen, an denen die tradierten Staats- und Verfassungslehren bis in die Rechtsprechung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts hinein scheitern. Kelsens modern-demokratische Konzeption einer Bürgerschaft als Rechtsgenossenschaft bedarf weder der „Souveränität“ noch der „homogenen Nation“; sie ist daher auch die für das zeitgemäße Verständnis des Grundgesetzes adäquate Staats- und Verfassungstheorie.
Hans Kelsen in America - Selective Affinities and the Mysteries of Academic Influence (Law and Philosophy Library #116)
by D.A. Jeremy TelmanThis volume explores the reasons for Hans Kelsen’s lack of influence in the United States and proposes ways in which Kelsen’s approach to law, philosophy, and political, democratic, and international relations theory could be relevant to current debates within the U.S. academy in those areas. Along the way, the volume examines Kelsen’s relationship and often hidden influences on other members of the mid-century Central European émigré community whose work helped shape twentieth-century social science in the United States. The book includes major contributions to the history of ideas and to the sociology of the professions in the U.S. academy in the twentieth century. Each section of the volume explores a different aspect of the puzzle of the neglect of Kelsen’s work in various disciplinary and national settings. Part I provides reconstructions of Kelsen’s legal theory and defends that theory against negative assessments in Anglo-American jurisprudence. Part II focuses both on Kelsen’s theoretical views on international law and his practical involvement in the post-war development of international criminal law. Part III addresses Kelsen’s theories of democracy and justice while placing him in dialogue with other major twentieth-century thinkers, including two fellow émigré scholars, Leo Strauss and Albert Ehrenzweig. Part IV explores Kelsen’s intellectual legacies through European and American perspectives on the interaction of Kelsen’s theoretical approach to law and national legal traditions in the United States and Germany. Each contribution features a particular applications of Kelsen’s approach to doctrinal and interpretive issues currently of interest in the legal academy. The volume concludes with two chapters on the nature of Kelsen’s legal theory as an instance of modernism.
Hans Jonas-Handbuch: Leben – Werk – Wirkung
Hans Jonas ist einer der bedeutenden Denker des 20. Jahrhunderts. Das Handbuch erklärt die philosophischen, theologischen und naturwissenschaftlichen Kontexte, die sein Denken geprägt haben. Es präsentiert neben Informationen zur Biographie und den zeitgenössischen Bezügen alle wichtigen Werke und gibt Hinweise zu deren internationaler Rezeption in vielen Disziplinen. Zentrale Begriffe und Konzepte im Gesamtwerk von Hans Jonas werden ausführlich erklärt (z.B. Gnosis, Leben, Macht, Freiheit, Verantwortung, Technologie, Gott). Das internationale Autorenteam der über 50 Expertinnen und Experten aus fast 20 Ländern zeigt nicht nur das bis heute weltweite Interesse am Werk von Jonas. Sie eröffnen mit ihren Beiträgen auch eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Perspektiven auf sein Denken.
Hans Jonas: Life, Technology and the Horizons of Responsibility
by Lewis CoyneHans Jonas (1903–1993) was one of the most important German-Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. A student of Martin Heidegger and close friend of Hannah Arendt, Jonas advanced the fields of phenomenology and practical ethics in ways that are just beginning to be appreciated in the English-speaking world. Drawing here on unpublished and newly translated material, Lewis Coyne brings together for the first time in English Jonas's philosophy of life, ethic of responsibility, political theory, philosophy of technology and bioethics. In Hans Jonas: Life, Technology and the Horizons of Responsibility, Coyne argues that the aim of Jonas's philosophy is to confront three critical issues inherent to modernity: nihilism, the ecological crisis and the transhumanist drive to biotechnologically enhance human beings. While these might at first appear disparate, for Jonas all follow from the materialist turn taken by Western thought from the 17th century onwards, and he therefore seeks to tackle all three issues at their collective point of origin. This book explores how Jonas develops a new categorical imperative of responsibility on the basis of an ontology that does justice to the purposefulness and dignity of life: to act in a way that does not compromise the future of humanity on earth. Reflecting on this, as we face a potential future of ecological and societal collapse, Coyne forcefully demonstrates the urgency of Jonas's demand that humanity accept its newfound responsibility as the 'shepherd of beings'.
Hans Jonas: Life, Technology and the Horizons of Responsibility
by Lewis CoyneHans Jonas (1903–1993) was one of the most important German-Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. A student of Martin Heidegger and close friend of Hannah Arendt, Jonas advanced the fields of phenomenology and practical ethics in ways that are just beginning to be appreciated in the English-speaking world. Drawing here on unpublished and newly translated material, Lewis Coyne brings together for the first time in English Jonas's philosophy of life, ethic of responsibility, political theory, philosophy of technology and bioethics. In Hans Jonas: Life, Technology and the Horizons of Responsibility, Coyne argues that the aim of Jonas's philosophy is to confront three critical issues inherent to modernity: nihilism, the ecological crisis and the transhumanist drive to biotechnologically enhance human beings. While these might at first appear disparate, for Jonas all follow from the materialist turn taken by Western thought from the 17th century onwards, and he therefore seeks to tackle all three issues at their collective point of origin. This book explores how Jonas develops a new categorical imperative of responsibility on the basis of an ontology that does justice to the purposefulness and dignity of life: to act in a way that does not compromise the future of humanity on earth. Reflecting on this, as we face a potential future of ecological and societal collapse, Coyne forcefully demonstrates the urgency of Jonas's demand that humanity accept its newfound responsibility as the 'shepherd of beings'.
Hans Jonas: Etappen seines Denkwegs (essentials)
by Robert TheisDieses essential widmet sich dem Werk des Philosophen Hans Jonas und zwar aus dem Blickwinkel der Entwicklung seines Denkens. Die frühen Studien über die spätantike Gnosis bilden den Ausgangspunkt. Hier stößt Jonas auf ein Thema, das er in seinem gesamten späteren Werk kritisch diskutiert, nämlich das des weltfeindlichen Dualismus. In den ab den 1940er-Jahren entworfenen Studien zu einer philosophischen Biologie wird der Versuch unternommen, den Menschen in seiner leib-geistigen Verfasstheit bis hin zu seinen höchsten symbolischen Ausdrucksformen aus dem Prozess der gesamten Evolution heraus zu deuten und damit implizit die Weltfeindlichkeit der Gnosis zu widerlegen. In seiner Ethik der Verantwortung, die er in dem 1979 veröffentlichten berühmten Prinzip Verantwortung systematisch vorträgt, findet sich gleichsam die ethische Seite der Überwindung der Gnosis, nämlich, dass der Mensch Verantwortung für eine Welt zu übernehmen habe, in der auch zukünftige Generationen menschenwürdig leben können. In seinen letzten metaphysisch-theologischen Vermutungen dann wird die Problematik der Verantwortung mit Blick auf einen in der Schöpfung selber werdenden Gott hin thematisiert.
Hans J. Morgenthau's Theory of International Relations: Disenchantment and Re-Enchantment (International Political Theory)
by M. NeacsuThis book provides an innovative interpretation of Hans J. Morgenthau's contribution to international relations, and argues that the concepts of meaning, power as meaning imposition, disenchantment and re-enchantment are central to Morgenthau's theory.
Hans J. Morgenthau und die Twenty Years‘ Crisis: Das realistische Denken eines Emigranten im Lichte seines deutschen Erfahrungshintergrundes
by Alexander ReichweinAlexander Reichwein stellt in diesem Buch die realistische Theorie Hans J. Morgenthaus in den Kontext der deutschen Geschichte. Dabei vertritt er die These eines sinnstiftenden Zusammenhangs zwischen der Sozialisation und dem Denken des in Frankfurt promovierten Völkerrechtlers und späteren Politikwissenschaftlers. Reichwein argumentiert, dass erst das Wissen um Morgenthaus soziales und intellektuelles Umfeld, seinen persönlichen und akademischen Werdegang und die politischen Ereignisse in Europa in den Zwischenkriegsjahren den Schlüssel zum Verständnis seines Weltbildes bieten, das sich nicht auf ein affirmatives Verständnis von Macht reduzieren lässt. Morgenthaus Denken offenbart liberale Grundüberzeugungen, einen normativen Kern und Lehren aus der Vergangenheit, die in seiner Kritik an der US-Außenpolitik sowie in seinen Arbeiten zur Demokratie in Amerika zum Ausdruck kommen. Und die sich wie eine Warnung vor einer kriegerischen Außenpolitik, Nationalismus und einem zweiten Weimar lesen lassen.
Hans-Herbert Kögler’s Critical Hermeneutics
by Ľubomír Dunaj and Kurt C.M. MertelProviding a comprehensive engagement with the work of Hans-Herbert Kögler, this is the first volume to expand upon and critique his distinctive approach to critical theory: critical hermeneutics. In the current climate of crisis, the relevance and fruitfulness of Kögler's work has never been greater, as he fuses the philosophies of Michel Foucault, Hans Georg Gadamer, and his mentor, Jürgen Habermas, to respond to critical international issues surrounding politics, agency, and society. Working towards a truly non-ethno-centric and global conception of intercultural dialogue, an essential aspect of Kögler's critical hermeneutics is his account of selfhood as reflexive: socially situated, embodied, and linguistically articulated, permeated by power, but yet critical and creative. Leading international scholars, representing a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, build upon Kögler's approach in this volume and explore the methodological, theoretical, and applicative scope of critical hermeneutics beyond the Frankfurt School. In doing so, they address some of the most pressing issues facing global society today, from multilingual education to the urgent need for interreligious and intercultural understanding. Closing with a response from Kögler himself, Hans-Herbert Kögler's Critical Hermeneutics also offers an exclusive account of the philosopher's contemporary re-appraisal of the core tenets of critical hermeneutics.
Hans-Herbert Kögler’s Critical Hermeneutics
Providing a comprehensive engagement with the work of Hans-Herbert Kögler, this is the first volume to expand upon and critique his distinctive approach to critical theory: critical hermeneutics. In the current climate of crisis, the relevance and fruitfulness of Kögler's work has never been greater, as he fuses the philosophies of Michel Foucault, Hans Georg Gadamer, and his mentor, Jürgen Habermas, to respond to critical international issues surrounding politics, agency, and society. Working towards a truly non-ethno-centric and global conception of intercultural dialogue, an essential aspect of Kögler's critical hermeneutics is his account of selfhood as reflexive: socially situated, embodied, and linguistically articulated, permeated by power, but yet critical and creative. Leading international scholars, representing a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, build upon Kögler's approach in this volume and explore the methodological, theoretical, and applicative scope of critical hermeneutics beyond the Frankfurt School. In doing so, they address some of the most pressing issues facing global society today, from multilingual education to the urgent need for interreligious and intercultural understanding. Closing with a response from Kögler himself, Hans-Herbert Kögler's Critical Hermeneutics also offers an exclusive account of the philosopher's contemporary re-appraisal of the core tenets of critical hermeneutics.