The nature and value of happiness / Christine Vitrano ; foreword by Steven M. Cahn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vitrano, Christine, author.

Contributor:

Cahn, Steven M.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Happiness.

Happiness--History.

History.

Physical Description:

ix, 151 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Boulder : Westview Press, 2013.

Summary:

The Nature and Value of Happiness provides a historical and contemporary overview of the philosophy of happiness, with critical evaluations to help students analyze the material and trace the evolution of a deeply nuanced concept. Addressing how the modern notion of happiness has changed from its ancient origins, Christine Vitrano attempts to clarify the precise value of happiness. This search leads Vitrano to examine topics such as the moral requirements of happiness and whether happiness can be considered the greatest good or simply one good among many. The philosophical theories are presented in a way that is accessible to anyone interested in learning about happiness, regardless of previous philosophical study. All technical terms and concepts are clearly explained, and illustrative examples tied into the text bring the material to life and help establish the relevance of the subject to readers. The ultimate goal is to reach a definition of the nature of happiness that best reflects the way we use the word today. This book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on happiness and is ideal for initiating provocative discussions in courses on happiness and ethics. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Happiness as Pleasure 9

The Varieties of Hedonism 10

What Is Pleasure? 13

Ancient Hedonism 15

Modern Hedonism 20

Contemporary Hedonism 24

Should We Be Hedonists About Happiness? 25

Chapter 2 Happiness as Virtue: Plato and the Stoics 33

Platonic Happiness 36

Stoic Happiness 47

Chapter 3 Happiness as Virtue: Aristotle 57

Is Virtue Necessary for Happiness? 63

Chapter 4 Happiness as Desire Satisfaction 71

The Simple Satisfaction View 72

The Simple Satisfaction View: Second Formulation 73

The Simple Satisfaction View: Third Formulation 76

The Simple Satisfaction View: Final Formulation 80

Chapter 5 Happiness as Something More than Satisfaction 83

The Normative View 84

Happiness as Appraisal: First Formulation 86

Happiness as Appraisal: Second Formulation 92

Conclusion 99

Chapter 6 Happiness as Life Satisfaction 103

The Life-Satisfaction View 104

Is There One Concept of Happiness? 110

Are Mistakes About Happiness Possible? 113

Is Life Satisfaction Arbitrary? 117

Chapter 7 Happiness and Morality 123

The Happy Immoralist 123

Morality or the Appearance of Morality? 127

Chapter 8 The Pursuit of Happiness 131.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780813347271

0813347270

OCLC:

806431676