PHIL 3160 – Philosophy of Happiness
What is it, how can we best pursue it, why should we? Supporting the study of these and related questions at Middle Tennessee State University and beyond. "Examining the concept of human happiness and its application in everyday living as discussed since antiquity by philosophers, psychologists, writers, spiritual leaders, and contributors to pop culture."
It seems to me that for one to make a claim like this, there would need to be a pre existing definition or set of certainties that make up the word happiness already in place.
ReplyDeleteIf we are to assume that frequent repetition of pleasure is what Schopenhauer's version of "happiness" looks like, then he would be correct.
Although I'm still quite ignorant to the meaning of the concept of "metaphysical truths" I believe this may be an example of one...maybe?
Either way, this quote seems to take on a hedonistic perspective of happiness (which I also know next to nothing about), but the fascinating thing about hedonism to me is that, if one is spending their whole lives in a nonstop, forward motion where the goal is to jump from one hit of pleasure to the next, wouldn't that mean that one's default state of being is inherently unhappy (or perhaps even full of suffering)?
If so, surely this isn't the most effective method for obtaining happiness. Maybe?
I don't know, maybe I'm being to hard on Arthur.
Schopenhauer was a hyper-pessimist about the human prospect, thinking us systematically deluded about the real meaning of our acts and attitudes. And his visage was that of a grinch or a scrooge. He doesn't appear to have found pleasure in living. But he does seem to have enjoyed expressing displeasure and pessimism. So perhaps he was, after all and in his own peculiar fashion, happy? (But see the quote below, “What disturbs and depresses young people is the hunt for happiness" etc.)
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ReplyDeleteIn general yeah as Jacob mentioned it does sound pretty Hedonist.
ReplyDelete"Happiness" "frequent" and "pleasure" are all super vague. I sympathize with the view that getting into a routine pattern of "happiness hits" or "rewards", like the sabbath day, the light at the end of the tunnel, the dessert after a big meal, etc, plays a big role in making people happy, so perhaps that dips into his concept of repetition? But "happiness hits" in this case are only possible in being defined by the contrasting calm, nothingness, temperance, as well as often pain, struggle, challenge, growth, and friction. None of those things are mentioned in this quote (not to be absolutist with what Scho. thinks).
Mostly the people I've met who've espoused Hedonism on a philosophical level were just abusing Philosophy as a vehicle to put off confronting their life problems. But there is a degree of truth to the idea that duty needs to be balanced with the need for "good vibes".
Seems overly simplistic. As "Happiness; A Very Short Introduction" makes note, there is much more to happiness than frequent pleasurable experience. Namely, 'life satisfaction' and 'mood propensity'. These two factors can seriously affect whether one is a happy person overall, even though though those two factors are not themselves dependent upon pleasurable experience.
ReplyDeleteMy eyes were opened reading about the 'good lives' of Wittgenstein and the later-exonerated death row inmate. Happiness seems too complex to simply define after hearing the self-reports of characters like these.