Philosophy of (more) Happiness

Saturday, November 6, 2021

Michael Powell gave a beautiful eulogy for his Dad, Colin Powell, yesterday. He used this statement of Ralph Waldo Emerson towards the end. It made me smile, and think of this class! I think happiness is a wonderful result of living this way, don't you!?

7 comments:

PhilNovember 6, 2021 at 8:22 AM
Like Yogi Berra, Emerson didn't say everything he said. But there are some good thoughts here. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/11/29/purpose/

Immanuel Kant would have agreed (with whoever said it) that the purpose of life is not to be happy, but to be worthy of happiness.

My view: happiness is indeed one of life's great purposes. Maybe the greatest, so long as we don't choose it INSTEAD of virtue, honor, compassion, kindness etc. It is, at any rate, one of our "chief concerns" and maybe the chiefest.
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MProbertNovember 7, 2021 at 5:32 AM
Well, damn! Now I feel really bad for Michael Powell...and Leo Rosten for not getting the credit for it! My view: "Happiness is like a Butterfly...." (one of my first posts here)! I think if we just relax and hold true to all the other "purposes", it will just be!
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Gary WedgewoodNovember 8, 2021 at 6:15 AM
We need more remarkable thoughtful and honorable people like Colin Powell was in government!
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PhilNovember 8, 2021 at 6:51 AM
Well, except for that one glaring lapse when he was (apparently) duped into telling the world about those fake WMDs ("weapons of mass destruction"). But yes, he was so much more qualified to be president than his boss was, or-obviously-than the next of his party.
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The author of "William James's Springs of Delight: The Return to Life, (VU Press, 2001) " Phil Oliver specializes in the American philosophical tradition with supporting interests in applied ethics (particularly Bioethics and Environmental Ethics), Anglo-American literature, history, humanism, naturalism, science and exploration, peripatetic ("walking & talking") philosophy, baseball, cycling, swimming, the pursuit of happiness, and the perpetual dawn of day. One of his favorite MTSU courses is The Philosophy of Happiness. He is academic advisor for minors in American Culture (American Studies), and a founding board member and current Vice-President of the William James Society. You can follow him on Threads, Instagram (@OSOPHER), Mastodon (@osopher@c.im), Substack (philoliver.substack.com) and on his blogsite Up@dawn (jposopher.blogspot.com) but of course, as Immanuel Kant and Monty Python's Brian Cohen agreed: You don't have to follow anybody. "Sapere aude," have the courage to think for yourself. But not by yourself. Good philosophy collaborates and converses.

Ramble on

"Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)–sometimes referred to as 'winter depression'–usually manifests more during the colder months, the main theory attributing this to lack of sunlight. But there is no surer way to find some peace (and perhaps even joy!) within this complicated season than to confront it head on. If you, like so many others, find yourself dreading the winter, it is time to do something about it–after all, winter does keep coming around... Once again, walking is the answer. Rather than hiding indoors and wishing time away, pull on your boots, hat and a good jacket and start exploring. Remember the wonderful Norwegian saying, 'There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.' Continuing your walking in nature throughout the winter will get you out in the daylight, improve circulation, increase serotonin (that all-important feel-good hormone) and help to regulate sleep and appetite. There are plenty of new locations to discover or old favourites to revisit, winter wildlife to spot and all the fierce weather to enjoy as well as a fresh appreciation of this dramatic season to be gained... Be bold about spending time walking outdoors during winter; you may very well be surprised at the difference it makes to how you feel." — The Rambler's Handbook: A Seasonal Guide to the Best Walking Routes in Britain by The Ramblers' Association https://a.co/9NeGYZR

Clods

Bertrand Russell said "Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind." This splendid credo often reminded me of George Bernard Shaw's equally heroic encyclical: 'This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.' --Alistair Cooke, Six Men

fyi: TEXTS Fall 2021

Happiness: A Very Short Introduction... More Than Happiness: Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom for a Sceptical Age... Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction... How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer... Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life Also recommended: Enlightenment: The Pursuit of Happiness, 1680-1790... The Art of Happiness, by Epicurus... How to Be an Epicurean: The Ancient Art of Living Well... Stoicism: A Very Short Introduction... The Conquest of Happiness, by Bertrand Russell... William James, tba

Philosophy of (more) Happiness

PHIL 3160 – Philosophy of Happiness

Saturday, November 6, 2021

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Stoic happiness

"Happiness Hour"

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Schopenhauer, contentedly and un-willfully unhappy?

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