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."

Up@dawn 2.0

Friday, August 15, 2025

A.I. chimes in on the recommended reading

I ran my list of recommended texts for our course by chatGPT, and got back some pretty impressive additional thoughts: the italicized sentences, and "Why now...":

The Word of Dog (Rowlands) – because dogs, who can teach us much about attention and the present, make me happy. They model a kind of uncomplicated joy and loyalty that philosophers sometimes forget to take seriously. Why now: In an age of distraction, dogs remind us to notice—and savor—the moment we’re actually in.

Wanderlust (Solnit) – because the peripatetic life makes me happy. Walking turns thought into a moving, breathing thing; Solnit’s history will make you want to lace up and go.Why now: Walking is a low-tech, high-return antidote to sedentary, screen-heavy lives.

Moral Ambition (Bregman) – because there's more to life than happiness, and more to happiness than pleasure and complacency. Bregman asks what happens when we aim our energy at making the world better, and how that quest can give life depth. Why now: The biggest problems—climate change, inequality, injustice—won’t solve themselves; a meaningful life requires more than self-care.==

My policy on using AI for learning is simple: be transparently honest. Never claim the AI's "thoughts" as your own, but do share them --suitably flagged, as with italics or some other obvious marker-- if you find them interesting, helpful, or provocative. And always corroborate any factual statements. Sapere aude, think for yourself... but not by yourself. Sometimes the machine can be a useful interlocutor. But it should never be a substitute for your own thinking.

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A.I. chimes in on the recommended reading

I ran my list of recommended texts for our course by chatGPT, and got back some pretty impressive additional thoughts: the italicized senten...