I'm Dr. Oliver, teacher of this course in alternative Fall semesters at MTSU for many moons now.
I, like Thomas Jefferson, think the pursuit of happiness in the broadest sense (which includes something like the old Greek notions of virtue and excellence) is a human birthright, though that's not to say it's always easy to achieve. Its conditions are worth studying, to enhance its pursuit.
Who are you? Why are you here? Are you happy? What do you consider the conditions of your and others' happiness? (For me, the pursuit involves family, friends, baseball, books, dogs, health of course...)
Click on the comments tab below and share your thoughts. Whoever goes first second will be rewarded with a bit of swag on Opening Day. (Gary's already posted his introduction, and he already has all the swag. But you can have more if you want, Gary.)
See you all on the 26th!
My name is Gary Wedgewood. I am a retired ordained United Methodist elder and pastor. I continue to pastor a church part-time in Wilson County where I live in Mount Juliet. My wife (who is a retired public-school teacher who continues to teach part-time) and I are both auditing classes at MTSU. We are both dedicated lifelong learners. In college I majored in Philosophy and Religion, Religious Studies, and minored in Theater. I have the M.Div. (Divinity), M.A.C.E. (Christian Education) Masters degrees, and completed course work for a Masters is Counseling Psychology. I have worked as a campus minister at Ohio Wesleyan University and as the director of a Wesley Foundation at Northeastern Oklahoma State University where I taught World Religions. After that I did youth ministry for a number of years. I have spent the rest of my 45 years in ministry as a pastor of local churches.
ReplyDeleteI see Philosophy as a way of thinking about how we think and how we choose to live as well as it being a source of wisdom from past thinkers/philosophers and our ancestors. We all have a philosophy which undergirds how we live our lives in the same way that theology undergirds how I have lived out my calling to be a pastor.
Today, I would say I am happy and progressing toward more happiness. I have also suffered through some terrible times in my life and expect I may suffer more such times in the future. Today, I am definitely happier, more spiritually awake, and living a more fulfilling life than I have at times in the past.
I enjoy the interaction in the classroom, the readings, and gladly hear what other people think and have to say. These are some of the conditions that lead to happiness for me. I am looking forward to, this my second time, attending the Philosophy of Happiness class.
Welcome back, Gary. (Gary has been gracing my classes for a few years now, and always has interesting and insightful things to say based on a lifetime of close attention to the human condition.)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Gary, I recently was introduced to a comedian from Mt. Juliet. Do you know of Nate Bargatze? He's very funny. Says he used to be a meter reader... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Bargatze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLeq0nHP2Sw
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