In this brief history, philosopher Nicholas White reviews 2,500 years of philosophical thought about happiness.
Addresses key questions such as: What is happiness? Should happiness play such a dominant role in our lives? How can we deal with conflicts between the various things that make us happy?
Considers the ways in which major thinkers from antiquity to the modern day have treated happiness: from Plato’s notion of the harmony of the soul, through to Nietzsche’s championing of conflict over harmony.
Relates questions about happiness to ethics and to practical philosophy.
About the Author
Nicholas P. White is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine.
Features
A brief history of happiness, reviewing 2,500 years of philosophical thought about the concept.
Addresses key questions such as what happiness is and whether or not happiness should play such a dominant role in our lives.
Considers the ways in which major thinkers from Plato and Aristotle through to Nietzsche and Freud have treated happiness.
Relates questions about happiness to ethics and to practical philosophy.