Happiness Is Overrated

Raymond Angelo Belliotti

doi:10.5771/9781417503469

Summary

Happiness Is Overrated begins with an historical overview of the development of the concept of 'happiness' from Plato to contemporary writers, highlighting the best scholarship emerging from philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Belliotti includes practical advice on how to attain happiness and addresses issues centered on the meaning of life. Happiness, he argues, is not the greatest personal good, or even a great good in itself. In fact, sometimes happiness isn't a good at all. If we pursue worthwhile, exemplary lives and find happiness along the way, then we are lucky. If we don't, then we can take pride and derive satisfaction from a life well lived. Ultimately, the greatest personal good is realized in leading a robustly meaningful, valuable life.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2003
ISBN-Print: 978-0-7425-3362-2
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4175-0346-9
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 183
Product type: Book Titles

1. CONTENTS No access
2. 1. 1. Topics No access
  2. 2. Acknowledgments No access
1. 1. Happiness as Moral and Intellectual Virtue No access
2. 2. Happiness as Flourishing No access
3. 3. Happiness as Radical Asceticism No access
4. 4. Happiness as Hedonism No access
5. 5. Happiness as Tranquility No access
6. 6. Happiness as Worldly Transcendence No access
1. 1. Happiness as Morally Earned No access
2. 2. Happiness as Collective Achievement No access
3. 3. Happiness as the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number No access
4. 4. Happiness as Illusion No access
5. 5. Happiness as Positive Psychological State No access
1. 1. Philosophy Joins Hands with Social Science No access
2. 2. Happiness as Positive Self-Appraisal No access
3. 3. Happiness as Accurate, Positive Self-Appraisal No access
4. 4. Happiness as Connection to Objective, Preexisting Good No access
5. 5. What We Learn from Contemporary Philosophers No access
6. 6. Can Everyone Be Happy? No access
7. 7. Should Everyone Be Happy? No access
8. 8. How Much Suffering is Compatible with Happiness? No access
9. 9. Why Happiness is Overrated No access
1. 1. Adjust Expectations No access
2. 2. Nurture Relationships No access
3. 3. Be Optimistic and Appreciative No access
4. 4. Have Faith No access
5. 5. Make Peace, Not War No access
6. 6. Be Goal-Oriented No access
7. 7. Prioritize No access
8. 8. Use Leisure Wisely, Energize the Senses, Eat and Exercise Properly No access
9. 9. Go with Flow No access
10. 10. Be Lucky No access
11. 11. Forms of Happiness No access
1. 1. What Does it Mean to Say Life Has Meaning? No access
2. 2. The Existential Problem No access
3. 1. A. Eastern Religion No access
  2. B. Western Religion No access
  3. C. Assessment of Religion No access
4. 4. Cosmic Meaninglessness No access
5. 1. A. Nietzsche No access
  2. B. Camus No access
6. 6. Telescopes and Slinky Toys No access
7. 7. Meaning & Significance No access
8. 8. Death No access
Bibliography No access Pages 169 - 174
Index No access Pages 175 - 180
About the Author No access Pages 181 - 183