The Happy Life

AGENDA

1. the big picture
2. what is happiness? (Mill)

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Module 2: The virtue-centered life

• core of "eduaimonia" is virtue
• Aristotle (virtue plus)
• Epictetus (just virtue)
• Joseph Marshall & Peter Singer (read to explore specific virtues)

Module 3: The happy life 

• To live a good life we need to feel happy...period
• How is this different from the virtue views?

Questions we'll be asking:

1. What, more precisely, is feeling happy?
2. What sort of life is happiest?
3. Is feeling happy really the only thing that matters? 

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Mill: excerpt from Utilitarianism  (1861) -- we will read passages

Para 1: morality, happiness, pleasure

1. Foundation of morals (A)
• The Greatest Happiness Principle -- the right action produces the greatest TOTAL happiness
• Also known as: Principle of Utility, Utilitarianism
2. Only happiness has intrinsic value (view known as Hedonism)  
3. What is happiness? just pleasure! (B, C)
• next time: a competing view

Models of the good life on this view....a life of physical indulgence?

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Para 2:  The accusation that hedonism is a doctrine "worthy of swine"

• Mill often refers to Epicurus, a post-Aristotelian who was a hedonist
• Epicurus was also castigated for having a view worthy of swine
• Mill's defense: higher vs. lower pleasures

Para 3: Higher vs. lower pleasures (A&B)

Para 4: Preference argument

1. The qualitatively better of two pleasures is the one preferred by "all or almost all" people  who have experienced both "irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it." (p. 23)
2. People who have experienced all of these pleasures prefer 1-4 to 5.  THEREFORE,
3. 1-4 are qualitatively superior

Para 5: People really do prefer 1-4 to 5

• you wouldn't trade places with an animal or a fool to have more pleasures of "mere sensation

WORKBOOK

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Para 6: don't confuse pleasure with contentment/satisfaction (A&B)

Socrates: high quality & quantity pleasure, BUT dissatisfied   better off  
Fool: lower quality & quantity pleasure BUT more likely satisfied

Any human: higher quality & quantity pleasure, BUT dissatisfied  better off
Animal: lower quality & quantity pleasure BUT more likely satisfied

Christine Vitrano (next):  happiness IS satisfaction!