Dimensions of the Good Life

What makes life good? In this course, we’ll explore the dimensions of the good life as articulated by philosophers and psychologists. Topics will include: happiness and pleasure, desire satisfaction, virtue, meaning and fulfillment, psychological richness and interesting experiences. We’ll read the best defenses of why each contributes to the good life, and then critically evaluate, asking for ourselves: Is this really good?. We’ll read philosophical works by Aristotle, J.S. Mill, Haybron, Besser, and others, alongside psychological research by Seligman, Diener, Keltner, Oishi, and others. Throughout the term, we’ll supplement our discussions with literary works by Tolstoy, David Foster Wallace, Nunez, and Coehlo. 3hrs sem.