A Brief History of Happiness

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.

Preface vii 1 Introducing the Concept 1 2 Conflicts, Perspectives, and the Identification of Happiness 6 3 Pleasure, Hedonism, and the Measurement of Happiness 41 4 Happiness as Structure and Harmony 75 5 Morality, Happiness, and Conflict 116 6 Happiness, Fact, and Value 142 7 Doing without the Concept 162 Glossary and List of Historical Figures 175 Bibliography 181 Index 187