Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness

Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness PDF Author: Michael E. Bernard
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470973103
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book reveals how the principles of rational living identified by Albert Ellis, one of the world’s most influential and popular psychologists, can be used by anyone to achieve lifelong happiness. Reveals the 11 principles of rational living that when put into practice can consistently increase levels of personal happiness Includes selected excerpts from Ellis’ writings, revealing the difference between the psychological architectures of emotional unhappiness and human happiness Presents verbatim transcripts of private counseling sessions, as well as public lectures and demonstrations with people addressing a wide range of personal issues Offers insights into how ‘rationality’ can be used by anyone to reduce the intensity of negative emotions, to increase the frequency of positive emotions and to promote life satisfaction

Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness

Rationality and the Pursuit of Happiness PDF Author: Michael E. Bernard
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470973103
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book reveals how the principles of rational living identified by Albert Ellis, one of the world’s most influential and popular psychologists, can be used by anyone to achieve lifelong happiness. Reveals the 11 principles of rational living that when put into practice can consistently increase levels of personal happiness Includes selected excerpts from Ellis’ writings, revealing the difference between the psychological architectures of emotional unhappiness and human happiness Presents verbatim transcripts of private counseling sessions, as well as public lectures and demonstrations with people addressing a wide range of personal issues Offers insights into how ‘rationality’ can be used by anyone to reduce the intensity of negative emotions, to increase the frequency of positive emotions and to promote life satisfaction

Rationality and Happiness

Rationality and Happiness PDF Author: Jiyuan Yu
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 9781580461306
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume explores the relationship between rationality and happiness from ancient Greek philosophy to early Latin medieval philosophy. What connection is there between human rationality and happiness? This issue was uppermost in the minds of the Ancient Greek philosophers and continued to be of importance during the entire early medieval period. Starting with theSocrates of Plato's early dialogues, who is regarded as having initiated the eudaimonistic ethical tradition, the present volume looks at Plato, Aristotle, the Skeptics, Seneca [Stoicism], Epicurus, Plotinus [neo-Platonism], Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, and ends with Abelard, the final major figure in early medieval philosophy. Special efforts are made to reveal and trace the continuity and development of the views on rationality and happiness among these major thinkers within this period. The book's approach is historical, but the topics it treats are relevant to many discussions pursued in contemporary philosophical circles. Specifically, the book aims to make two major contributions to the ongoing development of virtue ethics. First, contemporary virtue ethics often draws distinctions between ancient Greek ethics and modern moral philosophy [mainly utilitarianism and Kantianism], and seeks to model ethics on ancient ethics. In doing so, however, contemporary virtue ethics often ignores the transition from Greek ethics to the early Latin medieval tradition. Second, contemporary virtue-based ethics, in its efforts to seek insights from ancient ethics, centers on virtue. In contrast, in ancient and medieval ethics, virtue is pursued for the sake of happiness [eudaimonia], and virtue is conceived as excellence of rationality. Hence, the relationship between rationality and happiness provides the framework for ethical inquiry within which the discussion of virtue takes place. Contributors: JULIA ANNAS, RICHARD BETT, JORGE J.E. GRACIA, BRAD INWOOD, WILLIAM MANN, JOHN MARENBON, GARETH B. MATTHEWS, MARK L. McPHERRAN, DONALD MORRISON, C.C.W. TAYLOR, JONATHAN SANFORD, JIYUAN YU. Jiyuan Yu is Assistant Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Jorge J. E. Gracia is Samuel P. Capen Chair and SUNY Distinguised Professor in the Departments of Philosophy and Comparative Literature at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

The Virtues of Happiness

The Virtues of Happiness PDF Author: Paul Bloomfield
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190612002
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Get Book Here

Book Description
As children, we learn life is unfair: bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. So, it is natural to ask, "Why play fairly in an unfair world? If being immoral will get you what you want and you know you can't get caught, why not do it?" The answers, as argued herein, begin by rejecting the idea that morality and happiness are at odds with one another. From this point of view, we can see how immorality undermines its perpetrator's happiness: self-respect is necessary for happiness, and immorality undermines self-respect. As we see how our self-respect is conditional upon how we respect others, we learn to evaluate and value ourselves, and others, appropriately. The central thesis is the result of combining the ancient Greek conception of happiness (eudaimonia) with a modern conception of self-respect. We become happy, we life the best life we can, only by becoming virtuous: by being as courageous, just, temperate, and wise as can be. These are the virtues of happiness. This book explains why it is bad to be bad and good to be good, and what happens to people's values as their practical rationality develops.

Rationality Is the Way to Happiness

Rationality Is the Way to Happiness PDF Author: John Vespasian
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781468190113
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Get Book Here

Book Description
In a world where philosophy is often reduced to catch-phrases and empty theories, this is a passionate defence of logic and consistency as the keys to happiness. Personal effectiveness, the basis of well-being and success, results from rational goals, workable plans and relentless action. In the areas of career, health, relationships and investments, this essay shows how to let go of wasteful propositions, pursue compatible goals, cultivate perseverance and resilience, minimize problems and maximize opportunities. Inspired by the teachings of Aristotle, Maimonides, Erasmus, Montaigne, Epictetus and Spinoza, the book encourages readers to embrace rationality and adopt a self-reliant, entrepreneurial attitude. EXCERPT FROM THE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. The untold key to success and happiness Ten positive trends rarely reported by the media The way to independent thinking Trust only your own statistics Achieving happiness through rationality Wake up to a sharp vision of reality Important lessons from history In search of principles that make sense 2. Fundamental skills that everybody should master Relentless initiative creates opportunities An active mind looks for alternatives Cultivate perseverance and resilience Avoid waste and embrace frugality Shun overcommitment and worry 3. The easy way to prosperity Select a career where you can make a good living Principles of accelerated learning Using Ancient Mongol tactics to find employment Discard the myth of career planning Growth sectors in the 21st century Those who can sell are always received well 4. Philosophical ideas to make the best of your life Take the perspective of a lifetime Focus on practical solutions Self-confidence arises from preparedness Pursue compatible goals Concentrate your resources on essential tasks 5. Get out of losing situations Immobility is the enemy of achievement Train yourself to face nonsense calmly Throw away unworkable plans Read the writing on the wall Take simple measures to protect yourself You have more options than you think 6. Avoiding major mistakes Preserve your independent thinking Don't make the same mistake as Confucius Entrepreneurship is the opposite of resignation Abandon perfectionism right now Waiting for the world to change is a waste of time 7. How to find love without making a mess of sex Rational values are the basis of great relationships Overcoming the main obstacle to meeting new people The high cost of short-term romantic involvement The entrepreneurial factor in love and friendship What is the crucial success element in dating? Break free from artificial social constraints 8. Saving and investing to secure your future Take control of your financial life Principles of rational investment Techniques for reducing risk How to develop self-confidence as an investor Saving regularly brings peace of mind The advantage of turbulent times 9. Principles of optimal health The teachings of Maimonides Living in accordance with nature How psychology can improve your health Modern theories about prolonging life How some people live to become 100 years old The low-cost approach to good nutrition Effective methods for minimizing stress Sleeping well by natural means 10. Seeking personal growth one day at a time Embrace rational principles The link between personal effectiveness and happiness Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life Do not be discouraged by your limited resources Clear thinking gives you the ultimate advantage It is on slow days when you make big breaks 11. Conclusion The human need for logic and consistency Achieving happiness in a chaotic world Philosophy summarized in a single sentence It takes a while, but it can be done

Happiness for Humans

Happiness for Humans PDF Author: Daniel C. Russell
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199583684
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Get Book Here

Book Description
Daniel C. Russell presents a new account of happiness and how to live a good life. He returns to the ancient tradition of eudaimonism to argue that happiness is a life of activity that involves acting for the sake of ends we can live for. It is not only fulfilling for us as humans and individuals, but inseparable from what makes us who we are.

 PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 0557247861
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 309

Get Book Here

Book Description


Happiness, Rationality, and Individual Ideals

Happiness, Rationality, and Individual Ideals PDF Author: Lynne Ellen McFall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Happiness
Languages : en
Pages : 1589

Get Book Here

Book Description


The Pursuit of Unhappiness

The Pursuit of Unhappiness PDF Author: Daniel M. Haybron
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 0199545987
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Get Book Here

Book Description
"The pursuit of happiness is a defining theme of the modern era. But what if people aren't very good at it? This and related questions are explored in this book, the first comprehensive philosophical treatment of happiness in the contemporary psychological sense. In these pages, Dan Haybron argues that people are probably less effective at judging, and promoting, their own welfare than common belief has it. As a result, we may need to rethink traditional assumptions about human nature, the good life, and the good society. Thoroughly engaged with both philosophical and scientific work on happiness and well-being, this book will be a definitive resource for philosophers, social scientists, policymakers, and other students of human well-being."--BOOK JACKET.

Action, Contemplation, and Happiness

Action, Contemplation, and Happiness PDF Author: C. D. C. Reeve
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674065476
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 316

Get Book Here

Book Description
The notion of practical wisdom is one of Aristotle's greatest inventions. It has inspired philosophers as diverse as Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Elizabeth Anscombe, Michael Thompson, and John McDowell. Now a leading scholar of ancient philosophy offers a challenge to received accounts of practical wisdom by situating it in the larger context of Aristotle's views on knowledge and reality. That happiness is the end pursued by practical wisdom is commonly agreed. What is disputed is whether happiness is to be found in the practical life of political action, in which we exhibit courage, temperance, and other virtues of character, or in the contemplative life, where theoretical wisdom is the essential virtue. C. D. C. Reeve argues that the dichotomy is bogus, that these lives are in fact parts of a single life, which is the best human one. In support of this view, he develops innovative accounts of many of the central notions in Aristotle's metaphysics, epistemology, and psychology, including matter and form, scientific knowledge, dialectic, educatedness, perception, understanding, political science, practical truth, deliberation, and deliberate choice. These accounts are based directly on freshly translated passages from many of Aristotle's writings. Action, Contemplation, and Happiness is an accessible essay not just on practical wisdom but on Aristotle's philosophy as a whole.

Freedom and Happiness in Economic Thought and Philosophy

Freedom and Happiness in Economic Thought and Philosophy PDF Author: Ragip Ege
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1136666818
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Get Book Here

Book Description
Starting from a distinction made by the American philosopher, John Rawls, in 2000 between two kinds of liberalism, "liberalism of freedom" and "liberalism of happiness", this book presents a range of articles by economists and philosophers debating the most fundamental aspects of the subject. These include the exact significance of Rawls’ distinction and how it can be related to European political philosophy on the one hand and to utilitarianism on the other hand; the various definitions of happiness and freedom and their implications and the informational basis of individual preferences. The objectives of the book are twofold: first, it is devoted to a thorough analysis of the founding texts of both liberalisms. It aims to determine the logic of selection of the concepts which these traditions consider as relevant. The Kantian pair "Reasonable"/"Rational" can be seen as the basis on which these concepts are defined, our final concern being to reveal the profound relations of complementarity between them: we call it reconciliation. Secondly, we consider a fundamental issue of welfare economics – how to appraise individual preferences – in light of the Rawlsian distinction. It is emphasized that neither a criterion based on liberalism of freedom by itself, nor an evaluation in terms of liberalism of happiness by itself exhausts the question of utility. One must combine both aspects in order to cope with that issue. To do so, it is claimed that one can resort to the concept of metaranking of preferences. All the contributions included in this book are the outcomes of a collective research project of three years. The contributors come from a variety of backgrounds and yet are unified in developing a specific position about freedom and happiness. This book should be of interest to those focusing on the history of economic thought as well as moral, political and economic philosophy.