The Pursuit of Unhappiness

Jennifer Hawkins, Journal of Utilitas this is a wonderfully stimulationg, highly original book.

Carolyn Price, Philosophy Haybron's book is addressed both to philosophers and to a wider audience of non-specialists. It is written with exemplary clarity and precision. The argument is carefully constructed and supported by a mix of telling examples, illuminating analysis and deft use of empirical research. Haybron is scrupulously honest in assessing the impact of his arguments: his conclusions are carefully nuanced. The result is an engaging and throught-provoking discussion, which poses some penetrating questions for ethicists, political philosophers and psychologists... rich and stimulating

Neera Badhwar, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews An original and thorough investigation, richly informed by empirical psychology, of almost every topic connected, or seen as connected, with happiness: the self, well-being and virtue, and the good society. It is written in an engaging, often humorous, sometimes poetic, style, and contains a wealth of illustrations from life, literature, film, science, the arts, the news media, and Haybron's own prodigious imagination... It is safe to say that, after this book, happiness will never be the same again.

Psychology/Parasychology Subtitled 'the elusive pscychology of well-being', this is a brilliant and comprehensive philosophical treatment of happiness in the psychological sense... The book calls us to rethink our assumptions about the good life and the good society, raising many of the questions explored by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World and Island. All this raises interesting and complex questions for politicians and educationalist as they grapple with introducing happiness studies into the curriculum.

Paul O'Doherty, Irish Times Insightful and imaginative. A serious pleasurable read for those happy enough to explore a difficult subject.

David Chalmers, Australian National University Dan Haybron asks the key philosophical questions about happiness: what is happiness, and how can we know about it, and what is it good for? His book offers insightful answers that are well-grounded in both science and philosophy. The book is full of clear and rigorous arguments, but at the same time it is a pleasure to read. It will be a milestone in the philosophical discussion of happiness.

Ed Diener, University of Illinois Dan Haybron has written the definitive philosophical book on happiness, and it is a must-read for scholars of the good life. The work is broad, balanced, and interesting, and yet forcefully presents the case that happiness is a crucial element of good living. In making the argument, Haybron beautifully reviews both the philosophy of happiness, including what this concept means, and the empirical work on the topics arising in fields such as psychology and economics.

John M. Doris, Washington University in St Louis Both progress and provocation are vibrantly on displ...

<br>Daniel Haybron is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. His research interests centre on several issues in ethics: well-being and the good life, moral evil, and the virtues.<br>

PART I: FUNDAMENTALS OF PRUDENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY; 1. Taking Socrates's Question Seriously; 2. Happiness, Well-Being, and the Good Life: A Primer; 3. What Do We Want from a Theory of Happiness? Or how to make a mongrel concept hunt; PART II: THE NATURE OF HAPPINESS; 4. Hedonistic Theories of Happiness; 5. Life Satisfaction Theories of Happiness; 6. Emotional State Theories of Happiness; 7. Happiness as Psychic Affirmation; PART III: THE NATURE OF WELL-BEING; 8. Well-Being and Virtue; 9. Happiness, the Self, and Human Flourishing; PART IV: PURSUING HAPPINESS; 10. Do We Know How Happy We Are?; 11. The Pursuit of Unhappiness; 12. Happiness in Context: Notes on the Good Society