Health and Happiness

Lisa Bortolotti is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. She specialises in the philosophy of the cognitive sciences and she has written extensively on the limitations of human cognition (irrational beliefs, distorted memories, confabulation, self-deception). She also has active research interests in applied ethics, especially research ethics, reproductive ethics, animal ethics, happy and meaningful lives, autonomous agency.Michael Larkin is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Birmingham, where he has worked as part of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Program since 2004. He is a qualitative researcher with a particular interest in phenomenological and experiential approaches.

• IntroductionPart I – Happiness and WellbeingChapter one: Concepts of happiness and wellbeing1.1. Happiness: subjective or objective?1.2. Different accounts of wellbeing: hedonism, eudemonia, preference satisfaction, objective list account.1.3. Can we measure happiness?Chapter two: How to be happy2.1. Wealth, religious or political affiliation2.2. Identity and relatedness2.3. Experience: joy and flowChapter three: The meaningful life3.1. Mortality and boredom3.2. Family life3.3. Consumerism and existentialismChapter four: Happiness, rationality and wise choices4.1. Epistemic and pragmatic rationality4.2. Positive illusions and enhanced memories4.3. Intuition and reflection in decision makingChapter five: Happiness and adversities5.1. Resilience5.2. Wellbeing and the environment5.3. Places of safety and therapeutic environmentsPart II – Disease, distress and disabilityChapter six: Concepts of disease, distress and disability6.1. Diseased bodies and disordered minds6.2. Disability6.3. Distress and loss of controlChapter seven: Illness, disability and happiness7.1. Happiness in chronic illness7.2. Happiness and disability7.3. Post-traumatic growthChapter eight: Health and the self8.1. Health, autonomy and emotions8.2. False and fragmented selves8.3. Story-telling and physical and psychological healthChapter nine: Recovery9.1. Adaptation and acceptance9.2. Redemption narratives9.3. Agency lost and regainedChapter ten: Benefits and costs of illness10.1. Emotional benefits and costs 10.2. Cognitive benefits and costs 10.3. Adaptive advantages ConclusionReferences