This exciting course treats the history of discourses about happiness, focusing especially on four historical episodes. They are ancient Greek philosophy, contemporary positive psychology, Buddhism (and its interpretation in the light of positive psychology), and Sufism. The course seeks to understand what a range of human beings in history have thought happiness consists in, and how they sought to achieve it and will to put these understandings in dialogue with contemporary positive psychology. The course considers not only virtue and positive emotions (affect) but also ethical action and practices of meditation and mindfulness.

Course Requirements:

Midterm, final, weekly creative exercise

Intended Audience:

All undergraduate levels.

Class Format:

Lecture and discussion