Happiness is an umbrella term. Many people understand happiness to mean having a loving family, a harmonious relationship, a satisfying sex life, interesting work, enjoyable hobbies, a rich social life, and ample financial resources.
Sometimes, the pursuit of happiness and the search for the meaning of life are considered to be the same thing. But that is a misconception. As we have seen,
meaning comes in many forms, including the pursuit of truth, justice, fighting injustice, offering comfort, and working towards a sustainable earth.
Striving for these goals does not always lead to a feeling of happiness. For example, it can be extremely frustrating to fight injustice, or to repeatedly bring the truth to attention, or to constantly stand up for earthly sustainability.
And yet people do it, often without stopping. Because it serves a higher purpose. You do it for something, and therefore, it leads to meaning, but it does not always make you happier.
Another difference between happiness and the meaning of life is that we can biologically determine and measure happiness, while this is not possible for meaning.
The neurological experience of happiness is created by the production of a series of chemical substances in the brain, including dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin.
These substances are not always created when experiencing the meaning of life that requires a great deal of effort or even forms a path of suffering. And that makes the meaning of life in a broader sense so difficult to study from a neurological perspective.
However, we can study this broad notion of meaning from a humanities and historical perspective. We can even try to find out what the common denominator is of all existing forms of a meaning of life in order to gain a deeper insight into the phenomenon.
Just as with the meaning of life, there is a tendency to think that happiness is also about a specific state. That is not the case.
Almost all religions and life theories strive for happiness, but in different ways. In the following lecture we will consider a number of views on happiness.
Thank you for your attention...the floor is yours...
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
24 - Materialism 7 Sept 2022 / 1011
25 - Historical Materialism 5 Oct 2023 / 1088
26 - The Bonobo and the Atheist 9 Jan 2024 / 1102
27 - Artificial Intelligence 9 Feb 2024 / 1108
28 - Why Am I Here 6 Sept 2024 / 1139
The Discussion
[13:16] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman
[13:16] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): I can be happy with just contentment
[13:16] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:17] herman Bergson: yes
[13:18] herman Bergson: I guess that state can be traced and found in neurological phenomena.
[13:18] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): do we need to be happy to survive?
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): good question
[13:19] herman Bergson: I wonder, Beertje...but what we know is that unhappy people easily fall ill for instance...
[13:19] herman Bergson: so maybe unhappiness can have a negative effect on the immune system...
[13:19] herman Bergson: imune
[13:19] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and the mind
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i say it is better for you to be happy in general, being sad and anxious ect i say lead to stress and other things not good for u in the long run
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like being depressed
[13:20] herman Bergson: (how doe you spell that ? :-)
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that cant be good for u
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i would think
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): immune
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): at least not in the long run
[13:20] herman Bergson: thank you Gemma ㋡
[13:20] herman Bergson: immune...
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes ive heard that
[13:21] herman Bergson: And when you feel unhappy, you have little reason to live on and survive in some cases
[13:21] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): very true
[13:22] herman Bergson: This makes me think of another spact...
[13:23] herman Bergson: while experiencing your meaning of life, this is normally a long term feeling, while happiness is often short-lived..
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aah
[13:24] herman Bergson: do we need to be happy to survive?
[13:24] herman Bergson: Makes me think of something else.....
[13:24] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is happiness and joy the same thing?
[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): joy i say is a step up from happiness
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like euphoria
[13:25] herman Bergson: IN many News programs we often see people living in the most horrible conditions...
[13:25] herman Bergson: yet they don't give up collectively for instance
[13:27] herman Bergson: I'd say, joy is a short-term emotion while we expect that a feeling of happiness yet lasts longer then just a moment
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes
[13:28] herman Bergson: intuitively I'd say that there is a relation between the meaning of life and happiness
[13:28] herman Bergson: this does not apply to joy
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh Max
[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): hallo Max
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hi Max
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i should have sent a tp
[13:29] bergfrau Apfelbaum: i believe that every person, even those who call themselves happy, are “not” always happy
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): agree bergie
[13:30] herman Bergson: We are good at lying, Bergie
[13:30] bergfrau Apfelbaum: it's life, sometimes up, sometimes down... for everyone, even for idiots like T P M .....
[13:31] Max Chatnoir: I'm sorry I missed the talk; I'll catch it on the blog!
[13:31] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): getting into happiness Max
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:31] Max Chatnoir: A good place for it!
[13:31] herman Bergson: Let's make Max happy and give her a copy of the text :-)
[13:31] bergfrau Apfelbaum: no one has to lie or tell the truth... everyone has bad times
[13:31] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): a ggood time also
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YAY! (yay!)
[13:32] Max Chatnoir: Oh, you all are so sweet!
[13:32] bergfrau Apfelbaum: everyone is human and stinks when he .....
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): has not showered?
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:32] bergfrau Apfelbaum: .........on the toilet was
[13:33] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:33] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:33] bergfrau Apfelbaum: ohhh hi Max! waves over
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:34] herman Bergson: Next lecture I'll present a few views on happiness as given by hinduism, Buddhism and others.
[13:35] Max Chatnoir: I think finding meaning can contribute to happiness.
[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:35] bergfrau Apfelbaum: when is the time change?
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): Saturday nite before bed here
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): usa
[13:36] herman Bergson: Yes Max, but in some cases it doesn't work the other way around.
[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): 2am est
[13:36] bergfrau Apfelbaum: ahh ok
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): you the 26 I think
[13:36] Max Chatnoir: I think we change on the 9th?
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes
[13:37] herman Bergson: yes
[13:37] bergfrau Apfelbaum: here March 30th
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): goodness
[13:37] herman Bergson: On Thursday we'll see what we'll do....maybe a Spring vacation of a week?
[13:37] Max Chatnoir: Are we sitting out the time change?
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): omg thats a while
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok not 26th
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): right
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): three weeks
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): every spring in sl lol'\
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): chaos
[13:38] herman Bergson: Three weeks is too long
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes it is
[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): absolute chaos
[13:38] herman Bergson: I just have to figure out what time to be here these three weeks...
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): everyone is confused
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh no spring break???
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): one hour earlier right then usual
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): 12 pm slt then
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): so have same slt
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): to
[13:39] herman Bergson: If it is 1 PM SL time then it is 21:00h European time?
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): 12 pst
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): normally yes
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): slt
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): 1 pm sl is 10 uur
[13:39] Max Chatnoir: does it get later earlier or get early later?
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): one hour earlier
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we have to be here at 9
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): 21 = 12 slt normally here in sweden
[13:40] herman Bergson: yes 22:00h..
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but will be 1 slt for a while now
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): so one hour earlier for us
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it never works out the first week
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ever!!!!
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): think all you want
[13:40] herman Bergson: so if the US comes one hour earlier, we have to be here one hour earlier as usual...so 21:00h
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed, your brain have scedule hard wired more or less
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): habit
[13:40] Max Chatnoir: So we'll take a week to figure it out?
[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): been doing this for 17 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[13:41] Max Chatnoir: Problem is it happens twice a year!
[13:41] herman Bergson: and we never got used to it Gemma
[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aah
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): well in the fall it is only 1 week
[13:41] Max Chatnoir: ...going in opposite directions!
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): usually
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): first three years Herman would not even listen to me when I told him
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): o ok he would say
[13:42] herman Bergson: then he was young and unexperienced, gemma
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yep
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): took a while
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: :-)
[13:42] herman Bergson: and now he is old and forgetfull :-)
[13:43] bergfrau Apfelbaum: @ 12 SLtime i am in RL..... most of the time
[13:43] bergfrau Apfelbaum: but luckily there is the blog :-)
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): true
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:43] herman Bergson: Maybe a next project on the philosophy of time ㋡
[13:44] Max Chatnoir: That would be interesting!
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:44] herman Bergson: oh my...what did I say.......
[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol
[13:45] herman Bergson: Ain't got time for that :-)
[13:45] Max Chatnoir: Your choice, Herman!
[13:45] herman Bergson: ㋡ Thank you, Max
[13:46] herman Bergson: Then...on to next Thursday and ponder about the time shift and how to deal with it
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:46] herman Bergson: Thank you all again...
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ◈ '`'*+:;..;:+*'`' ◈
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): `'*+:;.★ Laissez
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ◈ Les Bon Temps ◈
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ROULEZ! ☆.;:+*'`
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ◈ '`'*+:;..;:+*'`' ◈
[13:46] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Herman
[13:46] herman Bergson: Class dismissed...
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaaa
[13:47] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): bye for now
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice!
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki
[13:47] Henk Restless: Well, was nice :-)
[13:47] bergfrau Apfelbaum: thank you Herman and class!! here i am always happy :-)
[13:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): bye Henk
[13:47] Henk Restless: See you...
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu Henk
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
