The Many Philosophies of Happiness: A Close Reading into the Ancient and Contemporary Theories of Happiness
Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Open Access
Presentation Type
Oral presentation
Entry Number
83
Start Date
4-16-2026 10:45 AM
End Date
4-16-2026 11:00 AM
School
School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department
Philosophy
Keywords
Tripartite Soul, The Good, Eudaimonia, Justice, Virtue, Quantitive Happiness
Abstract
Happiness is a universal human concept studied and analyzed by many people across the globe. The Gallup World Poll on Happiness is a set of data that provides an example of how contemporary society approaches the topic. This poll evaluates and gathers the numbers on the happiest countries in the world and the condition of global wellbeing by asking people to rate their life on a scale from 1 to 10. This contemporary notion of happiness as described through this poll holds an array of differences from the definition of happiness articulated by famous ancient thinkers. Plato and Aristotle are two foundational philosophers in the realm of ancient philosophy, and in their texts, Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics they each have developed detailed and complex arguments on the avenue that a person should take to achieve happiness. Though these philosophers' arguments envelop similar philosophical concepts, there are staunch differences in their overall theories of happiness.
The project’s aim is to not only compare the two ancient theories presented, but to go further into the comparison of their theories in relation to the consensus of the Gallup World Poll on Happiness. To fully develop the project, research methods will include close readings and interpretation of the ancient texts paired with the definition of happiness provided by the Gallup World Poll on Happiness. This research method will act as a close textual analysis of each theory. The expected result of the comparisons would be that the ancient philosophers’ theories of happiness will greatly differ from the concept articulated in the contemporary poll. The project will dive into where the difference may come from with textual comparisons, and show how happiness has multiple definitions and theories behind it. The project is intended to challenge the possible preconceived notions that the audience has on the topic of happiness and think deeper into their personal beliefs. The ability to analyze and support an argument for a personal belief is an important stepping stone for building strong, supported arguments regarding any topic. This thesis is significant because it will serve as an example of how to properly break down and analyze philosophical arguments that the audience may not even be aware that they believe in. This example of breaking down arguments and building support are skills that also expand beyond philosophical discussion and can be used in any field of study.
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Stephen Dawson Dr. Elizabeth Sharrett Dr. Lorna Dawson
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Philosophy, Political Science, English
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The Many Philosophies of Happiness: A Close Reading into the Ancient and Contemporary Theories of Happiness
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Happiness is a universal human concept studied and analyzed by many people across the globe. The Gallup World Poll on Happiness is a set of data that provides an example of how contemporary society approaches the topic. This poll evaluates and gathers the numbers on the happiest countries in the world and the condition of global wellbeing by asking people to rate their life on a scale from 1 to 10. This contemporary notion of happiness as described through this poll holds an array of differences from the definition of happiness articulated by famous ancient thinkers. Plato and Aristotle are two foundational philosophers in the realm of ancient philosophy, and in their texts, Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics they each have developed detailed and complex arguments on the avenue that a person should take to achieve happiness. Though these philosophers' arguments envelop similar philosophical concepts, there are staunch differences in their overall theories of happiness.
The project’s aim is to not only compare the two ancient theories presented, but to go further into the comparison of their theories in relation to the consensus of the Gallup World Poll on Happiness. To fully develop the project, research methods will include close readings and interpretation of the ancient texts paired with the definition of happiness provided by the Gallup World Poll on Happiness. This research method will act as a close textual analysis of each theory. The expected result of the comparisons would be that the ancient philosophers’ theories of happiness will greatly differ from the concept articulated in the contemporary poll. The project will dive into where the difference may come from with textual comparisons, and show how happiness has multiple definitions and theories behind it. The project is intended to challenge the possible preconceived notions that the audience has on the topic of happiness and think deeper into their personal beliefs. The ability to analyze and support an argument for a personal belief is an important stepping stone for building strong, supported arguments regarding any topic. This thesis is significant because it will serve as an example of how to properly break down and analyze philosophical arguments that the audience may not even be aware that they believe in. This example of breaking down arguments and building support are skills that also expand beyond philosophical discussion and can be used in any field of study.