The Philosophy of Happiness: A State of Being

Abstract

Depression is a mental condition of dejection and can limit one’s energy and motivation to engage in life. The purpose of this Senior Honors Project is to develop a concept of happiness so that a better understanding of happiness may be established. It is a secondary goal that the depressed can utilize this concept and incorporate it into their lives so that they may improve their mental health and state of being. With the aforementioned in consideration, it will be of further use for the research to provide a foundation for such a means of obtaining a state of well-being and contentment. It is important to note that this research highlights the importance of several ideas when discussing the pursuit of happiness, such as: "autonomy", “the state’s duty”, “virtuosity” and "mindfulness.” Findings will be ascertained through the examination of how respected philosophers (such as Aristotle, John Stuart Mills, Carl Rogers, Immanuel Kant, etc.) have viewed the concept of happiness and how these teachings can encourage one to find happiness. Moreover, a hybrid view of happiness will be gained from examining arguments from theories of hedonism and eudaimonism. Once there is a compilation of philosophical foundations for happiness, efforts will be motivated towards identifying how the depressed can utilize the information synthesized in this report to better understand how to promote enduring happiness in one’s life. In combination with other efforts discussed in the research project, findings will illustrate how ‘mindfulness’ is an effective means towards promoting enduring happiness.