Date/Time
Date(s) - 6 Dec 2018
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Location
Function Room at King's Head Hotel
Categories
Watch the following video before the event, we will then discuss happiness as a topic on the day:
Optional Material
Happiness Versus Contentment
Book Excerpt: Philosophy: The Basics – By Nigel Warburton
A related point has sometimes been made using the thought experiment of the Experience Machine, an example thought up by Robert Nozick (1938—2002). Imagine that you have the option of being plugged into a sophisticated virtual reality machine that will give you the illusion of having whatever experiences you most desire. You only have the choice of being plugged in for life; however, once you have been plugged in, you won’t realize that you are plugged in. This machine could give you a huge range of blissful mental states, yet most people considering this imaginary situation say they wouldn’t opt for it. They wouldn’t seek their own happiness irrespective of how it is produced: this suggests that happiness is not just a matter of mental states, but includes a notion of how those states are produced. And it is not at all plausible to suggest that a world in which everyone was plugged into Experience Machines giving them pleasant experiences would be morally superior to the present one. Yet on Bentham’s view it would have to be, since for him the methods of producing the blissful mental states did not matter.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
Interesting topic this one! It’s going to be fun agreeing (or not) on a set of norms as to what makes us happy considering the individual nature of the topic. Perhaps Maslows hierarchy of needs will be a good start. 🙂
Definitely a good topic (another member’s idea, which I thought would be a great topic). Maslow’s Hierarchy is always a classic.
I have this poster (with a suggested ten steps to happiness) in my room at home:
http://www.actionforhappiness.org/poster-great-dream
I once read a philosopher who asked if it would be wise to pump a “happy drug” into the water supply (one that guaranteed permanent happiness – a hypothetical). He asked if that would be a good idea. I think one of his views was that sometimes pain tells us something needs attending to (e.g. a thorn in our foot, or angry at our boss). I think he was a modern philosopher… I hope I can find the short article he wrote. Looking forward to this one!
EDIT: I found out that the philosopher was called A. C. Grayling. Here is the article:
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(05)66566-X.pdf
I’ve dabbled in the literature in the past — will be great to get more up to date. My previous doodles here: http://changingminds.org/techniques/happiness/happiness.htm
Thanks Dave. I love this pragmatic list. I remember feedback from the first incantation of our group was to have practical philosophy (philosophy that helps us in our daily lives) as well as theoretical. This definitely feels inline with that. Mike