Dean of the College Presents
Faculty Seminar
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Olin Humanities, Room 102
The Pursuit of Unhappiness
Presented by Jay Elliott
Presented by Jay Elliott
In recent years, many philosophers have taken a renewed interest in ancient Greek thought about happiness, according to which we should think of happiness not as a momentary state of bliss or contentment, but as overall success in a well-lived life. Most contemporary writers have been especially sympathetic to Aristotle’s view of happiness, which holds that a happy person needs both moral virtue and good fortune. But some recent philosophers, drawing on a line of criticism that goes back to the Stoics, argue that Aristotle’s attempt to combine a prominent role for both virtue and luck in happiness makes his position fundamentally incoherent. In “The Pursuit of Unhappiness,” I approach the question of whether Aristotle’s view can be given a coherent interpretation by focusing on the vexed issue of whether, according to Aristotle, a virtuous person could ever become unhappy, and if not, why not.
Please join us at 6:30 p.m. for a reception prior to the event in the Olin Atrium.
For more information, call 845-758-7490, or e-mail [email protected].
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102