HONR218I: HAPPINESS AND HUMAN NATURE
(Fall 2014)
Prof. Susan Dwyer
Skinner 1110B
301.405.7867
dwyer@umd.edu
M, W: 10:00AM – 11:15AM
Location: ANA 0120
OH: Tu, 4:00 – 5:00PM
or by appointment.
Course description
What is happiness and what is its role in a good human life? While these important
questions are as old as the most ancient philosophical traditions, there is little, if
any, consensus about their answers. Psychologists, evolutionary biologists,
economists and neuroscientists now join philosophers in the quest to understand
the nature of human happiness. Indeed, the “science of happiness” and “positive
psychology” are on the ascendant, promising us hard data about what happiness is
and providing strategies about how to achieve it. Whatever the results from this
new research, we need to critically evaluate it before we can accept its ‘real world’
application in the construction of public policy. In addition, there are some serious
puzzles about happiness – for example, is happiness the most important element in
a good life? Can a deeply immoral person be happy?
The central questions of this interdisciplinary and critical seminar are:
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What is happiness? Is it purely subjective, or is it objective?
Can happiness be measured? If so, how?
What are the primary determinants of happiness? Wealth, health, love?
Can whole societies be happy? What social, economic and political
institutions foster and support societal happiness?
Is it possible to make or help people be happier?
Can we be mistaken about whether we are truly happy?
Is happiness good for you?
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Identify the major questions and issues about the philosophy and science of
happiness, stated above.
Describe and critically evaluate the sources and methods of inquiry that
philosophers and psychologists use to explore these issues and questions.
Demonstrate an understanding of basic terms, concepts, and approaches that
experts employ in dealing with the central puzzles concerning happiness.
Demonstrate an understanding of the political, social, economic, and ethical
dimensions of happiness, especially of the role of happiness in a good human
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life and the role of the state in nurturing or increasing the happiness of its
citizens.
Communicate major ideas and issues raised by the course through effective
written and/or oral presentations.
Articulate how this course has invited them to think critically and in new
ways about the role of happiness in their lives, how they hinder or contribute
to the happiness of others, and how assumptions about happiness and
human nature underlie every serious kind of intellectual inquiry.
Required Texts
Haybron, Daniel M. 2013. Happiness: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford
University Press).
Huxley, Aldous. 1932/2006. Brave New World (New York: HarperCollins).
Evaluation
Maximum points = 100. A+ (95-100); A (90-94); A- (85-89); B+ (80-84); B (75-79);
B- (70-74); C+ (65-69); C (60-64); D (50-59); F (<50).
Please note the following:
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Work must be excellent to be assigned a grade in the “A” range; work must be
good to be assigned a grade in the “B” range; work that is merely acceptable
will be assigned a grade in the “C” range; borderline work will fall in the “D”
range; and “F” signifies failure and unsatisfactory performance. This means
that it is not possible for any paper that contains spelling errors or
basic grammatical errors to receive a grade in the “A” range.
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Your grade is assessed on the basis of the quality of your work, not in terms
of ‘how many points are deducted’ from the maximum possible score.
Your final grade will be determined on the following basis (due dates are noted on
the syllabus in bold.):
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3 short writing assignments (750-1000 words each) = 10+15+15 = 40
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2 papers (1200-1750 words each) = 25+30 = 55
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Class participation (quality and quantity) = 5
Academic Integrity
Cheating, dishonesty, and plagiarism directly violate the core values of academe. We
are enormously privileged to be part of this learning community, where we are free
to explore things that interest us, to develop our own ideas, and to learn from
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others. Certain responsibilities come along with this privilege. In particular, the
work you submit for grading must be your own. You must make every effort to
ensure that you properly credit others when you use their ideas or their words in
your papers. If you are in any doubt about how to do this, talk to me or to your
Teaching Assistant. Please familiarize yourself with the University’s Code of
Academic Integrity available at: www.president.umd.edu/policies/iii100a.html
Communications and Office Hours
I shall post courses materials (e.g., the syllabus, bibliography, assignments and
readings), grades and announcements to the whole class on ELMS. However, I do
not like to use ELMS as a one-on-one communication medium. For this I shall use
email, and I ask you to do the same. I will also ask that you do not submit your
assignments through ELMS either. I shall let you know for each assignment whether
you should submit it in hard copy or via email.
I will respond to email between 10:00AM and 6:00PM, Monday through Friday, and
VERY rarely (if at all) on the weekends. (I am working on my happiness )
Honors students are some of the busiest students on campus, and I have found that
it is better to arrange office hours by appointment. I encourage you come visit to
talk about the course material, and it’s perfectly fine to come in pairs or small
groups. Please request an appointment at least 2 weekdays (M-F) days in advance,
letting me know the days and times you CANNOT make a meeting. I shall schedule
meetings for 15-30 minutes each.
Policies
These policies apply to everyone enrolled for credit in this course. There will
be NO EXCEPTIONS – NONE. In order to avoid any unpleasantness later, please
read them carefully now.
1. You must complete all assigned work in order to pass the class. If you
fail to complete just one piece of assigned work, you will receive an F
for the course.
2. You may bring your laptop to class in order to take notes, to access the
course readings and to pursue in-class research. However, if I notice that
you are reading your email or doing something else unrelated to the seminar,
I will call you out publicly. Please turn off your phones. The use of a phone
is completely prohibited during class.
3. You must have serious grounds for an extension. Work in another class does
not count as a sufficient reason for an extension in this class. When the need
for an extension for medical reasons arises, you must present a medical note.
In any case, you must request an extension at least 2 weekdays prior to the
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due date. Extensions requested after that will not be granted. Please note
that work that is late without an extension will not be accepted for a
grade and you will fail the course.
4. There will be a 24-hour “cooling off” period after the return of all graded
work. You must take at least a day to read over the comments before coming
to me to discuss your graded work.
5. Work for submitted for a grade in another class may not be submitted for a
grade in this course.
6. I have a zero tolerance policy regarding academic misconduct. If I suspect
you of cheating or plagiarism, I will send a report to the Honor Council. If you
are found guilty of cheating or plagiarism, severe penalties, including
expulsion, may result.
Class attendance and participation
I expect 100% attendance. If you will be late or need to leave early for academic or
professional reasons, please let me know in advance. Since this is a seminar, we are
jointly responsible for its success. I expect each of you to participate and to speak
directly to your peers. In other words, it is not the case that everything ‘goes
through me’, so to speak. It should go without saying for Honors students, but I’ll say
it anyway: I’ll expect you to have the done the reading for each class in advance and
always have the day’s assigned reading with you in class.
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SYLLABUS
(note: subject to change)
09.03
Introductory matters.
First short writing assignment distributed.
09.08
Nozick, “The experience machine”
First short writing assignment part 1 DUE in class.
09.12
First short writing assignment part 2 DUE by 5:00PM via email
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
09.10
Haybron (2013), Chapter 1 “A remarkable fact”
Haybron (2008), Chapter 2 “Happiness, well-being, and the good life:
A primer”
09.15
Haybron (2008), Chapter 2, cont.
09.17
Haybron (2013), Chapter 2 “What is happiness?”
Haybron, Chapter 4: “Pleasure”
Second short writing assignment distributed.
09.22
NO CLASS
09.24
Morris, “In defense of the hedonistic account of happiness”
Second short writing assignment DUE in class.
09.29
Haybron (2008), Chapter 6: “Emotional state”
10.01
cont.
10.06
Haybron (2013), Chapter 3: “Life satisfaction”
First paper topics distributed.
10.08
cont.
MEASURING HAPPINESS
10.13
Haybron (2013) Chapter 4, “Measuring happiness”
Greve, “Can we measure happiness?”
10.15
Haybron (2008), Chapter 10: “Do We Know How Happy We Are?”
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WHAT MAKES US HAPPY?
10.20
Haybron (2013) Chapter 5: “The sources of happiness”
First paper DUE in class.
10.22
Zelenski and Nisbet, “Happiness and feeling connected”
Weekend 10.24/25 Possible Happiness Hike and Camping Adventure!
10.27
Haybron (2008), Chapter 12: “Happiness in Context”
10.29
Cervinka et al. R., “Are nature lovers happy?”
NON-WESTERN CONCEPTIONS OF HAPPINESS
11.03
Epstein, “Opening up to happiness”
Third short writing assignment DUE in class.
11.05
Dharma
WELL-BEING AND VIRTUE
11.10
Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, Books 1-3
Available here: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html
11.12
Aristotle, cont.
Haybron, Chapter 8: “Well-Being and Virtue”
Second paper topics distributed.
11.17
Haybron, Chapter 8: “Well-Being and Virtue”, cont.
11.19
Tiberius and Hall, “Normative theory and psychological
research”
HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING AND JUSTICE
11.24
Martin, “Personal and Political”
Oishi, Chapter 9: “What is a Good Society?”
11.26
SPECIAL MEETING (Wednesday before Thanksgiving)
12.01
Martin; Oishi, cont.
Second paper DUE in class.
12.03
Happiness, well-being, and political friendship
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12.08
Cahn, “The Happy Immoralist”
Murphy, “The Unhappy Immoralist”
12.10
Wrap up
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aristotle. Nichomachean Ethics.
Cahn, Steven M. 2004. The Happy Immoralist. Journal of Social Philosophy 35:1
Cervinka, R., Röderer, K., & Hefler, E. 2012. Are nature lovers happy? On various
indicators of well-being and connectedness with nature. Journal of Health
Psychology, 17: 379-388.
Greve, Bent. 2012. Happiness. London & New York: Routledge.
Haybron, Daniel. 2013. Happiness: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford
University Press).
Haybron, Daniel. 2008. The Pursuit of Unhappiness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martin, Mike W. 2012. Happiness and the Good Life. New York: Oxford.
Morris, Stephen. 2011. In defense of the hedonistic account of happiness.
Philosophical Psychology 24: 26-281.
Murphy, Jeffrie G. 2004. The Unhappy Immoralist. Journal of Social Philosophy 35:
11-13.
Nozick, Robert. 1974. Anarchy, State and Utopia. New York: Basic Books.
Oishi, Shigehiro. 2012. The Psychological Wealth of Nations. Do happy people make
a society happy? Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Tiberius, V & Hall, A. nd Normative theory and psychological research: hedonism,
eudaimonism and why it matters. (Ms.)
Zelenski, J.M. & E. K. Nisbet. 2012. Happiness and feeling connected: the distinct role
of nature relatedness. Environment and Behavior 46: 3-23.
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