Are we Happy Yet?

… So what? Are we happier now than we were then? Has human progress made us happier? How can we measure happiness?

A Historical Approach “We must be happier because we use our abilities to make life easier and improve conditions for ourselves.” Problems Alternative-we are actually more miserable and cruel than ever Is there a middle ground?

Measuring Happiness SWB-Subjective Well Being With an objective measure for happiness, we can measure happiness in a variety of conditions. Does money buy happiness? Does health predict happiness? Does social group predict happiness?

Expectations Problem: Happiness is not objective, but a subjective measure Fallacy of looking back Was your great(x10) grandfather happier than you? Media impact on happiness

A Biological Approach Happiness isn’t caused by anything external; it’s all brain chemicals The Human Air Conditioning Predetermined for happiness? If biology accounts for all of happiness, than history is irrelevant

A Meaningful Approach Happiness is dependent on the meaningful life, rather than biology. Nietzsche: “If you have a why to live, you can bear almost any how.” If happiness relies on meaning, we may now be less happy All meaning is fiction

Perception and Pursuit Happiness is based on subjective feeling-unique to liberalism Traditional views had objective measures for goodness Buddhism offers an alternative