The Psychology of Happiness A Good Human Life

When Thomas Jefferson placed 'the pursuit of happiness' along with life and liberty in The Declaration of Independence he was most likely referring to Aristotle's concept of happiness, or eudaimonia. Eudaimonia is not about good feelings but rather the fulfilment of human potentials. Fulfilment is made possible by virtue; the moderation of desire and emotion by reason. The Psychology of Happiness was the first book to bring together psychological, philosophical, and physiological theory and research in support of Aristotle's view. It examines the similarity between Aristotle's concept of virtue and modern cognitive theories of emotion. It discusses the discovery of human potentials, the development of virtue and its neurological basis, the mistaken idea that fulfilment is selfish, and several other issues related to the pursuit of a good human life.

1. What is happiness; 2. Happiness as fulfillment; 3. Aristotle's ethics; 4. Actualization: psychological views; 5. Knowing thyself; 6. The things we need to be happy: the relativity of goods and the golden mean; 7. Introduction to virtue; 8. Some of the more important virtues; 9. Virtue and emotion; 10. Early psychological views of virtue and emotion; 11. Virtue and emotion: recent psychological views; 12. The physiological basis of virtue; 13. Emotional intelligence; 14. The development of virtue according to Aristotle; 15. Psychological views of virtue development; 16. The polis and actualization; 17. Contemplation: another kind of happiness.

The Psychology of Happiness was the first book to bring together psychological, philosophical, and physiological theory and research in support of the major ideas of Aristotle's concept of happiness - eudaimonia, the fulfilment of one's potential, and virtue, the moderation of desire and emotion by reason.

Samuel S. Franklin is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at California State University, Fresno. His work has focused on visual perception, motivation, the history of psychology, and the psychology of happiness. He began teaching the psychology of happiness in the late 1970s and was one of the first to do so. His research on Aristotle's view of happiness has been presented at conferences, and he has published several articles in the area of visual perception.