EBOOK Happiness and the Good Life

What is happiness? How is it related to morality and virtue? Does living with        illusion promote or diminish happiness? Is it better to pursue happiness with a        partner than alone? Philosopher Mike W. Martin addresses these and other questions        as he connects the meaning of happiness with the philosophical notion of "e;the good        life."e; Defining happiness as loving one's life and valuing it in ways manifested by        ample enjoyment and a deep sense of meaning, Martin explores the ways in which        happiness interacts with all other dimensions of good lives--in particular with        moral decency and goodness, authenticity, mental health, self-fulfillment, and        meaningfulness. He interweaves a variety of examples from memoirs, novels, and films        along the way, connecting his discussion of the philosophical issues to related        topics that interest all of us: virtue, love, philanthropy, suffering, simplicity,        balancing work and leisure, and much more. Drawing on wide-ranging and robust        evidence, Martin also makes the case that we need a "e;politics of happiness"e; whereby        government would apply the results of recent "e;happiness studies"e; in psychology to        public policy.