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Plato and Aristotle were first to write thoughtfully on what counts as a good human life. Their investigations introduced
the question of whether it was better to be good, or to be happy. Plato thought being good guaranteed happiness; Aristotle
disagreed, but just slightly. Philosophers ever since, by and large, have kept that question in mind, while psychologists,
relative newcomers to the topic, have not.
Philosophical advice, then, will naturally steer folks away from focusing on happiness, without a similar focus on goodness.
But what is it for a human being to be good? What lifestyles are good: contemplative, devotional, familial? What relationships:
those based on pleasure, usefulness, character? For goodness in action, are good intentions enough, or do we need certain
skills, knowledge, luck? If we bypass these concerns and pursue happiness directly will we miss it, as some Epicureans warned?
While many philosophical insights into living well and happily work on any worldview, what counts as a good person differs
substantially on each. So, while I am happy to advise folks on singular problems, case by case, for those who feel seriously
lost I guide study of the three worldviews that have arisen in Western civilization. The worldviews are fascinating in their
own right, but they are really essential for grasping the insights that have emerged in each.
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