Description
Well-being occupies a central role in ethics and political philosophy, including in major theories such as utilitarianism. It also extends far beyond philosophy: recent studies into the science and psychology of well-being have propelled the topic to centre stage, and governments spend millions on promoting it. We are encouraged to adopt modes of thinking and behaviour that support individual well-being or 'wellness'.
What is well-being? Which theories of well-being are most plausible? In this rigorous and comprehensive introduction to the topic, Guy Fletcher unpacks and assesses these questions and many more, including:
- Are pleasure and pain the only things that affect well-being?
- Is desire-fulfilment the only thing that makes our lives go well?
- Can something be good for someone who does not desire it?
- Is well-being fundamentally connected to a distinctive human nature?
- Is happiness all that makes our lives go well?
- Is death necessarily bad for us?
- How is the well-being of a whole life related to well-being at particular times?
Annotated further reading and study and comprehension questions follow each chapter, and a glossary of key terms is also included, making The Philosophy of Well-Being essential reading for students of ethics and political philosophy. This title is also suitable for those in related disciplines such as psychology, politics and sociology.
Author: Guy Fletcher
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 05/01/2016
Pages: 178
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN13: 9781138818354
ISBN10: 1138818356
BISAC Categories:
- Philosophy | Ethics & Moral Philosophy
About the Author
Guy Fletcher is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, UK. His current research is in metaethics, moral psychology and political philosophy. He is also the editor of The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Well-Being (2016).
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