The Conquest of Happiness

The Conquest of Happiness

The Conquest of Happiness

The Conquest of Happiness

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Overview

“Should be read by every parent, teacher, minister, and Congressman in the land.”—The Atlantic

In The Conquest of Happiness, first published by Liveright in 1930, iconoclastic philosopher Bertrand Russell attempted to diagnose the myriad causes of unhappiness in modern life and chart a path out of the seemingly inescapable malaise so prevalent even in safe and prosperous Western societies. More than eighty years later, Russell’s wisdom remains as true as it was on its initial release. Eschewing guilt-based morality, Russell lays out a rationalist prescription for living a happy life, including the importance of cultivating interests outside oneself and the dangers of passive pleasure. In this new edition, best-selling philosopher Daniel C. Dennett reintroduces Russell to a new generation, stating that Conquest is both “a fascinating time capsule” and “a prototype of the flood of self-help books that have more recently been published, few of them as well worth reading today as Russell’s little book.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780871406736
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication date: 08/05/2013
Pages: 224
Sales rank: 131,113
Product dimensions: 8.10(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was born in England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. His long career established him as one of the most influential philosophers, mathematicians, and social reformers of the twentieth century.

Daniel C. Dennett is University Professor Emeritus at Tufts University and the author of numerous books, including Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking, Breaking the Spell, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, and Consciousness Explained. He lives with his wife in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Table of Contents

Introduction Daniel C. Dennett 9

Preface 17

I Causes of Unhappiness

1 What Makes People Unhappy? 21

2 Byronic Unhappiness 31

3 Competition 47

4 Boredom and Excitement 57

5 Fatigue 67

6 Envy 79

7 The Sense of Sin 90

8 Persecution Mania 103

9 Fear of Public Opinion 116

II Causes of Happiness

10 Is Happiness Still Possible? 131

11 Zest 144

12 Affection 159

13 The Family 169

14 Work 188

15 Impersonal Interests 198

16 Effort and Resignation 207

17 The Happy Man 217

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