This book offers an original account of an ancient, alternative form of ‘negative’ reason which stands in antithesis to its modern instrumental form which has dominated thinking about the pursuit of human development since the Enlightenment. It advances arguments for the recovery of such reason as a spiritual and therapeutic way of life and demonstrates that it is impossible to fully appreciate the Christian apophatic tradition without investigating the intricacies of its philosophical heritage. The aim of this discussion is the retrieval and rediscovery of invaluable insights from ancient philosophy in the universal pursuit of happiness. The book’s re-appropriation of the ‘negative’ philosophical and theological articulation of the pursuit of eudaimonia offers to redirect those living in the twenty-first century towards the significance of the Christian apophatic ascent and in so doing to assist them in uncapping the wellsprings of human passion, desire and happiness.

This book offers an original account of an ancient, alternative form of 'negative' reason which stands in antithesis to its modern instrumental form which has dominated thinking about the pursuit of human development since the Enlightenment. It advances arguments for the recovery of such reason as a spiritual and therapeutic way of life and demonstrates that it is impossible to fully appreciate the Christian apophatic tradition without investigating the intricacies of its philosophical heritage. The aim of this discussion is the retrieval and rediscovery of invaluable insights from ancient philosophy in the universal pursuit of happiness. The book's re-appropriation of the 'negative' philosophical and theological articulation of the pursuit of eudaimonia offers to redirect those living in the twenty-first century towards the significance of the Christian apophatic ascent and in so doing to assist them in uncapping the wellsprings of human passion, desire and happiness.

The Best Within Us assembles a panel of distinguished scholars whose work has been central to understanding positive aspects of psychological functioning. Together, the chapters explore the many ways in which the philosophic concept of eudaimonia is being employed in psychology. Eudaimonia is defined in this volume as: Flourishing Realisation of potentials reflecting the true self Happiness that comes from the pursuit of virtue/excellence Although philosophy continues to pit hedonism and eudaimonism against one another, theoretical and empirical work in psychology leads to the conclusion that eudaimonic functioning is the most reliable basis for life satisfaction. The source of happiness plays the greatest role in the outcomes obtained. Chapters in this volume also reveal that eudaimonic functioning not only yields quality of life benefits to the individual, it also benefits others in the person's life and extended community. Individuals whose behaviours reflect eudaimonic functioning have demonstrably closer, more caring, and more intimate personal relationships, and engage more extensively in a wide range of prosocial activities. This book is for personality and social psychologists with a teaching and research interest in positive psychology, well-being, happiness, self-acceptance and self-esteem, identity, meaning in life, self-determination and autonomy, and motivation. Psychologists examining the intersections of psychology with philosophy will find much of interest here. This book is also for philosophers, sociologists, and political scientists, and graduate students seeking research ideas pertaining to quality of life.

Whether watching baseball or undergoing heart surgery, Americans have bought a variety of goods and services to achieve happiness. Here is a provocative look at what they have chosen to purchase. Stanley Lebergott maintains that the average consumer has behaved more reasonably than many distinguished critics of "materialism" have suggested. He sees consumers seeking to make an uncertain and often cruel world into a pleasanter and more convenient place--and, for the most part, succeeding. With refreshing common sense, he reminds us of what many "luxuries" have meant, especially for women: increased income since 1900 has been used largely to lighten the backbreaking labor once required by household chores. Originally published in 1993. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This book arose out of an investigative attempt to use methods adapted from the field of Organizational Culture to answer the related questions, "Where did the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence come from?", "What kind of men could create a document so powerful it became a revered work of what some call republican scripture?", "How did the supposedly flawed organization of the Continental Congress accomplish so much, and create so many ideas of so lasting importance?" And most important, "What lessons can we learn from them?" It suggests that 106 contributors to the Declaration - 100 delegates and 6 men of moral influence in Philadelphia connected to the congress - debated not only the politics of separation, but the moral philosophy that justified the revolution. The Declaration was as Jefferson called it a "harmonizing sentiment" among competing moral values systems of Calvinist-Puritans, Quaker-Spiritualists, Social-Anglicans and a new domestic school of moral philosophy American Practical Idealism that arose in 1740s at Yale, and the 1750s at King?s College (now Columbia) and the College of Philadelphia (now Penn). This last school of philosophy was not based on ideas from Locke, or English Republican Radicals, Scottish "innate sense" moral philosophy, as often suggested, but on the moral philosophy of the American Dr. Samuel Johnson of Yale and King's College, which was then promoted by Dr. Benjamin Franklin and Provost Dr. William Smith at the College of Philadelphia. It also suggests that the Continental Congress in its fifteen years of existence was not just a rather long ad hoc meeting of individuals in wigs. Rather, it was a tremendously effective organizational culture in itself that deserves to be analyzed for its extraordinary accomplishments -- and to see if we can imitate its successes.

The best minds in positive psychology survey the state of the field Positive Psychology in Practice, Second Edition moves beyond the theoretical to show how positive psychology is being used in real-world settings, and the new directions emerging in the field. An international team of contributors representing the best and brightest in the discipline review the latest research, discuss how the findings are being used in practice, explore new ideas for application, and discuss focus points for future research. This updated edition contains new chapters that explore the intersection between positive psychology and humanistic psychology, salugenesis, hedonism, and eudaimonism, and more, with deep discussion of how the field is integrating with the new areas of self-help, life coaching, social work, rehabilitation psychology, and recovery-oriented service systems. This book explores the challenges and opportunities in the field, providing readers with the latest research and consensus on practical application. Get up to date on the latest research and practice findings Integrate positive psychology into assessments, life coaching, and other therapies Learn how positive psychology is being used in schools Explore possible directions for new research to push the field forward Positive psychology is being used in areas as diverse as clinical, counseling, forensic, health, educational, and industrial/organizational settings, in a wide variety of interventions and applications. Psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to promote human flourishing and well-being will find the second edition of Positive Psychology in Practice to be an informative, comprehensive guide.