Introduction [Perspectives on wellbeing : a reader]

Abstract

The study of wellbeing is certainly not new. Over two millennia ago, the Ancient Greeks were already debating different conceptions of the good life, and how it may be fostered, albeit a debate for the privileged in ancient Greek society. In his Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle speaks of three bases for happiness: sensual pleasure, honour, or true happiness, which results from a philosophical approach to life. For Aristotle, true happiness is a lifelong endeavour and not a fleeting feeling; it is the objective result of rational thought and virtuous action. His eudaimonic vision of happiness is often contrasted with a hedonistic approach, where happiness is seen to lie in the subjective pleasure of satisfying one's desires.