Philosophers call theories that promote happiness "eudaimonistic." Aristotle and J.S. Mill are eudaimonistic philosophers. Kant, who famously said "it is one thing to be happy another to be good," is non-eudaimonistic. Is Buddhism eudaimonistic?
In the following lecture, the philosopher Owen Flanagan explores whether Buddhism is eudaimonistic. In so doing, he presents some interpretive points about the general structure of Buddhist ethics, and the plausibility of empirical claims about Buddhism and happiness.
This podcast was produced by the Columbia Society for Comparative Philosophy. To find out more about the CSCP, and our lecture series, please visit our website.