Happiness and Good Life are important ingredients of meaningful human existence. Happiness in itself interacts with various dimensions of good life—be it morality, health (mental and physical), wealth, knowledge, responsibility, self-fulfilment, etc. In the realm of Philosophy, happiness is a moral value and in today’s world we even look at it as a self-interested value. Thus, happiness emerges not only as a right but the responsibility to be pursued for complete wellbeing. If positive psychology has been delving deep into happiness and wellbeing studies, Philosophy as a discipline has also contributed immensely on the topics under consideration—both from eastern and western perspectives.

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics gives an elaborate exposition of good life and happiness through an understanding of ‘good’ wherein, “Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit is thought to aim at some good, and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim”. For Aristotle, happiness is a pleasant state of mind which is a habitual conduct of virtuous deeds thus good life is a happy life which reflects in his words as “…happy man lives well and does well…happiness as sort of good life and good action”. Virtue in form of ‘action’ leading to ‘good life’ emerges as a philosophically resonating concept in Aristotelian ethics.

The Indian ethics lays great emphasis on happiness and good life through various philosophical thoughts within the subcontinent. Bhagavadgītā—the quintessence of Indian culture and philosophical theory—focuses on cultivating the spirit of Sthitaprajña (stable intellect) while adhering to nishkāma karma (actions with complete detachment from consequences), specifically on social preservation, self-purification and self-realisation. This reflects in the words of Bhagavadgītā as, “An unlearned act from attachment to their work, so should the learned act, O Bharata, but without any attachment, with the desire to maintain the world over.” Thus, while pursuing one’s stationed duties a person learns to cut a middle course between pravṛitti (path of indulgence) and nivṛtti(the path of renunciation) and revolves around the concept of dharma (duty/righteousness) to understand what is happiness and the path to good life within the domain of Bhagavadgītā.

While thriving in the 21st century world, people generally are facing challenging conflicts in various situations of life, which make them grapple with the following questions:

1. What is happiness/good life? Are pleasure and happiness identical?

2. Why and how can we lead a happy and good life while struggling amidst the pressures of competitive existence?

3. Can materialistic outlook and technological advancement alone give us happiness and good life?

4. Does existence based on social media enhances the happiness and helps in making life good?

5. Do we need support from religion and spiritualism for happiness and good life?

6. Is there eternal happiness?

7. How can happiness and good life be linked with responsibility/duty?

8. Is goodness in life different for people of different regions, cultures and countries?

9. Can there be any interconnection between environment/society and happiness/good life?

10. Do we interpret happiness/good life as a new human right or a global right?

11. Can connection between morality and happiness be explained and if yes what are the ways?

12. Is being happy and leading a good life a moral responsibility or a social duty or is it the aim of political structuring?

13. Can mindfulness practices, meditative techniques or yoga consciousness create a bonding between life and happiness?

14. Do we need a new form of morality for cultivating happiness and assuring good life for all?

15. Can happiness of few/more depend on the unhappiness of few/more and vice-versa?

16. Can happiness/good life be the goal of education?

17. How can physical and mental wellbeing be combined to make way for happiness/good life?

A week-long seminar to be held in New Delhi, India will address the issues and concerns related to the above questions through a set of prescribed readings that will be assigned to the participants. An attempt will be made to revisit, study, analyse and understand the different theoretical and practical approaches to happiness and good life through /span> classical, modern and contemporary thoughts and traditions. The aim will be to encourage the participants to make presentations based upon philosophical reflections through their own cultural traditions. This cross-cultural study of happiness and good life will open newer avenues for better understanding of different cultures across the world.