The Dissenter | #823 Owen Flanagan: Against Happiness @TheDissenterRL | Uploaded August 2023 | Updated October 2024, 5 hours ago.
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This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: enlites.com
RECORDED ON JULY 24th 2023.
Dr. Owen Flanagan is James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Duke University. His work is in philosophy of mind and psychiatry, ethics, moral psychology, and cross-cultural philosophy. He is co-author of Against Happiness.
This is our second interview. You can watch the first one, on The Geography of Morals, here: youtu.be/1jEyXTmzdzM
In this episode, we focus on Against Happiness. We talk about the “happiness agenda”, and what is promoted by advocates of happiness as the ultimate goal. We discuss if this agenda is hedonist and utilitarian. We talk about some philosophical issues, and criticisms of positive psychology. We discuss what “happiness” means, and issues with how it is measured. We talk about different hierarchies of values across cultures. We discuss problems with averaging subjective satisfaction scores and comparing countries, and how norms can influence how people answer surveys. We talk about some of the politics of this, and question if promoting happiness is a political virtue, if disadvantaged people want it, and the example of feminism in China. Finally, we discuss what cross-cultural work teaches us about norms and individual differences.
Time Links:
00:00 Intro
00:46 The “happiness agenda”
03:05 Do people who say that happiness is the ultimate goal really think that themselves?
07:32 Is the “happiness agenda” hedonist?
12:42 Is it utilitarian?
16:04 Philosophy and positive psychology
24:08 What “happiness” means, and issues with how we measure it
47:14 Different hierarchies of values
53:23 Averaging subjective satisfaction scores and comparing countries
57:43 Answering surveys, and the influence of norms
59:46 Is promoting happiness a political virtue? Is that really what disadvantaged people want?
1:07:04 The example of feminism in China
1:12:49 What cross-cultural work teaches us about norms and individual differences
1:25:36 Follow Dr. Flanagan’s work!
--
Follow Dr. Flanagan’s work:
Faculty page: bit.ly/3uZ4xHX
PhilPeople profile: bit.ly/3hC6nvk
Against Happiness: bit.ly/44Hbw96
--
A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, OLAF ALEX, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, MIKKEL STORMYR, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, DANIEL FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, CHARLES MOREY, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, STARRY, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, CHRIS STORY, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, BENJAMIN GELBART, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, NIKLAS CARLSSON, ISMAËL BENSLIMANE, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, PER KRAULIS, KATE VON GOELER, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, LIAM DUNAWAY, BR, AND MASOUD ALIMOHAMMADI!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, AL NICK ORTIZ, AND NICK GOLDEN!
AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, BOGDAN KANIVETS, AND VEGA G!
------------------Support the channel------------
Patreon: patreon.com/thedissenter
PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter
PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy
PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l
PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz
PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m
PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: tinyurl.com/y95uvkao
------------------Follow me on---------------------
Facebook: facebook.com/thedissenteryt
Twitter: twitter.com/TheDissenterYT
Podcast: bit.ly/3FeSNqb
This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: enlites.com
RECORDED ON JULY 24th 2023.
Dr. Owen Flanagan is James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Duke University. His work is in philosophy of mind and psychiatry, ethics, moral psychology, and cross-cultural philosophy. He is co-author of Against Happiness.
This is our second interview. You can watch the first one, on The Geography of Morals, here: youtu.be/1jEyXTmzdzM
In this episode, we focus on Against Happiness. We talk about the “happiness agenda”, and what is promoted by advocates of happiness as the ultimate goal. We discuss if this agenda is hedonist and utilitarian. We talk about some philosophical issues, and criticisms of positive psychology. We discuss what “happiness” means, and issues with how it is measured. We talk about different hierarchies of values across cultures. We discuss problems with averaging subjective satisfaction scores and comparing countries, and how norms can influence how people answer surveys. We talk about some of the politics of this, and question if promoting happiness is a political virtue, if disadvantaged people want it, and the example of feminism in China. Finally, we discuss what cross-cultural work teaches us about norms and individual differences.
Time Links:
00:00 Intro
00:46 The “happiness agenda”
03:05 Do people who say that happiness is the ultimate goal really think that themselves?
07:32 Is the “happiness agenda” hedonist?
12:42 Is it utilitarian?
16:04 Philosophy and positive psychology
24:08 What “happiness” means, and issues with how we measure it
47:14 Different hierarchies of values
53:23 Averaging subjective satisfaction scores and comparing countries
57:43 Answering surveys, and the influence of norms
59:46 Is promoting happiness a political virtue? Is that really what disadvantaged people want?
1:07:04 The example of feminism in China
1:12:49 What cross-cultural work teaches us about norms and individual differences
1:25:36 Follow Dr. Flanagan’s work!
--
Follow Dr. Flanagan’s work:
Faculty page: bit.ly/3uZ4xHX
PhilPeople profile: bit.ly/3hC6nvk
Against Happiness: bit.ly/44Hbw96
--
A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, OLAF ALEX, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, MIKKEL STORMYR, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, DANIEL FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, CHARLES MOREY, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, STARRY, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, CHRIS STORY, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, BENJAMIN GELBART, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, NIKLAS CARLSSON, ISMAËL BENSLIMANE, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, PER KRAULIS, KATE VON GOELER, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, LIAM DUNAWAY, BR, AND MASOUD ALIMOHAMMADI!
A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, AL NICK ORTIZ, AND NICK GOLDEN!
AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, BOGDAN KANIVETS, AND VEGA G!
