Course Syllabus
Philosophy of Happiness |
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| Semester & Location: |
Summer 2024, Session 3 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
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Major Disciplines: |
Philosophy, Literature, Art |
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Prerequisite(s): |
None |
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Minor Disciplines: |
Ethics, Religious Studies |
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Faculty Member: |
Nan Gerdes |
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Office hours: |
By appointment: Please contact via Canvas Inbox |
| Time & Place: |
Time: 9:30 AM–12:30 PM daily, unless otherwise indicated |
DRAFT SYLLABUS - SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Description of Course
From cradle to grave, we all encounter trials and opportunities for growth. But do we seize upon these openings to evaluate life at its core? Do we pause to reflect on the consequences of human pursuit of happiness? Through the lens of philosophers and artists, this course examines the pressing, age-old question of human existence: “What is a happy life?” Dispelling the illusion that “happiness” is self-evident, in this course, we engage thinkers, writers, and works of art that prioritize questions about how we ought to live, and, importantly, how to promote a sustainably happy existence for ourselves, others, and the planet we inhabit.
We all seek happiness, but how do we go about finding it? Our course connects us to an ancient vein in European philosophy, which associates a sustainable form of happiness with a deep connection to nature. Tracing this vein into modernity, the course gives focus to philosophical and artistic connections between the question of happiness and Scandinavian nature. In their own ways, the thinkers and artists we study turned away from human social life and towards nature and wilderness in order to clear their minds and better contemplate the meaning of life from that perspective.
With these thinkers and artists as our guides, we turn our thoughts towards our relationships, activities, commitments, and thoughts and examine them to find out what truly drives happiness and to contemplate the importance of the natural world in our 21st century lives. How does our experience of nature, with our current threat of climate change and new perspectives on sustainability, differ from theirs and how is it still a similar refuge from stifling urban life? There may be no single key to happiness found at the end of this course, but in searching for it, we follow in the philosophical and literal footsteps of those who came before us and also sought to understand the mystery behind what makes for a happy life.
Learning Objectives
Together, we will be aiming to: (1) enter into dialogue with European philosophical, literary, and artistic traditions that have grappled with existential questions; (2) acquire academic skills in navigating and interpreting philosophical works, novels, and artworks; (3) develop abilities in nuancing and articulating our own views and positions in dialogue with those of others; and (4) relate our particular lived experience of the search for the good life to universal philosophical concepts that elucidate the human condition.
Faculty
Nan Gerdes, Ph.D. (University of Copenhagen, 2017). Postdocs at University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University in Literature and Philosophy. With DIS since 2018.
Readings include, among others, these texts:
- Andersen, Hans Christian, Denmark, The Little Mermaid, translated by Jean Hersholt, The Complete Andersen, HC Andersen Centeret, SDU
- Aristotle. The Nicomachean Ethics. London: Penguin Classics, 2020 (selections)
- Brinkmann, Svend. "Living Well and Living Right". In Hill et al. Critical Happiness Studies. Oxon & New York: Routledge, 2020, pp. 131-143
- Deshoulières, Antoinette. Poems
- Kierkegaard, Søren. Journals
- Kierkegaard, Søren. The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016 (selections, e-book in Modules)
- Kierkegaard, Søren. Stages on Life's Ways
- Næss, Arne. "The Place of Joy in a World of Fact." In: Drengson, A. (eds). The Selected Works of Arne Naess. Springer, Dordrecht, 2005, 2371–2382.
- Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on Inequality (selections)
- Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Reveries of the Solitary Walker. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011 (selections)
- Wollstonecraft, Mary. Letters written in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011 (selections)
Artists
- Thomas Dambo
Approach to Learning
We use the Socratic method in this course, which includes a close study of texts and persistent exploration of concrete life, always with a goal of raising everyday experience to a reflective level. We will employ an array of short lectures, student presentations, dialogue between partners, small group activities, full-class discussions, and assignments out and about in the city and nature. Our approach involves working together to mutually question assumptions, clarify positions, and help each other give birth to new thoughts and ideas. The focus is not so much on final answers as on good questions that open up further possibilities for inquiry.
Expectations of Participants
Active participation in all activities is essential for the success of the course. In each meeting, whether in the classroom or on tour, you are asked to raise questions in relation to the assigned texts or other material, to respond to your peers’ contributions, and to collaborate in group work. Full preparation before meetings includes close textual readings, note-taking, writing of discussion posts (see below), and reflection on possible directions for our dialogue once we are together.
On our study tour you will participate in a group with other students. Each group is responsible for leading one of our reading sessions (peer teaching).
Classroom Etiquette
Dialogue involves candid questioning. Thus, the feedback we give one another may be penetrating and challenging, but it will truly thrive only where it also achieves respect and charity. A helpful measuring bar is to consider our procedure as tending toward questioning rather than asserting.
No computers or phones in the classroom, except for access to readings. Please keep use of phones to a minimum during all course-related activities outside of class.
Evaluation
No previous experience in the discipline of philosophy is required, and you will be receiving substantial guidance in the learning process. Nevertheless, you will be challenged (whatever your starting point) to apply yourself in developing your fluency in the genre, both as a thinker and a writer. The purpose of the course assignments is to deepen and nuance your understanding of particular topics that deeply interest you, while acquiring tools for philosophical thinking useful across life.
Discussion Posts
In preparation for each class, you are asked to contribute to a discussion thread on Canvas. After having engaged with the assigned material, but before we meet in class, you will post your reflections and questions on the reading in paragraph form (ranging from 1–3 substantial paragraphs each time). This is a great opportunity to read the contributions of your peers as well. The discussion posts serve as preparatory work for your final paper.
Final Paper
The final paper (6-8 pages) will draw from and comprise content from your own discussion board posts. It will be a chance for you to bring together your reflections on the various themes we have touched upon throughout the course – into one paper. While the content of your final paper can overlap with your previous submissions (what you wrote in your discussion board posts), you must write a unique introduction and conclusion, edit the paper for clarity, and update your reflections wherever relevant. Include a unifying idea, addressed in the introduction and conclusion, and emphasized throughout wherever relevant. Don't worry if some of your content does not tie back directly to this theme; that is to be expected in this sort of assignment.
Grading Breakdown
| Assignment |
Percent |
| Attendance & Participation: |
XX % |
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Discussion Posts: |
XX % |
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Final Paper: |
XX % |
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org