ARGUING “VIRTUE”
CEO & President of the National Constitution Center; Author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America”
ARGUING “PLEASURE”
Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford; Uehiro Fellow
and Tutor in Philosophy at St. Anne’s College, Oxford
GUEST MODERATOR
Journalist and Co-Host of the Semafor Podcast “Mixed Signals”
This week:
- Happiness: Which philosophical wisdom can help us achieve it?
- A closer look at the factors Americans find important for a fulfilling life
- Your Sunday reading list
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… or is it?
You are likely looking down the barrel of stressful end-of-year work deadlines, rushed shopping trips, and some family gatherings that feel obligatory instead of celebratory. So, as we prepare for a restorative holiday break, we thought it would be fun to bring back one of our popular titles that addresses two competing paths to happiness, informed by the critical thinking of ancient philosophers.
Those arguing that practicing “virtue” is the fastest path to happiness would align with Aristotle and later, various principles of the Stoics. They make the case that happiness can be best achieved by living a virtuous life that prioritizes values like curiosity, courage, and self-regulation. One of our debaters argues that these principles informed those drafting the United States Constitution.
Those who suggest we should prioritize “pleasure” find inspiration in the words of Epicurus. They would say the goal is to maximize pleasure for ourselves and others. With more than a quarter of all adults globally feeling lonely, seeking happiness only through virtuous actions can be a path of pleasure, but it’s not the end-all-be-all. With more than a billion people worldwide feeling lonely, finding happiness in caring for our well-being is just as important as living a virtuous life.
Debating on the side of pleasure being key to the pursuit of happiness is Roger Crisp, who is a moral philosophy professor at the University of Oxford. Arguing that virtue is the key to the pursuit of happiness is the National Constitutional Center’s president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, who wrote the recent book “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America”.
Listen to the debate now on your favorite podcast platform, WNYC, and YouTube, and let us know how you find happiness in your everyday life. From all of us at Open to Debate, have a joyful and relaxing holiday season.
DEBATING THE DATA
What makes you feel happy and fulfilled in your life?
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue or Pleasure?
VIRTUE: Jeffrey Rosen
“Virtue meant different things over the ages, of course, but it had to do with self-mastery, character improvement, self-improvement, using your powers of reason to moderate your unreasonable passions and emotions so that you could be your best self and serve others, to use the modern formulation. It’s really a form of impulse control. Resisting your immediate urges and unproductive emotions like anger, jealousy, and fear so you can achieve the calm self-mastery that makes us productive and self-possessed citizens.”
PLEASURE: Roger Crisp
“Socrates had a pupil called Aristippus, who’s often identified as the first hedonist, who ran with that idea that pleasure is intuitively not, not only a good, but, but the good. In other words, anything else is good only in so far as it gives you pleasure that could include virtue. So there’s nothing to stop a hedonist saying the virtuous life is the best one, but it’s the best one because it gives you the greatest balance of pleasure over pain.”
WEEKLY POINTS OF VIEW
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Bjorn Lomborg | December 10, 2024
DC Journal
Watch Bjorn’s debate on whether humans can adapt to climate change
What Republicans and Democrats Get Wrong About Crime
Jennifer Doleac | December 7, 2024
The New York Times
Romania’s cancelled election is a lesson in social media manipulation
Marietje Schaake | December 12, 2024
Financial Times
Watch Marietje’s debate on whether Europe has declared war on American tech companies
Eugene Kontorovich | December 16, 2024
City Journal
Watch Eugene’s debate on whether the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu is justified
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