The conquest of happiness

The conquest of happiness

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In The Conquest of Happiness, first published in 1930, iconoclastic philosopher Bertrand Russell attempted to diagnose the myriad causes of unhappiness in modern life and chart a path out of the seemingly inescapable malaise so prevalent even in safe and prosperous Western societies. More than eighty years later, Russell's wisdom remains as true as it was on its initial release. Eschewing guilt-based morality, Russell lays out a rationalist prescription for living a happy life, including the importance of cultivating interests outside oneself and the dangers of passive pleasure. In this new edition, philosopher Daniel C. Dennett reintroduces Russell to a new generation.


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This is just a placeholder until I find the time to properly convey my thoughts because this book absolutely deserves it.

September 11, 2021

Need to get around some sexism, some platitudes, some classism, and some entitled nonsense, but I liked the ‘taxonomy' of sources of unhappiness. Light on the solutions... but let's be fair, was I really expecting to find a recipe for happiness in this book?

August 13, 2024