Philosophy and Human Flourishing

What is a thriving, meaningful, and flourishing human life? What practices, associations, policies, and institutions support flourishing lives? These questions are not new ones. Philosophers from Buddha and Socrates onward have stressed that love of wisdom is demonstrated by living well—not by thought or theory alone but by action and practice. In light of new developments in positive psychology, psychiatry, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and behavioral economics, these questions can be addressed with fresh insight rooted in both theory and practice. This new perspective is further supported by recent research in feminist theory, critical race studies, philosophical psychology, neuro-ethics, and more. Philosophy and Human Flourishing both draws on and charts new directions for philosophy and humanistic thought aimed at human flourishing. To reflect the fact that human lives and cultures differ, the perspectives here are refreshingly pluralistic, a commitment…