| Unit name | What is the Good Life? |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS12354 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lampe |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
"What is the right way to live?" is one of the fundamental questions discussed in antiquity. It plays a central role not only in the debate of how we as individuals can attain happiness. It also shapes the debate of the educational and political framework needed to achieve a good life as a member of a community. This unit examines concepts of the good life and happiness from Hesiod to the Stoics. It asks how ancient writers conceptualise the good life. What does the good life consist in? How can we achieve it? Is human happiness at all possible, or do we have to content ourselves with less than real happiness? What role do our education and training play in the pursuit of this goal? Can we train to be happy? Or do we need a special knowledge which enables us to live a good life? What would such a knowledge be knowledge of?
