Philosophical Perspectives on Happiness and Humanity

Flashcards on key concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophies

Psychology

The field that studies human behavior and mental processes, emotions, thoughts, and the essence of the soul through the senses.

Humanity (Biological meaning)

Homo sapiens with language, imagination, and technology.

Humanity (Moral meaning)

Kindness, thoughtfulness, and sympathy, distinguishing humans from animals.

Happiness

A state of joy, contentment, and fulfillment; can refer to immediate emotions and overall life satisfaction.

Socrates

Believed happiness is the state of a virtuous soul achieved through self-knowledge and moral virtue.

Plato

Proposed happiness comes from the soul’s harmony and understanding of the ultimate Good.

Aristotle

Defined happiness (Eudaimonia) as the highest human good, achieved by practicing moral and intellectual virtues.

Epicurus

Equated happiness with the absence of pain (aponia) and mental disturbance (ataraxia), seeking simple pleasures.

Stoicism

Happiness is living according to nature and reason, mastering emotions through virtue and acceptance.

Cynicism

A philosophy that considers happiness to be complete freedom from material desires and living naturally by rejecting societal conventions.

Saint Augustine

Argued that true happiness comes from union with God, not worldly pleasures.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Combined faith and reason, suggesting earthly happiness is possible through virtues, but ultimate happiness is with God.

Immanuel Kant

Prioritized duty over happiness, asserting that acting morally is acting according to duty.

John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism)

Sought to maximize pleasure and minimize pain for the most people by cultivating higher pleasures for society's good.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Believed happiness comes from self-overcoming, embracing challenges, and creating personal meaning.

Jean-Paul Sartre (Existentialism)

Proposed happiness is found through authentic freedom and personal responsibility, making free choices without pre-set meaning.

al-nafs

In Islam, refers to human desires, instincts, and inner struggles between good and bad.

al-ruh

In Islam, it refers to the soul that connects humans to Allah and the afterlife.

al-qalb

In Islam, refers to the spiritual heart that connects emotions with faith.

al-aql

In Islam, refers to the human intellect, critical thinking, and ability to reason.

Karma

A concept in Hinduism where actions determine future rebirth; good actions lead to positive rebirths.

Moksha

In Hinduism, liberation from death and reincarnation, where the soul merges with the divine.

Nirvana

In Buddhism, the goal to release from worldly suffering of death and rebirths, achieving enlightenment.

Four Noble Truths

Core teachings in Buddhism that highlight the nature of suffering, its origins, its cessation, and the path to its cessation.

Eightfold Path

The Buddhist path to end suffering, encompassing right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

Li

Ethical living emphasizing fulfilling duties in Confucianism.

Ren

Kindness and benevolence that contribute to harmony in Confucianism.

Wu Wei

(effortlessly action) in Taoism, that describes acting in harmony with the natural flow of things.

Yin and Yang

Symbolize dual, complementary forces in the universe. Opposites are interconnected, constantly balancing each other