Definition
» Philosophers and religious thinkers
often define happiness in terms of
living a good life, or flourishing,
rather than simply as an emotion.
Happiness in this sense was used to
translate the Greek Eudaimonia, and
is still used in virtue ethics.
» Happiness is a fuzzy concept and can mean
many different things to many people. Part
of the challenge of a science of happiness is
to identify different concepts of happiness,
and where applicable, split them into their
components. Related concepts are wellbeing, quality of life and flourishing. At least
one author defines happiness as contentment. Some commentators focus on the difference between the hedonistic tradition of
seeking pleasant and avoiding unpleasant
experiences, and the eudaimonic tradition
of living life in a full and deeply satisfying
way.