Happiness and Pleasure¹

Abstract

This paper argues against hedonistic theories of happiness. First, hedonism is too inclusive: many pleasures cannot plausibly be construed as constitutive of happiness. Second, any credible theory must count either attitudes of life satisfaction, affective states such as mood, or both as constituents of happiness; yet neither sort of state reduces to pleasure. Hedonism errs in its attempt to reduce happiness, which is at least partly dispositional, to purely episodic experiential states. the dispositionality of happiness also undermines weakened nonreductive forms of hedonism, as some happiness‐constitutive states are not pleasures in any sense. Moreover, these states can apparently fail to exhibit the usual hedonic properties; sadness, for instance, can sometimes be pleasant. Finally, the nonhedonistic accounts are adequate if not superior on grounds of practical and theoretical utility, quite apart from their superior conformity to the folk notion of happiness. “And does his philosophy make you happy?” “I have never searched for happiness. Who wants happiness? I have searched for pleasure.” Oscar Wilde, the Picture of Dorian Gray (p. 209)

How do you feel, developer? An explanatory theory of the impact of affects on programming performance

“…Under our current theoretical framework, a blend of affects constitutes an individual's happiness, at least under the hedonistic view of happiness (Haybron, 2001). According to this view, being happy coincides with the frequent experience of pleasure; that is, happiness is reduced to a sequence of experiential episodes (Haybron, 2001). Frequent positive episodes lead to feeling frequent positive affects, and frequent positive affects lead to a positive affect balance (Diener et al, 2009).…”

A theory on individual characteristics of successful coding challenge solvers

“…Before explaining the inclusion of happiness, we need to define it together with the related concept of affect. Under a hedonistic view, 2 happiness is a sequence of experiential episodes (Haybron, 2001) and individuals are happy when they experience ''an excess of positive over negative affect'' (Bradburn, 1969: 9). Affect, in turn, has been defined by Russell (2003) as ''a neurophysiological state that is consciously accessible as a simple, nonreflective feeling that is an integral blend of hedonic (pleasure-displeasure) and arousal (sleepy-activated) values'' (p. 147).…”

Peer Review #2 of "How do you feel, developer? An explanatory theory of the impact of affects on programming performance (v0.1)"

“…Under our current theoretical framework, a blend of affects constitutes an individual's happiness, at least under the hedonistic view of happiness (Haybron, 2001). According to this view, being happy coincides with the frequent experience of pleasure; that is, happiness is reduced to a sequence of experiential episodes (Haybron, 2001). Frequent positive episodes lead to feeling frequent positive affects, and frequent positive affects lead to a positive affect balance (Diener et al, 2009).…”