1. 1 UNIT 7 SEMINAR: HAPPINESS

2. How do you define Happiness?

3. 3 Happiness  What conditions describe happiness?  What prevents happiness? “Life is good for the one who is good.” ~ Aristotle

4. 4 Other conceptions of happiness  moksha : early Hindu term for the highest state of happiness possible, a condition of pure bliss in which one is free from all desire  nirvana : Buddhist term for the highest state of happiness possible, akin to the Hindu concept of moksha

5. Definition  How does the definition of happiness change over a lifetime?

6. Happiness Generally  Though the definitions may vary, are there overall elements that are required for something to be considered happiness?

7. The Story of Happiness  How do our views of happiness reflect cultural myths?

8. The Story of Happiness  How do our views of happiness reflect cultural myths?

9. Pop Happiness  Consider the mythic figures of celebrities in our culture. How is happiness defined by American media and advertising?

10. 10 FINAL PROJECT  Final Project Information  All the activities in this course lead to a final project due in Unit 9. Throughout this course, you should have your Final Project in mind. The Final Project will provide you with an opportunity to integrate all of the concepts covered in this class. As you read the unit materials for each week and participate in discussions and projects, keep these issues in mind:

11. 11 FINAL PROJECT Your Final Project for this course will be a virtual time capsule. A time capsule is a grouping of items for future discovery. For our purposes, we will imagine that our time capsule will be buried at the end of the course and opened 100 years later. The goal of our capsule is to provide an overview of what you believe future generations should remember about the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The project can be composed in Microsoft Word or Powerpoint. It can include multimedia if you wish. It should include the following eight parts: 1. A letter of introduction to tell someone in the future about your day-to-day life. What is your daily experience? Tell this person about your habits, your customs, your feelings about our present time, and your dreams for the future. 2. An example of morality and decision-making in current culture in 100 words or more 3. Your definition of happiness in 100 words or more, including how you came to this view

12. 12 FINAL PROJECT Next, you will also chose an artifact for each of the following areas (4-8). You will explain the item in one paragraph, giving it context, and describing it. Then spend at least one paragraph justifying its inclusion in the time capsule: Why is this item worth preserving for the future, and what does it communicate about our culture today? Why this object above all the other possibilities? 4. A significant literary work (poem, short story, play, or novel) 5. A significant example of art or architecture 6. A significant song or group of songs 7. A significant film 8. A significant item from popular culture (a toy, gadget, fad, etc.) Please feel free to include examples that you discovered in our studies this term. Challenge yourself to choose items that might be valuable for the future, though they might not necessarily be your favorites. Cite sources if you use them. As always, contact your instructor if you have questions.

13. 13 FINAL PROJECT Your final project must be original work written for this class. This means that you must be the author (turning in a project written by someone else is plagiarism and will not be tolerated) and you must not have turned in your project (or another version of it) for a grade in another class. The Final Project will be due at the end of Unit 9. When you are ready to submit it, go to the Dropbox, and complete the steps listed in Unit 9: Project.