Date of Completion

2017

Document Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Philosophy

Thesis Type

Honors College

First Advisor

Tyler Doggett

Second Advisor

Randall Harp

Third Advisor

Sarah E. Turner

Keywords

well-being, hedonism, eudaimonism, technology, flourishing, mindfulness

Abstract

Eudaimonism and hedonism are theories of how one ought to live in order to achieve well-being, and what well-being consists of. This paper will present a thorough discussion of each, with a focus on Fred Feldman’s presentation of hedonism, and Lorraine Besser’s defense of eudaimonic well-being. Assuming Besser’s eudaimonic well-being is right, we need to satisfy our innate psychological needs in order to function, and therefore maintain our well-being. This paper assumes that to live well, and secure one’s well-being, is to flourish, and therefore live a good/fulfilling life. There is a growing problem with certain digital devices, the Internet, and social media threatening our well-being. I argue that mindfulness is an important component of well-being and satisfying our innate needs. The ability to be mindful, however, is in great danger, as well as our ability to have positive social interactions and relationships. After explaining the issue, I will present potential solutions for combating the threat against our well-being.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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