Preview of things to come (Canvas)
- Discussions (first one next time)
- Exam practice (Monday)
- Exam dates and rescheduling policy
- Extra days off: Sept 26, Nov 24
- Movie RR that's worth more
RR requirements
- 250 --> 300
- why page/paragraph numbers matter!
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Toolbox
- intrinsic good
- instrumental good
- hedonism
- experience machine
- objective list theory
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Two theories of wellbeing so far
- Hedonism--pleasure is the ONLY intrinsic good that contributes to wellbeing
- Objective list theory--there are MULTIPLE intrinsic goods that contribute to wellbeing
- Kagan: pleasure, accomplishment, self-knowledge, loving relationships
- Finnis: knowledge, practical reasonableness, play, religion, aesthetic experience, friendship, life
Both are stage-neutral theories of wellbeing
- the same intrinsic goods matter at every stage of life
Stage-neutral theories do accept obvious facts
- there are distinct physical, developmental, psychological stages
- different instrumental goods are important at different stages
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Stage-neutral views of wellbeing vs.
Stage-relative views of wellbeing
- wellbeing is defined differently at different stages
- there are goods of childhood, goods of midlife, goods of old age
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Jeffrey Arnett, "Life Stage Concepts Across History and Cultures: Proposal for a New Field on Indigenous Life Stages" (psychology, history, anthropology)
"Indigenous life stages"
"Indigenous here means arising in the course of cultural life, as distinguished from the life stage theories proposed by academic psychologists." (p. 291)
Some of the Indigenous life stage schemes he discusses:
- Hinduism
- within Judaism
- Ancient Greek
- Gusii (goo-SEE) of East Africa (Kenya)
- Trobrianders of New Guinea (island north of Australia)
- Maya of Latin America
Hindu life stages
- Brahmacharya: Apprentice, should be studying
- Grihastha: Householder, should be creating family, household
- Vanaprastha: Forest dweller, should be retreating
- Sannyasa: Renunciant, should be focused on spirituality
How do Hindus interpret these four life stages today? Article in Hinduism Today
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More Arnett examples
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| Arnett p. 293 (click on image to read) |
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| Arnett, p. 300 (click on image to read) |
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Stephen Mintz, The Prime of Life: A History of Modern Adulthood (prologue: "The Voyage of Life")
Thomas Cole, The Voyage of Life (1843)
Childhood--protected
Youth--possibility
Manhood--troubles
Old age--glimpses of immortal life
Shakespeare's 7 stages of life
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Our main question about stages as we go forward:
- Should we adopt one of the stage-neutral views of wellbeing?
- Or should we agree that wellbeing is stage-relative? What are the goods of each stage?
In modules 2, 3, 4, we'll see a debate between these two outlooks
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Next time: Arnett says life stage schemes gives us a "master narrative" that helps us live our lives. They're positive! Do we agree?
