A course exploring conceptualizations of the “good life” and “happiness” from the perspectives of early Western and Chinese philosophers. Students will be introduced to demonological, utilitarian, and virtue ethical systems as they developed in Western thought, and then challenged to consider the ways in which early Chinese thinkers present legitimate and enriching challenges to these ideas. Ultimately, students will be asked to formulate unique definitions of “happiness” and “a life well lived” that are informed by traditional Chinese values, and comment on how the adoption of these idea might indeed benefit others around the world today.