Finding Happiness: Readings in Arab-Islamic Texts

Catalog description

The quest for happiness predates writing itself. In this course, we read together some of the monumental and foundational texts that questioned, interrogated, but also defined and redefined happiness from the premodern Arab-Islamic tradition. Is happiness an absence of something or the presence of something? Is it found or actively pursued? Is one happy being alone or in a society? Are friends necessary to our happiness? Is the perfection of the self, morals, and character happiness? Emphasis lies on the exploration of the themes of the assigned works through close reading and discussion. The course will pay additional attention to the contextualization of the texts. Emphasis lies on the active study of the assigned works through close reading, discussion, and creative assignments