|
Happiness Resources
Studies, Research and References
The following are the most influential scientific disciplines and their thinkers
Happiness Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
Q. What is Psychology? Can you recommend some of the
leading names on Psychology for my own research?
A. Psychology is the science or study of the Psyche (Mind) and related emotions, attitudes,
personalities and behavior. Renowned western Psychologists are: Alfred Adler
(Motivation by Inferiority), Gordon Allport (Prejudice), Gordon Bower (Emotion
and Information Processing), Noam Chomsky (Language), Albert Ellis (Rational Emotive
Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Erik Erikson (Psychosocial Stage Theory of
Development), Leon Festinger (Cognitive Dissonance), Anna Freud (The Ego and the
Mechanisms of Defense), Sigmund Freud (founder of Psychoanalysis, Motivation By
Sexual Instinct), Karen Horney (Female Sexual and Moral Development, William
James (Principles of Psychology), Carl Jung (Unconscious), Lawrence Kohlberg
(Moral Development), Abraham Maslow (Motivation and Personality), David
McClelland (Motivation and Entrepreneurship), Stanley Milgram (Obedience to
Authority), Henry Murray (Thematic Appreciation Test, TAT), Ivan Pavlov (founder
of Behaviorism and Conditioning), Carl Rogers (Psychotherapy and Personality
Change), Martin E. P. Seligman (Helplessness and Optimism), Muzafer Sherif
(Social Psychology Pioneer, Group Processes and Conflict), Burrhus Frederic
Skinner (Operant Conditioning), Edward Lee Thorndike (Law of Effect, the
founding principle of instrumental learning).
Q. What is Anthropology? Can you recommend some of the
leading names on Anthropology for my own research?
A. The science or study of humanity (our physical/biological characteristics
and cultural history). I would recommend focusing more on cultural/social
anthropology. Renowned names in Anthropology include Malinowski, Rivers Haddon,
Wallace, Mendel and Darwin.
Q. What is Sociology? Can you recommend some of the
leading names on Sociology for my own research?
A. The science or study of Social Systems and Human Relations. How people relate
to each other? It is used as the basis for economic and political system
development. Some of the famous names include August Comte (Positivism and
Liberal Sociology), Herbert Spencer (Conservative Sociology, Evolution,
"Survival of Fittest), Carl Marx (Marxism, Class, Revolution, Dialectical
Materialism), Emile Durkheim (Social Science, Anomie)
Q. What is Ethics?
Can you recommend some of the leading names on Epistemology for my own research?
A. Ethics is a branch of Philosophy and Sociology it is the science or study of morality and social values. Renowned western names include
Spinoza, Butler, Hume, Kant, Sidgwick
Q. What is Epistemology? Can you recommend some of the
leading names on Epistemology for my own research?
A. Epistemology is a branch of philosophy
that specializes
in the study of how we learn
and form our knowledge, renowned western names
include Descartes, Locke and Hume. .
Q. What is Theology? Can you recommend some of the leading
names on Theology for my own research?
A. The study of Religions. There are two major types of religions
- Western Atheism (In spite of the denial of its followers, it is a form
of religion and a belief system.)
- Abrahamic or Middle Eastern Religions (Christianity Judaism and Islam)
- Eastern Religions (Hindu, Jainism, Buddhism and Taoism, Zoroastrianism,
Sikhism)
Another religion with small following but worth mentioning is the Baha'i
religion (a newer religion believing in many of the saints and prophets of other
religions.)
Recommendation: Read the holy books from each religion like Koran, Bible,
Gita and so on. Do not read about one religion from the point of view of
another competing religion. The best way to learn about a religion is to read it
from its own most famous scholars. I found a lot of misinformation, distortion
and misinterpretation by competing scholars from other religions. In other
words, if you want to learn about Islam do not read about it from a
Christian author and if you want to learn about Christianity do not read about
it from an Atheist and so on... Of course, after your initial research you can
always read about anything from anyone. Also if you want to learn the essence of
a religion read about it from its more spiritual and positive scholars who focus
on the spiritual message of the scriptures rather than literal interpretation of
the books. Once you peel out the misinformation, mythology and the cultural
practices of all religions, you'll be surprised how similar the core ethical
belief for all of them. Want a proof? Read the the following:
- Atheism:
- Thou shalt live in peace with thy fellow man. (Commandment 6, The
Ethical Atheist)
- Buddhism:
- Do not hurt others as it would hurt you (Udanaverga 5, 18)
- Christianity:
- Whatever you want others to do for you, you should do for them
(Mathew 7, 12)
- Confucianism:
- The only maxim for life is love and kindness. That do not unto
others what you would not have them do unto you ( Analects 15, 23)
- Hinduism:
- “This is the sum of all duties: Don’t do to others what would cause
pain to you, (Mahabharata, 5, 1517)
- Islam:
- No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which
he desires for himself (Hadith al Sunnah)
- Jainism
- The essence of right behavior is not to injure anyone (Ahimsa,
nonviolence)
- Judaism:
- What is hateful to you do not do to your fellow man, that is the entire
law and the rest is commentary (Talmud, Shabbat 31d)
- Taoism:
- Regard your neighbors gain as your own gain and your neighbors loss
as your own loss (Tai Shang, Kan Yong Pien)
Q. What is Philosophy? Can you recommend some of the
leading names on philosophy for my own research?
A. Philosophy (Philo-sophy) means "love of
wisdom", every one of us has a view on how
the world is and how it should be. Therefore, everyone of us is a philosopher of some kind. Although philosophy is seen
as an abstract and theoretical field of study, many of our current
socioeconomic and political systems are based on one or more philosophical
views
For eastern philosophy, some of the famous names are:
- African philosophers (Fulani Uthman dan Fodio, Umar Tall)
- Chinese philosophers (Confucius, Lao Tzu, Sun Zi)
- Indian philosophers (Siddhartha Gautama, Mahavira)
- Islamic philosophers (Al-Farabi, Avicenna/Ibn Sina, Averroes, Ibn Rushd, Ibn
Khaldun)
- Jewish philosophers (Saadia Gaon and Maimonides)
- Persian philosophers (Zoroaster, Mani, Mazdak)
For western philosophy, some of the famous names are:
- Christian philosophers (Augustine, Aquinas and Francisco)
- Greco-roman philosophers (Socrates, Plato ,Aristotle)
- Renaissance & modern philosophers (René Descartes, Gassendi, Machiavelli and Francis Bacon, Marx,
Nietzsche, James, Russell, Sartre, Spinoza)
Q. Do you have a prefer a certain philosophy?
Or are you going to teach me about these philosophies during the seminar or the
coaching sessions?
No. I am not a scholastic philosopher, these names are listed here for your own research and benefit.
Although I have my own personal views, I adopt a general rule of not promoting
any
philosophy or religion. I do not ask you to adopt any philosophical system other than the
one developed and tested by yourself. The sole purpose of sharing this
information with you is to provide you with more choices and points of view. It is your
own responsibility to research them, test them and see what works for your life
and your situation.
If you are interested, there are courses at the universities
that can teach you about these subjects in more details.
:::
For more
insights on happiness, you can visit
For more information on happiness
research, you can visit:
|
