Quick one back on Glueboot to save copying and pasting in the comments boxes:
>However, happiness doesn’t >particularly open up a space for >thought.
No way! Yes necessity is the mother of invention. But I just don’t recognise unhappiness being as much of a motor of insight as it’s sometimes made out to be. Yes, “the first taste of hope is fear” as a recent industrial mix I put up was titled — well, SOME hopes, anyway. But from where I’m sitting, pain restricts the mind’s ability to reflect as much as it goads it.
Carrot and stick innit :-).
> If one is happy there is no reason > for one to find out why there is
> happiness.
You’re joshing me! Sounds like (I could be wrong) there’s an assumption somewhere here about “normality” being suffering, and momentary happiness being a relief therefrom, unquestioned. That’s not how most of the people I know think — admittedly the people who read a lot of philosophy tend to be a bit down on things 🙂 but a lot of people seem to me to be figuring out ways to make themselves feel happier. Even my 3 year old!
> But to posit a world and a
> philosophy of pure happiness is
> the absolute heights of naivety.
Yeah probably. Have to check back with Leary on that one :-). But who’s positing that? Not me!
Nice one bruv…