Everyone is in pursuit of a good life, but what exactly does “good” mean? Students in philosophy Professor Wes Demarco’s The Good Life, a First-Year Intensive course, spend an entire semester trying to determine if there’s a link between health, achievements, social involvement, ethical endeavors, and living a satisfactory life.

“In empirical psychology, there is wonderful work on self-deception in relation to positive affect. So, if the good life were about pleasure-pain ratio, why not just live in illusion? Why not blissful ignorance,” Demarco asks. “In my philosophical opinion, this is why we need to subject the idea of a pleasant life to critical examination.”

Demarco discusses concepts of happiness, human nature, and quality of life, analyzing their importance on one’s journey to fulfillment. 

Challenge. Change. is produced by Andrew Hart and Melissa Hanson for Clark University. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts.