Ever since Socrates declared “the unexamined life is not worth living,” philosophers have been engaged in a passionate debate: What is the good life? What is the nature of happiness, and how can it be attained? Is morality or virtue a prerequisite to the good life? Is a meaningful life also a happy one? What is the path toward human flourishing?While philosophers have been grappling with these questions for millennia, modern science has only recently begun to broach the problem of what constitutes the good life. Various scientific disciplines such as sociology, economics, neuroscience, and psychology have devised innovative and empirical methods for assessing subjective states of happiness and well-being, providing us with intriguing new clues about our complex nature as humans and what actually fosters a happy and meaningful life.Moderated by journalist Steve Paulson, Executive Producer of Wisconsin Public Radio’s To the Best of our Knowledge, this timely and engaging three-part series at the New York Academy of Sciences brings together an array of leading scientists, philosophers, and scholars for an interdisciplinary investigation into the evolving nature of the human condition and the ultimate quest to discover how to lead the good life.A New Science of Happiness: The Paradox of Pleasure Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK Kim K. Azzarelli Author and Co-Founder of Seneca Women Darrin M. McMahon Professor of History, Dartmouth College Barry Schwartz Professor of Social Theory, Swarthmore CollegeThursday, October 8, 20157:00 pm - 8:30 pmThe New York Academy of Sciences7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor Watch DetailsThe Moral Animal: Virtue, Vice & Human Nature Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK Heather Berlin Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine Christian Miller Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University Michael Shermer Founding Publisher, Skeptic MagazineWednesday, December 9, 20157:00 pm - 8:30 pmThe New York Academy of Sciences7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor Watch DetailsCultivating Character: The Art of Living Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK Lisa Feldman Barrett Professor of Psychology, Northeastern University Philip Kitcher Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University Valerie Tiberius Professor of Philosophy, University of MinnesotaWednesday, February 3, 20167:00 pm - 8:30 pmThe New York Academy of Sciences7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor Watch DetailsAnnals This volume brings together leading scientists, philosophers, and scholars to investigate the evolving nature of the human condition and the enduring quest to lead the good life. Read more