Happiness Economists now devote considerable effort to rigorous identification of the sources of happiness or well-being. To do so, they draw on a range of methods and disciplines, from philosophy and psychology to statistics and, of course, economics. In this seminar, we will sample this fascinating literature and discuss the “science of happiness” and its implications for our own lives. Students will also build a portfolio of work designed to answer a happiness-related question of specific interest to them, using the qualitative and quantitative methods learned during the semester, and then share their findings with one another.

Peter Matthews

Happiness is a 1118-level course offered in the First Year Seminar department at Middlebury College. This course has an overall rating of NaN out of 10 based on 1 reviews.

Professor Matthews is clearly very passionate about this field. Classes could be more interesting but he often tends to spend too much time explaining simple concepts, which can make the classes boring. Overall, he’s genuine and understanding, but the course didn’t provide a lot of value in my opinion. Take this if you want an easy fyse.