Media
This page lists a few examples of lectures, interviews and public writings
Video and Audio
Pursuing Happiness: Individual or Social?
A public lecture from 2019 at the Université de Montréal, complete with a brief attempt at French
SLU Spot for Happiness and Well-Being Project
Interview on St. Louis TV, KTVI
EconTalk Interview with Russ Roberts
A fun conversation for a terrific podcast, wherein Russ Roberts rouses me from pandemic brain fog
Radio Interview with Charlie Brennan
Interview with SHARE Magazine, 2021
Pioneers in Quality of Life Research Biographical Sketch, Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2020
Interview for What Is It Like to Be a Philosopher? 2016
Interview for International Journal of Wellbeing, 2012
"Splendid Philosopher of the Week," New APPS Blog, 2011
Print Interviews etc.
Public Philosophy
"One Hand for the Ship, One Hand for Yourself, Or: Why COVID-19 Is Driving Us Nuts." A short piece I wrote in June/July 2020 to share with friends about COVID risks and why the sharp disconnect between personal and social risk has made it so hard for us to deal rationally with the pandemic. Obviously some relevant facts have changed and the science should not be considered current, but the key points still seem to hold up pretty well.
"Imagining Something Better." As the COVID pandemic took hold in Spring 2020 I was asked to contribute some "big picture" reflections about maintaining well-being for the World Wellbeing Panel, as well as a Vatican working group on Science and Ethics for Sustainable Happiness and Well-Being. This compiles bits of both.
“Happiness and Its Discontents.” The New York Times, April 13, 2014. Translated into Farsi and reprinted in The Iran Newspaper.
“What Can Nelson Mandela Teach Us About Happiness?” Huffington Post, December 2013.
“This Is What Happiness Looks Like,” Salon, November 2013. An excerpt from Happiness: A Very Short Introduction.
“The Non-Pursuit of Happiness,” for beinghuman.org, 2012. An Italian translation, “La non Ricerca della Felicità,” appeared in La Repubblica, January 16, 2013.
“Rethinking the Cost of Happiness,” solution statement for the High Level Meeting on Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm, United Nations, 2012.
“Pursuing Unhappiness,” The Philosopher’s Magazine 35 (2006), pp. 62-65.