Happiness This Way

The philosophers of happiness?

Therefore, I have been assigned a research paper on any philosopher. Any philosopher. Seriously. I have friends who write about Dumbledore and Johnny Cash, but I hope you stick to something classical. (This is for an AP class American Lit, my teacher is only slightly unconventional.) Anyway, I want my role to center around the philosophy of happiness, and the need for a good philosopher to fit that subject. I know of Epicurus, and am considering whether he or Aristotle. If anyone has any suggestions or can recommend one over another, please do so and say why. Thanks! Honestly, I can not decide.

I'm an atheist, but I like the Catholic Encyclopedia it is very comprehensive and objective. So here is what he has to say about the philosophers on the subject of happiness. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07131b.htm Aquino helped us get out of the Middle Ages through the definition of happiness for Christians in ways that were not used. Augustine had dampened his enthusiasm for it. http://intellectualfaith.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/aquinas-on-happiness/ Camus is interesting. Wrote "The Plague", which has developed in several films, including those made for television. "In his essays Camus presented the reader with dualisms: happiness and sadness, light and darkness, life and death, etc. The aim was to emphasize the fact that happiness is fleeting and that the condition mortality is a human. He did not to be morbid, but to reflect a greater appreciation for life and happiness. "Ayn Rand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Camus is hotly debated in academic circles today. Here is your ideas. http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/happiness.html

Philosophy of Happiness II- Epicurus on Happiness 3/3