Rational and Fitting Happiness

This conference will explore questions about when (un)happiness is fitting (appropriate), or rational, and related questions about its value. It is a commonplace that emotions can be fitting or unfitting - for example, fear of cancer seems more fitting than fear of house spiders, and anger seems more fitting when directed at racism than when directed at coffee tables. Since happiness is an emotion – indeed, a paradigm case – presumably happiness can also be fitting or unfitting. But exactly when is it fitting to be happy? And what’s the normative relevance of fitting happiness? Should we pursue happines even when it is unfitting? The conference will explore questions like these.

Registration is now closed.

The event is gratefully sponspored by the Southampton Ethics Centre, The Aristotelian Society, and the Mind Association. For any queries, please email the organiser, Dr. Alex Gregory or else the adminstrator Tracy Storey.

• The room for the conference, lunch, and the dinner venue, are all accessible to wheelchair users.
• There are disabled toilets a short distance from the room, and the dinner venue also has a disabled toilet.
• There will be a short break between each session and the Q&A.
• We are happy for personal assistants to attend.
• We can provide sign-language interpretation, though we will need to know ASAP if it is required.
• We cannot provide a hearing loop, but can provide a Roger Pen. We will need notice if it is required.
• We can permit service animals to attend.
• A nearby quiet room can be made available if required.
• The venues will all have available seating.
• We generally expect attendees to travel between venues by foot (500m to the dinner venue), but there is nearby parking to all venues, and taxis can be arranged.
• We aim to accommodate all dietary requirements. Please state such any needs when you register.

Further, we will ask all speakers to aim to make their presentations accessible.

For more details on anything, including accessibility information, please email the organiser, Dr. Alex Gregory or else the adminstrator Tracy Storey.