Aristotle has spoken that living well and faring well is connected with happiness. This is called an eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία). According to Aristotle, there is also an another component of happiness, hedonia, which means seeking and sensing pleasure (ήδονή means pleasure). The neuroscience of pleasure has recently gained large progress by connecting hedonic experience with particular structures of the brain and by coupling them to the interplay of phases of pleasure behavior cycle. But what about eudaimonia? It is accessible to valid and reliable measurement, if it is very complex and unique human experinece, without available animal models?
How can we assess it, with the exception of questionnaire methods?
Hi Michael,
One idea would be to basically extend the research on anhedonia to apply to the broader construct of eudaimonia. It'll always be some association between questionnaire data and biological variables, but the goal would be strong and consistent associations across a wide range of states. A specific neuro example might be to extend the strong data on the individual nuclei associated with anhedonia to broader network analysis, which is already being done to a certain extent. This could also be combined with measures of stress, such as long term cortisol level data. This can get complicated, as both low and high levels of cortisol and various diurnal patterns can indicate prior or current exposure to stress with adverse effects on "faring well." Some other biological variables that could be considered are sleep patterns and heart rate variability. PCA analysis may be useful. A carefully study could determine valuable associations that would be used as indicators/risk factors. It might be worthwhile to look over some of the articles here for relevant neural constructs:
http://blumsrewarddeficiencysyndrome.com/
Thanks for the reply. Just one note: even a high level of cortisol can be associated with happiness and anticipatory hedonic experience - for example, in the case of amorousness and love.
Right, another reason why it's complicated, but I was referring more to chronic changes in basal levels than acute changes. No matter what the reason, chronically high basal cort levels are most likely going to associated with a negative change in overall wellness.
Euthemonia is a generalized state of well being in the presence of Arete and appropriate circumstances . Is not a particular opioid like euphoria . It is akin to the generalized humming of a well tuned car.
Yes, I agree, but they need to be connected with neural functions, and that's the point.
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