True happiness: The art, practice and science of human flourishing

This elective will explore the art, practice and science of contemplative practices and how they can contribute to authentic and sustainable happiness and human flourishing, even in the face of adversity. Important questions will be introduced, explored and returned to as the unit proceeds. These questions include, what is consciousness and how do we use it wisely, what is knowledge and how do we know anything, what is mind, what is real and sustainable happiness and how can it be fostered, what is suffering and can it be transcended, how can we develop resilience and grow through times of adversity, what are social and emotional intelligence, how do we develop more meaningful connections with others, what are the positive and negative aspects of modern technology and social networks and how can they be used wisely, and what is human flourishing?

This unit aims to not merely be theoretical but to be deeply experiential, reflective and personally transformative. Although it is expected that you will learn core knowledge, from an experiential perspective you will determine for yourselves what you apply and how you wish to apply it in your lives.