Brandon Smith

Early Modern Eudaimonism

My postdoctoral project focuses on the presence and development of eudaimonism in the early modern period. Originating in ancient Greece, eudaimonism conceives of happiness (eudaimonia) as (i) partly grounded in facts about human nature; (2) partly grounded in the beliefs/feelings of a subject; (3) structurally stable; and (4) exclusively intrinsically good. I focus specifically on the moral philosophies of René Descartes, Pierre Gassendi, Benedict de Spinoza, G.W. Leibniz, Mary Astell, Gabrielle Suchon, and Émilie du Châtelet. While not the only ones among their contemporaries to do so, these seven philosophers share an ethical focus on happiness and offer a rich range of views which are in fruitful dialogue with various ancient eudaimonists. However, each early modern philosopher’s relationship to these thinkers remains controversial. Should they be interpreted as advocates of a particular eudaimonistic account (e.g., Stoicism), eudaimonists with their own original contributions to this ethical tradition, or non-eudaimonists simply drawing on isolated ideas from the ancients in developing their respective philosophies? From this research, I intend to produce a monograph, Early Modern Eudaimonism. Each chapter will cover a key figure’s relationship to the aforementioned four formal features of eudaimonism, and from this foundation, the notable ways in which they develop this ethical tradition with respect to key themes like pleasure, virtue, mind, body, and/or sex/gender. From this analysis, I will establish what features distinguish early modern eudaimonism from its ancient predecessor. This monograph will be the first comprehensive study of eudaimonism in the early modern period. As well, it will be the first work to specifically discuss women eudaimonists, and the unique insights and perspective(s) that they have offered to this ethical tradition.

Brandon Smith is currently working with Carlos Fraenkel at McGill University as a Research Assistant on a pedagogical project concerning the good life. He recently received a Ph.D. in Philosophy (with a concentration in teaching philosophy) from McGill. For Brandon’s doctoral work, he was awarded the Guy Desautels Memorial Prize and Raymond Klibansky Prize in Philosophy. He has also received a B.A. Honours in English and Philosophy and a M.A. in Philosophy from Carleton University. Brandon’s research interests include Spinoza, 17th century philosophy, ancient Greek philosophy, and philosophy of happiness. He is in in the process of turning his dissertation into a book, The Search for Mind-Body Flourishing in Spinoza’s Eudaimonism, which explores Spinoza’s engagement with Aristotle, Epicurus, and the Stoics on the roles of pleasure, virtue, mind, and body in living a happy, flourishing life. He has plans to produce future monographs on the history, development, and applicability of eudaimonism as an ethical approach to happiness.