Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Philosophy for Good Life Syllabus - Mumbai University 2026

Module 1: Concept of Good Life: An Indian Perspective

• 1 Varnashrama, Ashrama Dharma and the concept of Shreyas and Preyas
• 2 Theory of Purusharthas for Good Life
• 3 Bhagvad-Gita theory of Karma leading to Shreyas

Module 2: Concept of Good Life: A Western Perspective

• 1 Socrates, Plato, Aristotle’s (Concepts of Good Life)
• 2 Epicurus's Concept of Good Life
• 3 Concept of Wellness: The contribution of Positive Psychology.

Reading List

• 1 Risieri Frondizi, What is value? Open Court Publishing Co, Chicago, 1977.
• 2 Ray Lepley (Ed), The Language of Value, Literary Licensing, LLC, Whitefish, 2011.
• 3 Ralph B. Perry, General Theory of Value, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1926.
• 4 Ralph B. Perry, Realms of Value, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1954.
• 5 C. Seshadri, (Ed.), Education in Values:A Source Book, National Council for Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, 1992.
• 6 M. Hiriyanna, The Indian Conception of Value, Mysore Kavyalaya, Mysore, 1975.
• 7 Sharma, C. T. Hindu Ethics: A Philosophical Study of the Bhagavad Gita. D. K. Printworld, 2015.
• 8 Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli, and Charles A. Moore, editors. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. Princeton UP, 1957.
• 9 Krishna, Swami. Bhagavad Gita: As It Is. Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1983.
• 10 Sharma, A. M. Karma and Rebirth: A Cross-Cultural Study. Oxford UP, 2009.
• 11 Plato. The Republic. Translated by Benjamin Jowett, Dover Publications, 2000.
• 12 Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Translated by W. D. Ross, Oxford UP, 2009.
• 13 Brickhouse, Thomas C., and Nicholas D. Smith. Socrates: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP, 2000.
• 14 Seligman, Martin E. P. Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. Free Press, 2011.
• 15 Ryff, Carol D., and Burton Singer. "The Contours of Positive Human Health." Psychological Inquiry, vol. 9, no. 1, 1998, pp. 1-28.
• 16 Keyes, Corey L. M. Mental Health and Well-Being: From International Policy to Positive Psychology. Springer, 2017.
• 17 Seligman, Martin. Positive Psychology: An Introduction. American Psychological Association, 2000.
• 18 Seligman, Martin. Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. Free Press, 2002.

Additional References

• 1 Dalai Lama, and Howard Cutler. The Art of Happiness. Riverhead Books, 1998.
• 2 Griswold, Charles L. The Good Life: Ethical and Moral Approaches to Well-Being. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
• 3 Woerlee, Frederique. The Philosophy of Happiness. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
• 4 Russell, Daniel C. Happiness and Virtue Ethics in Contemporary Philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 2013.