ABSTRACT
Happiness is a broad concept present throughout the history of modern psychology, leading to a deep body of literature. We examine happiness in several of the most influential schools of psychology, examining its connection to Ancient Greek concepts of eudaimonia and hedonia, its location in the individual or society, its malleability, and in its occasional versus enduring presence. We point to limitations of these definitions and methods of studying happiness. Today, the modern study of subjective well-being (SWB) (the feeling of happiness), the judgment of life satisfaction, and psychological well-being (PWB) (the capacities required to attain fulfillment) incorporate many elements of these historical and diverse conceptions of happiness without arriving at a single definition. Nevertheless, it is largely agreed that happiness is seen as variable between and within people, changeable through clinical and nonclinical interventions, and worthy of serious scientific study.
