Eli Merritt

Political Theorist and Professor

The Pursuit of Happiness: Happiness as a Social, Political and Personal Force

We live in a quick-fix consumer society saturated with happiness hacks that offer only temporary relief rather than lasting fulfillment. In this fascinating talk, Professor Eli Merritt of Vanderbilt University, a psychiatrist, historian and popular political commentator, argues for a new model of happiness grounded in a neglected but essential dimension of human flourishing: political happiness. America in the 2020s is ripe for this new enlightenment—one that will not only increase the personal happiness of citizens but also rekindle the civic spirit necessary for renewing and sustaining our constitutional republic.