The Art of Being Happy / In a Series of Letters from a Father to His Children: with Observations and Comments

A series of letters from a father to his children offers practical guidance on pursuing happiness by cultivating virtue, tempering desires, and attending to bodily and social needs. It surveys physical, moral, and social laws and treats topics such as tranquility, misfortune, independence, health, competence, reputation, marriage, parenting, friendship, and the pleasures of the senses, heart, intellect, and imagination. The correspondence balances philosophical reflection with concrete advice, argues that much suffering is self-inflicted and avoidable, and concludes with considered remarks on religion, mortality, and the choice of a profession.