Happiness as Subjugation. A masterful critique of how the modern state weaponizes contentment, transforming a private emotion into a public mandate of control.
Categories : Non-Fiction ,
Share
On Happiness
By Thanes Wongyannava
Is happiness truly the ultimate human endeavor, or is it merely a sophisticated apparatus of governance?
In On Happiness, Thanes Wongyannava deploys his signature iconoclastic wit to disturb our most cherished assumptions about the "good life." Weaving together threads of sociology, political science, cultural history, and theology, Wongyannava interrogates whether the modern state is truly capable of delivering universal happiness—or if the pursuit of happiness itself is a form of subjugation.
With a narrative style that is as provocative as it is intellectually playful, Wongyannava challenges the reader to consider the darker side of contentment. He posits a disturbing metaphor:
"Humanity is akin to a herd of animals, devoid of claws or fangs for self-protection, and thus in perpetual need of a shepherd. True happiness, in this sense, does not arise from autonomous human decision; rather, it is a commodity bestowed by the 'Shepherds' or the 'Guardians' of society."
— From the Introduction: The Inconsumable Happiness
If our joy is merely a gift granted by authority, can we truly claim to be autonomous beings? Wongyannava suggests that the "happiness" we so desperately crave may be nothing more than a carefully constructed myth—a state of bliss we unwittingly "beg" for, exchanged for our very agency.
On Happiness is an essential read for those daring enough to question the invisible hand that feeds their satisfaction. As the author invites: “May you find happiness in reading this book.”
// Table of Contents //
Introduction: The Inconsumable Happiness
When the Machinery of Sovereignty Mandates Happiness
Thou Shalt Be Happy
Pierre Gassendi and the Revival of Epicurean Thought
The Happiness of Pierre Gassendi
Happiness and the Condition of Modernity
Details
▪️Format : Paperback
▪️Piyavit Tepumnuaysakul : Editor
▪️Designed by ● SM STUDIO | ●
▪️Published : March 2017
▪️Length : 240 pages
▪️ISBN : 978-616-7196-64-0
▪️Dimensions (in) : 5.25 x 8.25
▪️Price : 200 THB
