Book Forum: The Pursuit of Happiness

The founders studied classical authorities and incorporated the lessons they learned about forming good characters into their lives.

Jonathan Fortier

Jonathan Fortier is the director of Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org. Over the past 25 years he has worked to promote the principles of a free society with many organizations, including Liberty Fund, the Institute for Humane Studies, and the Fraser Institute. He earned his MPhil and his doctorate at the University of Oxford.

Jeffrey Rosen

Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. Rosen is a graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University, and Yale Law School. He is the author of seven previous books, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law. His essays and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; on NPR; in The New Republic, where he was the legal affairs editor; and in The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer.

Michael Poliakoff

Michael Poliakoff is the president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. He holds a PhD in classical studies from the University of Michagan. Poliakoff has taught at Georgetown University, George Washington University, Hillsdale College, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Wellesley College.

What did the Founders mean by “Happiness”? And how, exactly, was it to be pursued? In his new book, The Pursuit of Happiness, Jeffrey Rosen examines the many ways that key figures of the American Founding turned to ancient Greek and Roman philosophers as guides toward a better understanding of happiness and the good life.

On May 30th, 2024, Jonathan Fortier, director of Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org, joined Rosen and Michael Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, for a discussion of the book.