Session I
Optimism, Pessimism, and Meliorism: What Positive Psychology Is - and What It Isn't

Readings

Pawelski, James O. "Is Healthy-Mindedness Healthy?" Forthcoming in Cross Currents.

Peterson, Christopher. "The Future of Optimism." American Psychologist (55) 44-55.

Seligman, Martin E. P. and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "Positive Psychology: An  Introduction." American Psychologist (55) 5-14. Available at www.positivepsychology.org/apintro.htm.

Background Readings

Seligman, Martin E. P. Authentic Happiness (New York: Free Press), 2002.

Introduction to the Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Strengths.  Available at http://www.positivepsychology.org/viamanualintro.pdf.

Session II
Pragmatism and Positive Psychology: Natural Allies?

Readings

Pawelski, James O. "William James, Positive Psychology, and Healthy-Mindedness."

Forthcoming in The Journal of Speculative Philosophy.

Schneider, Sandra L. "In Search of Realistic Optimism: Meaning, Knowledge, and Warm Fuzziness." American Psychologist (56) 250-263.

Background Readings

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (New York: HarperPerennial), 1990.

Shade, Patrick.  Habits of Hope: A Pragmatic Theory (Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press), 2001.

Snyder, C. R. The Psychology of Hope (New York: Free Press), 1994.