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Happiness: history of an emotion

Happiness: history of an emotion

Katie Barclay explores how people have thought about happiness down the centuries – and how they have sought to attain it

Ellie Cawthorne

Published: January 24, 2025 at 7:00 AM

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The word 'happiness' came into common usage in around the 17th century, but the concept has a much longer history. So how have people conceptualised happiness over time – and how have they sought to attain it? Historian Katie Barclay is one of the editors of The Routledge History of Happiness, and she joins Ellie Cawthorne to explore historical ideas about the most desirable of emotions.

Katie Barclay is one of the editors of The Routledge History of Happiness (Taylor & Francis, 2024).

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Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra