Current conceptions of well-being and happiness in psychology often draw a distinction between “eude-monic” and “hedonic” perspectives, with re¬ference to Classical Hellenic philosophy. Are these conceptual frameworks also valid outside the Western context or have well-being and happiness been conceptualised differently elsewhere?
India or China, for instance, have bodies of ancient philosophical and medical texts as old (or older) and just as important for their respective cultures as ancient Greek texts for Western culture. What do they have to say on these topics? Can the study of this literature in the twenty-first century broaden or modify our knowledge and understanding and how?

Pascale Haag, PhD in Indology and M.A. in psychology, is assistant professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris, since 2003, and a member of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Social Issues (Social Sciences, Politics, Health). Her current research interests mainly concern positive psychology and health psychology.