The Alchemy of Happiness

Focus paper on The Alchemy of Happiness. The Book is The Alchemy of Happiness translated by Claud Field.
This paper focuses on The Alchemy of Happiness written by the Persian, Muslim philosopher Abu Hamid AlGhazali. First, read about Al-Ghazali’s (http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/al-ghazali/)
background. Then, using specific examples from the website and the book, answer the following questions:
Who was Al-Ghazali, and why was he important in the history of Islam?
What is Al-Ghazali’s message in the book? What does he have to say about knowledge, music, love, and
marriage?
What might these teachings tell us about societies in western Asia during this period?
Why do you think these ideals were so appealing to some in this society?
What similarities and differences do you detect between Al-Ghazali’s message and the messages of Buddhism
and Confucianism from the other two books you wrote about this semester?
Guidelines for Focus Papers
Focus Papers should be written in essay format containing an introduction (with thesis statement), body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. Papers should be a MINIMUM of 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,250
words. Papers that are significantly shorter will be penalized, and those that significantly exceed the limit are
also subject to penalty. Students should be sure to answer the questions fully, offer historical context, be
specific, and use plenty of examples from the book. Finally, a primary objective for these papers is to look more
deeply into the histories we are learning about in the course. As such, students should consider information
from other course readings to support their analysis when appropriate. Please do not do additional research, or
use outside web pages, blogs, or wiki pages to complete this paper, the assignment is meant to be an
assessment of your understanding of the materials offered in this course.
The Textbook ISBN# 9781265931469 Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History Volume 1 (c131)