The text for this course will be the book The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen, who was recently interviewed for OLLI at BCC by Doug Mishkin. The book is an exploration of the philosophical beliefs of the Founders, and is a fascinating and thorough historical account.

Each week, we will discuss two of the book's chapters. The course will be a combination of presentation and conversation. Additional (optional) readings will be suggested from sources referenced in the book.

In light of recent events, it appears that the Founders may have been overly optimistic about the checks and balances in human nature and the Constitution they created. What can we, as individuals, do to counteract the prevailing discontent?

Michael Forbes Wilcox has presented many OLLI courses over the past several years, including courses on autism, local history, and local Indigenous culture. His career included a stint on Wall Street as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He also was an expert witness on foreign exchange in US federal court, for the NASD, and in the Queen's Court in Canada. He taught CFA courses for the Boston Security Analysts Society on quantitative analysis, asset allocation, foreign exchange, and portfolio management. He holds an MA in economics from Trinity College. He has served on many advisory boards, including for the Shriver Center of UMass Medical, the Massachusetts Special Commission on Autism, and the Board of the Massachusetts Moderators Association. He was elected to public office as the male representative to the Massachusetts Democratic Committee from this Senate District and served for 20 years as the Town Moderator in Alford. He taught graduate level courses in the Autism Program of The Elms College. He has recently become a Certified Club Director of the American Contract Bridge League. Now in his 80th year on this planet, he remains an avid skier and hiker, and has summited Mount Washington so many times that he has lost track.

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