The Pursuit of Happiness - Assignment Example

The Pursuit of Happiness: An Analysis Since happiness was broadly seen as part of human nature during the Jeffersonian period, it was considered to be divine and thus has to be safeguarded. The term’s closeness to ‘life’ and ‘liberty’, which are also natural rights, shows that Jefferson viewed happiness similarly valuable. The social and legal contexts specified by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are intended to provide that safeguard (Kaminsky 118). For instance, if money makes someone happy then other people should not be capable of taking it; there are laws prohibiting stealing or taking the property of other people. Moreover, a person should not be lawfully prohibited from pursuing money. On the other hand, John Milton believes that pursuit of happiness is all about making conflict an element of growth or development. He argues that “only a free and unlicensed competition of ideas can determine the survival of the fittest and most beneficial ‘inventions’” (Martin 879). Milton has a more specific view of the pursuit of happiness than Jefferson. Milton claims that happiness comes from the fulfillment of our intellectual being and long-term goals. This paper argues that everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness, but the state does not assure that such happiness will certainly be attained, but that to pursue happiness is an absolute right and a lifetime quest. This assurance is supported by the ‘social contract’ that is present among equal and free individuals (Graham 88), as stated by both Milton and the Declaration of Independence. Life and liberty are understood as the bedrock of the pursuit of happiness for equal and free individuals. Basically speaking, therefore, the pursuit of happiness is an important right laid down in the Declaration of Independence to pursue happiness at will and live in a manner that makes one happy, on the condition that this person do not act unlawfully or encroach upon the rights of other people. The Pursuit of Happiness as a Lifetime Quest I agree with how the Declaration of Independence and Milton frames the pursuit of happiness. I believe that happiness is a conscious decision that we make; happiness depends on how we perceive and pursue it. I view happiness as a fundamental goal of our existence and an end in itself. Both Milton and Aristotle argued that happiness is all about the refinement and acquisition of virtue, virtues that are quite individualistic (Ervin 130). Like Milton and Aristotle I believe that true happiness involves the attainment of a wide array of aspects, such as intellectual, psychological, and physical health. The major problem is that the pursuit of happiness is generally considered as a personal emotional state (Ervin 130-1), as when a person exclaims s/he is happy when going out with peers or visiting other places. But for me, happiness is an ultimate pursuit or objective that embraces the entirety of our existence. Happiness is not a thing that can be obtained or lost all of a sudden, just as gratifying feelings. Pursuit of happiness can be viewed as the final worth of one’s life, indicating how well one has exercised his/her human potential to achieve a genuinely happy existence. In view of this, a person cannot truly proclaim about whether s/he has successfully pursued happiness until his/her has ended. As stated by Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, “for as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy” (Bruni 396). Pursuit of happiness is a lifetime quest. Nevertheless, apparently, there are limits to these beliefs. Viewing happiness as an ultimate objective of human existence may lead us to ignore the simple joys that come along in our lives, like the smell of flowers, the relaxing breeze, or the delicious meal that our loved one prepared for us. Sometimes happiness is all about simplifying our lives, being contented, and appreciating the smallest touches of bliss that we experience. Some believe that happiness is not a passing or temporary mood. Yet, this kind of belief stops us from enjoying life to the fullest or pushes us to take a serious look at our lives. Other people argue that every individual has different beliefs and thoughts about how to attain a positive emotional state. Some people do not feel happy with material things; they acquire happiness through intellectual stimulation or when their expectations of something have been fulfilled, just like how Milton described it (Martin 877). The emotional happiness of each individual is behind a fence of standards. If they are able to satisfy the standards in their mind they will pamper or indulge themselves with gratifying emotions or feelings, at least temporarily. The pursuit of happiness is genuine. It is a true and natural human desire. For individuals who feel a profound emotional desire, merely satisfying the standards of beliefs or assumptions about what will make them happy does not gratify this desire. At a more profound manner it becomes about the yearning of the soul (Graham 52). Gratifying such yearnings is much more important and rewarding than gratifying the expectations or assumptions in our mind. For instance, in the film The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner did not yearn for fleeting happiness, but pursued long-term goals that will endow him with a genuinely fulfilling emotional state. He clung to the belief that in order to be truly happy, he has to avoid thoughtlessly pursuing the deceitful beliefs in his mind. He strongly focused on the ultimate objective and refused to leap into something that will prevent him from acquiring his ultimate objective. For instance, he accepted the six-month internship without any allowance or compensation even though he and his son were experiencing extreme hardships. Yet, eventually, he successfully attains the long-term happiness he has been longing for all his life. Conclusions Pursuit of happiness can be defined in numerous ways. But how Milton and Jefferson defined this quite makes sense, especially in view of how other ancient scholars like Aristotle define the pursuit of happiness. Happiness cannot be guaranteed by the state, as proclaimed by Milton and Jefferson, and thus individuals should pursue happiness the way they want to as long as they respect the rights of others. However, as this paper argues, this pursuit of happiness should be a lifetime goal and not a quest for temporary or fleeting emotional bliss. Works Cited Bruni, Luigino. “The happiness of sociality. Economics and eudaimonia: A necessary encounter.” Rationality and Society 22.4 (2010): 383-406. Print. Ervin, Sam. “The Pursuit of Happiness.” NASSP Bulletin 61.409 (1977): 128-135. Print. Graham, Carol. The Pursuit of Happiness: An Economy of Well-Being. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2012. Print. Kaminsky, Howard. “Citizenship vs. the Pursuit of Happiness, Bonum Commune vs. Private Property: A Modern Contradiction and its Medieval Root.” The Medieval History Journal 6.1 (2003): 111-137. Print. Martin, Catherine. “Milton and the Pursuit of Happiness.” University of Toronto Quarterly 77.3 (2008): 773-876. Print. Read More