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Reason in Promoting Happiness
John Kekes and Plato have argued the involvement of reasoning when it comes to the pursuit of a "true happiness." While both are proponents of elements of reason regarding the state of happiness, Kekes focuses on a much more subjective approach to reasoning and happiness. In his The Examined Life, Kekes defines happiness as a culmination of episodes leading up to an attitude, which he views as one's overall view of satisfaction in life. If one is satisfied by the degree of smaller elements -- or episodes -- of one's life, then one has accomplished a measure of happiness. To Kekes, happiness is a subjective emotion, one determined by one's views of one's life. In this respect, Kekes believes that a person's reasonable distinction between episodes allows the person to evaluate his or her attitude toward the degree of happiness. One satisfying episode does not ultimately lead to one's happiness, according to Kekes.
In this manner, Kekes' views differ from Plato, whose theories of happiness are well documented in The Republic. Plato finds that happiness can be achieved in the pursuit of justice and/or philosophy. In Plato's arguments, the idea of happiness brings about...
Happiness is congruent toward justice, while injustice is linked to selfishness and unhappiness (or desire and "unnecessary" pleasure). It is in the constant pursuit of knowledge and understanding that Plato believes one can find happiness. Perhaps it is in this search of knowledge that Kekes and Plato somewhat agree. Kekes says that one cannot be happy unless one has a clear idea of one's life. Plato indicates that a philosophical understanding balances out the soul and the physical form, thus achieving the highest happiness.
2. Happiness as Achievement
Julia Annas' "Happiness as Achievement" argues similarly to the views of John Kekes, who finds that happiness is found through an encompassing look of one's life as a whole. In the same manner, Annas views the culmination of one's labors -- physical or mental -- as the basis for finding happiness. Within a certain achievement -- a type of toil towards a goal -- comes a certain degree of happiness. Happiness is achieved after a meaningful living of one's life. An example she brings up is the process of instant gratification; a pleasure in which one suddenly is bestowed with money or glory or fame unearned. In Annas' argument, one does not attain a lasting happiness after such instant gratification. In order to achieve happiness according to Annas, one must be prepared to work to attain richness, fame, and glory; it is in achieving these goals…
Happiness: Narratives From Dana and Chris The discussion in this paper provides two perspectives on the topic of happiness. Two interviews were conducted on two women, Dana, 33 years old, and Chris, 30 years old. The close proximity of their ages was deliberate, as the author-interviewer would like to have a good comparison of how the two women in their early 30s think about happiness in general, and based on what
Org 2010). Such direct contact is definitely preferable to the distribution of anti-union literature; the ability an willingness to actually discuss issues with employees rather than simply providing them with printed statements that cannot be engaged in a dialogue shows an empathy and a desire to address issues that pamphlets and fliers cannot put forth (ABC.org 2010). Such actions would also undermine the solidarity of labor, causing larger problems for
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Happiness is perhaps the most illusive, but most sought after mental state in life. Like all human experiences, happiness is also a very subjective state; different things make different people happy. This is why it is so difficult to say what happiness is, and why there has been so much disagreement among philosophers, who have nonetheless not been deterred from attempting to describe this elusive emotion. Both Plato and Aristotle
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