• Mikie
    6.1k
    If happiness is a good, or the good, then what is it? If its living in accord with our nature, then what is our nature?

    The function of an axe is to cut. To be a "good" axe is to cut well. I think Aristotle would say that the soul or nature of a human is thinking, what normally gets translated as "reason."

    So to be happy, we should live in accordance with our function -- with reason; with the goals that one decides on; with virtue.

    I've always liked that picture.

    Happiness, then, has nothing to do with feelings of pleasure or joy, or a good time. It's a life-long pursuit, and we can't determine whether one has lived a happy life until it's completed.

    I like that formulation too. Nietzsche's isn't bad either, really.

    Anyway, this was my plan for this thread. Didn't quite go as I expected. Oh well! I moved it to the lounge, so feel free to continue posting whatever you'd like.
  • Moliere
    4k
    Happiness, then, has nothing to do with feelings of pleasure or joy, or a good time. It's a life-long pursuit, and we can't determine whether one has lived a happy life until it's completed.Mikie

    You should have started with the ending post. :)

    There is something to the notion that happiness is not ephemeral. Happiness is achieved through the day-to-day, not within a single day. I can have a bad day and continue to be happy. I can feel sad about a particular thing and still continue to be happy.

    However, I think I'd say that a notion of happiness that requires us to live the entirety of life isn't very useful for those of us who want to be happy. We're not going to be around at the end of it all to make a judgment -- that would be a judgment for the historians or philosophers.

    Feelings, I think, are an important part of happiness, though, while pleasure isn't simple. "Joy" I think gets much closer to happiness than our lexical "pleasure" or "good time". The pleasure of happiness is consistent between various pleasures and pains -- it's more of an overall satisfaction with the way things are for oneself than immediate pleasure and pain. And satisfaction is at least partially dependent upon what a person wants.

    So if you want something aside from basic pleasures and pains -- say, goodness, or justice, or power -- and you don't have those things, you will be unhappy. Even if your basic needs are met your mind will gravitate towards the things you want and the opposite of happiness will occur. It's not exactly displeasure, but frustration.
  • Mikie
    6.1k
    You should have started with the ending post. :)Moliere

    I know. It made sense when I started— I had it all planned out. I botched it.
  • Moliere
    4k
    Oh I wouldn't be that harsh on yourself. I was saying, here's the OP! You got there! I found something I could say and respond to in it, at least.
12Next
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment