Happiness Essay

What is happiness? Is it an object that can be obtained through certain actions? Is it something that we can have

one day but then not the next? Is it an idea that can occur over time? There have been many theories on the definition of happiness and it is an ongoing philosophical debate across the world. However, many individuals never really consider what the definition of happiness is for their own lives. “It’s like breathing. We never think about it.” (Janaro & Altshuler, 2009) This paper will describe several philosophies on happiness: hedonism, Epicureanism, stoicism, and Aristotelianism. Then, it will discuss as well as compare and contrast the answers given by several individuals during interviews specifically about happiness.

The Greek philosopher Aristippus (435-356 B.C.E.) was the major attributor to the philosophy of hedonism. This philosophy is the belief that happiness can be obtained through physical means, such as taste and touch. An argument for this philosophy is that when confronted with a choice, individuals will always choose the option that gives “the most pleasure and the least amount of pain.” Several widely used terms could be considered slogans for hedonism, including “Eat, drink, and be merry” and “carpe diem.” (Janaro & Altshuler, 2009) Many following this philosophy believe that because life is so short, you should try to have and enjoy as much as you can. There can never be too much pleasure in life.

Epicureanism is the philosophy that was created by the Greek philosopher Epicurus (c. 341-270 B.C.E.). (Janaro & Altshuler, 2009) This philosophy falls under the assumption that no one can avoid pain throughout their life and have only pleasure. Therefore, you should live your life as prepared as possible for those unhappy moments and accept them as they come with as much goodwill as you can muster. Ernest Hemingway gives a different view of this philosophy in the statement, “He should not place himself in a position to...