The American Founders and the "pursuit of happiness"

[Curious_Hobbit]

I just read an article by Harry Jaffa and he made a good point that I had not thought of. The American founders seem to have had an Aristotelian view of Happiness being attained through virtue. Aristotle’s view was that happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue. Here are some examples of the Founding Fathers on this subject:

There is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the
economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.
-GEORGE WASHINGTON, First Inaugural Address, Apr. 30, 1789

“The aggregate happiness of the society, which is best promoted by the practice
of a virtuous policy, is, or ought to be, the end of all government”
-George Washington

“The order of nature [is] that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the
practice of virtue.” --Thomas Jefferson to M. Correa de Serra, 1814. ME 19:210

“Without virtue, happiness cannot be.” --Thomas Jefferson to Amos J. Cook, 1816.
ME 14:405

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without
any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”
James Madison

“Honor is truly sacred, but holds a lower rank in the scale of moral excellence
than virtue. Indeed the former is part of the latter, and consequently has not
equal pretensions to support a frame of government productive of human
happiness.”
John Adams

“The diminution of public virtue is usually attended with that of public
happiness, and the public liberty will not long survive the total extinction of
morals.”
Samuel Adams

In the Dec. of Independence it says all men are endowed with certain rights including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since the founding fathers had this view of happiness attained through virtue, do you think that it was understood among them that man’s pursuit of happiness as stated in the Dec. of Ind. is only successful so long as man remains virtuous? Perhaps many of the problems in the U.S. today are a result of man trying to pursue happiness without being virtuous. It just seems that many people in the U.S. today enjoy their freedom without feeling the need to be virtuous when perhaps the founding fathers assumed that people will always know that happiness can only be achieved through a virtuous life. What do you think?

 

[manygift1spirit]

The Founding Fathers did say the “pursuit of happiness” is an unalienable right. I often like to point out they did not say the “pursuit of pleasure”.

They are different, and by definition happiness involves virtue. An enterprise taken without virtue can not and will not yield happiness, although it may yield pleasure. So yes, your reading is on the right track.

Slightly off-topic, but no less noteworthy, is that neither did they say the “procurement of happiness”.

Smart fellers, they.

 

[MagicKirk]

By declaring the pursuit of happiness an inalienable right, Jefferson further ingrained in us a minimization of the more important redemptive power of suffering and sacrifice. Most people on this forum probably agree that ur country and world has tilted toward relativism and hedonism. The belief in the “pursuit of happiness” is just one facet of it.

According to Wikipedia, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"is a paraphrasing of an earlier statement by English philosopher John Locke.who in 1689 wrote of “life, liberty, health, and indolency of body; and the possession of outward things (property)”

According to the Wikipedia article, “Benjamin Franklin was in agreement with Thomas Jefferson in downplaying protection of “property” as a goal of government, replacing the idea with “happiness”. It is noted that Franklin found property to be a “creature of society” and thus, he believed that it should be taxed as a way to finance civil society.”

 

[fhansen]

I just read an article by Harry Jaffa and he made a good point that I had not thought of. The American founders seem to have had an Aristotelian view of Happiness being attained through virtue. Aristotle’s view was that happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue. Here are some examples of the Founding Fathers on this subject:

There is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the
economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness.
-GEORGE WASHINGTON, First Inaugural Address, Apr. 30, 1789

“The aggregate happiness of the society, which is best promoted by the practice
of a virtuous policy, is, or ought to be, the end of all government”
-George Washington

“The order of nature [is] that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the
practice of virtue.” --Thomas Jefferson to M. Correa de Serra, 1814. ME 19:210

“Without virtue, happiness cannot be.” --Thomas Jefferson to Amos J. Cook, 1816.
ME 14:405

“To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without
any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.”
James Madison

“Honor is truly sacred, but holds a lower rank in the scale of moral excellence
than virtue. Indeed the former is part of the latter, and consequently has not
equal pretensions to support a frame of government productive of human
happiness.”
John Adams

“The diminution of public virtue is usually attended with that of public
happiness, and the public liberty will not long survive the total extinction of
morals.”
Samuel Adams

In the Dec. of Independence it says all men are endowed with certain rights including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since the founding fathers had this view of happiness attained through virtue, do you think that it was understood among them that man’s pursuit of happiness as stated in the Dec. of Ind. is only successful so long as man remains virtuous? Perhaps many of the problems in the U.S. today are a result of man trying to pursue happiness without being virtuous. It just seems that many people in the U.S. today enjoy their freedom without feeling the need to be virtuous when perhaps the founding fathers assumed that people will always know that happiness can only be achieved through a virtuous life. What do you think?

Great Post! Maybe it could be said that Adam & Eve were trying to achieve happiness outside of virtue-by thinking they could find it apart from God. This is sort of the road we’re on in this world-and the decision we need to make-the choice of life over death.

 

[ricmat]

In the Dec. of Independence it says all men are endowed with certain rights including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Although I appreciate your effort to promote virtue (really), I’m curious as to why you left out the “by their Creator” part of the Declaration of Independence. President Obama leaves out those words in his speeches when quoting the Declaration. Did you leave them out on purpose? If so, that’s a funny position to take on a Catholic forum.

 

[Curious_Hobbit]

Although I appreciate your effort to promote virtue (really), I’m curious as to why you left out the “by their Creator” part of the Declaration of Independence. President Obama leaves out those words in his speeches when quoting the Declaration. Did you leave them out on purpose? If so, that’s a funny position to take on a Catholic forum.

ricmat, I had a specific question about the founders view of virtue as it relates to the pursuit of happiness. I didn’t want the discussion to be necessarily centered on their belief in a creator although it is relevant to the question I asked. Actually I was thinking about posting a separate thread on “If our inalienable rights are endowed by a creator, and atheists deny the existence of a creator, what is the foundation for their rights and what will this mean in the future as our culture becomes more secular?”.

 

[StAnastasia]

I didn’t want the discussion to be necessarily centered on their belief in a creator although it is relevant to the question I asked. Actually I was thinking about posting a separate thread on “If our inalienable rights are endowed by a creator, and atheists deny the existence of a creator, what is the foundation for their rights and what will this mean in the future as our culture becomes more secular?”.

“The Prayer Caucus should just admit that it is looking for any opportunity to bash the president,” the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, said in a statement on Monday. “It’s not very Christian of them, but I expect nothing less from a body that takes its marching orders from the Religious Right.”