|
|
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the constitution that everyone has the right for “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”. In his time he was not even sure what happiness really meant, he was afraid to even say that every person has the right to happiness he only said every person has the right to peruse happiness. It seems that Thomas Jefferson was actually stating the qualities necessary to pursue happiness. The dictionary definition of happiness is enjoying, showing, or marked by pleasure; and the dictionary definition of quality is an inherent or distinguishing characteristic; a property. According to Thomas Jefferson every American has the right to peruse happiness, but what did Jefferson mean? What are the qualities of happiness? Jefferson was saying that in order for one to achieve happiness they must have life and liberty. Many philosophers have spent years, and even their entire careers trying to define what the quality of happiness is. A quality of ones life depends on what they do for others, according to Aristotle. He believed that a good quality is one that leads to the happiness of other people. It is important to make other people happy in order for ones life to be full of joy.
|
