What is Happiness?What is Happiness?

FeracoFeraco

Search for Human PotentialSearch for Human Potential

10 December 201010 December 2010

Kant and EmersonKant and Emerson

• Morality is not properly the doctrine of Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.happiness.

Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant• We are always getting ready to live but We are always getting ready to live but

never living.never living.

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson• Were we always wired the way Emerson Were we always wired the way Emerson

suggests we are?suggests we are?• Is Kant right? Is Kant right?

TeleologyTeleology• Aristotle – one of our great minds – took Aristotle – one of our great minds – took

what we call a what we call a teleologicalteleological approach to approach to “good”“good”

• Telos: Greek – meanings vary from Telos: Greek – meanings vary from “bullseye” and “goal” to “purpose”“bullseye” and “goal” to “purpose”

• To him, something was good when it To him, something was good when it “fulfilled its destiny” – when it completed “fulfilled its destiny” – when it completed a goal, when it lives up to the a goal, when it lives up to the expectations that led to its importance to expectations that led to its importance to begin withbegin with

• After all, if you don’t seem to be aiming at After all, if you don’t seem to be aiming at a target, why would anyone care if you a target, why would anyone care if you missed? missed?

Sending Out SignalsSending Out Signals• If I tell you that I plan to teach about a “good If I tell you that I plan to teach about a “good

book,” I’m really signaling to you that the book book,” I’m really signaling to you that the book satisfies my criteria for goodnesssatisfies my criteria for goodness

• Perhaps I’ve decided it’s a “good book” because Perhaps I’ve decided it’s a “good book” because I believe books I believe books havehave to contain exciting moments to contain exciting moments in order to be good (and it has them), or because in order to be good (and it has them), or because I decided that good books need interesting I decided that good books need interesting characters (and it has them)characters (and it has them)

• However, if you believe that “good” books have However, if you believe that “good” books have to have a predictable story/an ending that to have a predictable story/an ending that “doesn’t make you think” (which it doesn’t “doesn’t make you think” (which it doesn’t have), you won’t think the book is very good at have), you won’t think the book is very good at allall

• Your expectations for the book are different from Your expectations for the book are different from minemine

Back to Death CabBack to Death Cab• This explains the “Death Cab Paradox” – we This explains the “Death Cab Paradox” – we

judge it differently because we have different judge it differently because we have different expectations for the music we hear (i.e. you need expectations for the music we hear (i.e. you need songs to have energy, or to be technically songs to have energy, or to be technically difficult – but I need them to have melody and difficult – but I need them to have melody and good lyrics)good lyrics)

• Teleology, therefore, allows us to give things Teleology, therefore, allows us to give things purposes of our choosing – and for us to be purposes of our choosing – and for us to be alternately satisfied or disappointed by how well alternately satisfied or disappointed by how well something lives up to that “reason for being”something lives up to that “reason for being”

• This, in turn, allows us to develop morals and This, in turn, allows us to develop morals and ethicsethics

• Remember that we established that morals and Remember that we established that morals and ethics, for good or for ill, provide us with a ethics, for good or for ill, provide us with a framework for our interpretations – and therefore framework for our interpretations – and therefore our goals! our goals!

Morality as MeansMorality as Means• Our goals become our reason for being – Our goals become our reason for being –

and our sense of satisfaction becomes and our sense of satisfaction becomes dependent on how well we live up to our dependent on how well we live up to our expectations and hopes for ourselvesexpectations and hopes for ourselves

• Without goals, we have nothing to aim for, Without goals, we have nothing to aim for, and therefore nothing to make us satisfiedand therefore nothing to make us satisfied

• Our goals can be inwardly directed Our goals can be inwardly directed (something that satisfies us) or outwardly (something that satisfies us) or outwardly directed (something that satisfies directed (something that satisfies someone else)someone else)

• In short, our morality becomes the means In short, our morality becomes the means by which we can earn happiness by which we can earn happiness

We Can Be In ControlWe Can Be In Control• If our morality is determined by both choice and If our morality is determined by both choice and

experience, then one could argue that we all experience, then one could argue that we all control whether we’ll be happycontrol whether we’ll be happyEmerson’s and Kant’s quotes seem more Emerson’s and Kant’s quotes seem more interesting in this contextinteresting in this context

• On the one hand, we have to live at some point – On the one hand, we have to live at some point – we have to do something instead of just talking we have to do something instead of just talking about it, or we’ll never satisfy those goalsabout it, or we’ll never satisfy those goals

• On the other hand, we can still be happy if we On the other hand, we can still be happy if we plan as well as live; we may not achieve full plan as well as live; we may not achieve full satisfaction all at once, but we’ll always be satisfaction all at once, but we’ll always be hitting some benchmark (before moving on to the hitting some benchmark (before moving on to the next goal so we can experience new happiness!) next goal so we can experience new happiness!)

Deontology (Sounds Fun?)Deontology (Sounds Fun?)

• Now let’s move on to Kant’s argument; Now let’s move on to Kant’s argument; can those goals become the ways in which can those goals become the ways in which we make ourselves we make ourselves worthyworthy of happiness? of happiness?

• Kant was what we call a Kant was what we call a deontologistdeontologist – – someone who believes that goodness someone who believes that goodness grows out of morals, rather than the other grows out of morals, rather than the other way around (which we argued earlier)way around (which we argued earlier)

• According to Kant, morality meant that According to Kant, morality meant that you acted on the basis of what you were you acted on the basis of what you were expected to do alone – meaning that you expected to do alone – meaning that you were really pleasing to a teleologist! were really pleasing to a teleologist!

Expectation ImperativesExpectation Imperatives• Unfortunately, Kant also believed that anything Unfortunately, Kant also believed that anything

other than an “expectation imperative” made an other than an “expectation imperative” made an action immoralaction immoral

• Therefore, if you run around the track because Therefore, if you run around the track because your coach expects you to go run around the your coach expects you to go run around the track, you’ve acted morally – but if you ran just track, you’ve acted morally – but if you ran just because you wanted to enjoy it, you’ve because you wanted to enjoy it, you’ve compromised your morals because it’s not your compromised your morals because it’s not your duty to have fun!duty to have fun!

• Talk about relative values – we were confused Talk about relative values – we were confused about whether Death Cab for Cutie or about whether Death Cab for Cutie or One Tree One Tree HillHill could be “good,” and now Kant wants us to could be “good,” and now Kant wants us to look at ourselves completely differently!look at ourselves completely differently!

• It’s an interesting way to look at both happiness It’s an interesting way to look at both happiness and morality, if you think about it and morality, if you think about it

Does Laziness Exist?Does Laziness Exist?• Many resist deontology specifically because it Many resist deontology specifically because it

seems to deem spontaneous, independent seems to deem spontaneous, independent happiness as unhealthy – whereas teleology happiness as unhealthy – whereas teleology views it as the natural outgrowth of meeting views it as the natural outgrowth of meeting one’s own expectationsone’s own expectations

• In this case, the pursuit of happiness is incredibly In this case, the pursuit of happiness is incredibly important – rather than making our morals important – rather than making our morals determine our level of satisfaction, we switch the determine our level of satisfaction, we switch the relationship aroundrelationship around

• If you notice this, it’s easy to see how humans If you notice this, it’s easy to see how humans can become worthy of happiness in their own can become worthy of happiness in their own eyes – just adjust your morals, and your goals will eyes – just adjust your morals, and your goals will adjust as welladjust as well

• It’s the reason why people can be satisfied while It’s the reason why people can be satisfied while underachieving – they’ve changed their morals to underachieving – they’ve changed their morals to the point that true excellence no longer matters the point that true excellence no longer matters

Intermittent SurprisesIntermittent Surprises• If you have no goals, Aristotle doesn’t believe If you have no goals, Aristotle doesn’t believe

you can be truly happyyou can be truly happy• You can be pleasantly surprised – but is a life You can be pleasantly surprised – but is a life

spent waiting for intermittent pleasant surprises spent waiting for intermittent pleasant surprises really worth living?really worth living?

• True happiness seems to result from effort – the True happiness seems to result from effort – the satisfaction that’s earned is better than the satisfaction that’s earned is better than the satisfaction that’s handed outsatisfaction that’s handed outIn other words, it’s better to be the arrow than In other words, it’s better to be the arrow than the leafthe leaf

• After all, the vast majority of you decided that it After all, the vast majority of you decided that it was important to make your own moral code – was important to make your own moral code – and to make your own decisions rather than and to make your own decisions rather than allow someone to control you, even if that control allow someone to control you, even if that control led you down a comfortable path led you down a comfortable path

Shaping HappinessShaping Happiness

• In this way, choice, morality, and In this way, choice, morality, and happiness seem interrelatedhappiness seem interrelatedIf we have free will, we can decide how to If we have free will, we can decide how to interpret our experiencesinterpret our experiences

• We can allow those interpretations to We can allow those interpretations to shape our moralsshape our morals

• Our morals, in turn, shape our future Our morals, in turn, shape our future choiceschoices

• By shaping our choices, our morals shape By shaping our choices, our morals shape our goals – and our goals shape our our goals – and our goals shape our happiness! happiness!

Not So Fast…Not So Fast…• That said, things may not necessarily be so That said, things may not necessarily be so

simplesimple• We may not have free willWe may not have free will• We do things that violate our morals or our We do things that violate our morals or our

ethics; sometimes we attempt to rationalize ethics; sometimes we attempt to rationalize these actions, while at other times we don’t even these actions, while at other times we don’t even trytry

• We can go through life passively, drifting leaf-like We can go through life passively, drifting leaf-like from day to day without even noticing the from day to day without even noticing the passing of time – or that we’re not growingpassing of time – or that we’re not growing

• We make the choices that ordinarily bring us We make the choices that ordinarily bring us happiness harder; by procrastinating, for happiness harder; by procrastinating, for example, we stain the “fun things” we do in the example, we stain the “fun things” we do in the meantime with a hidden dread, a knowledge that meantime with a hidden dread, a knowledge that everything gets worse when this experience endseverything gets worse when this experience ends

The Free Will to FailThe Free Will to Fail• If happiness is such an important human concern If happiness is such an important human concern

– and if great minds seem to have devised ways – and if great minds seem to have devised ways to find it – why do we still sabotage ourselves?to find it – why do we still sabotage ourselves?

• In this case, we can blame our ability to choose In this case, we can blame our ability to choose incorrectly – the free will to make a bad decisionincorrectly – the free will to make a bad decision

• This is a choice that, judging by our discussions, This is a choice that, judging by our discussions, you treasure – so this is OK!you treasure – so this is OK!

• In short, we may love pursuing happiness In short, we may love pursuing happiness successfully – but we seem to love our ability to successfully – but we seem to love our ability to be disappointed almost as much, because that be disappointed almost as much, because that disappointment both seems to validate our free disappointment both seems to validate our free will…and to make our successes all the sweeterwill…and to make our successes all the sweeter

• ““You need to know bruises to know blessings, You need to know bruises to know blessings, and I have known both.” and I have known both.”