Freedom is a Service to Happiness

1183 Words3 Pages

Happiness and freedom may seem like two diverse things; however, both are linked in the way that happiness can be attained by the service of freedom. The feeling of happiness can be defined as the state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. To achieve happiness, there is no one correct path to it. It differs from person to person. This means that a sort of power must be initiated in order to find the happiness one wants to attain. Freedom is necessary in the sense that each person must search for their own definition of happiness and layout the plan they need to achieve it. This allows us to define out what are own happiness is. Freedom is a service in achieving happiness as it allows the person to define their own desired path.
A great conflict arises on the topics of freedom and happiness between Christ and the Grand Inquisitor, who is ally with Satan. The Grand Inquisitor explains to Christ how rejecting the three temptations has guaranteed human beings the choice of free will. The three temptations offered to Christ was the bread, the miracle and the power. In the first temptation, Christ did not accept the request to turn stone into bread. Christ believed that people should live by the word of God and instead of a material security like bread. In the second temptation, Christ refused to perform the miracle of being saved if he were to jump off the mountain. Christ did not want to use this temptation to gain religious faith of having to prove to others his powers. The third temptation was the offer of power of all nations. Christ refused the offer by Satan as he wanted human beings to have the free will of choice. Each temptation reflected the choice that Christ m...

... middle of paper ...

...ed in what actions they can or cannot take.
Freedom brings happiness to a person in the way that it opens up all the possible opportunities for a person to achieve the goal. If one is constrained from certain actions, they will be constrained from doing the things they want to do. It will make it impossible to achieve the desired goal one wants to achieve. In The Grand Inquisitor, Christ believed that human beings should have the choice of free will because it will allow them to choose the path they most desire. It is not right to confine someone to one path that will lead them to someone else’s ideal path of happiness. Without freedom, they will be limited to what they can or cannot do. They will have to follow that one path and not be able to search for their own. Thus, freedom is a service to achieving happiness as it allows the person to define their own path.

Open Document