No other few words in American history are more well-known and iconic than the phrase from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (492). Recognized by some as one of the most eloquent and influential sentences in the history American text, Thomas Jefferson’s words have stuck with us for more than two centuries and we still don’t have a clear definition of what these “unalienable rights” truly mean. While many usually can agree on the meanings of life and liberty, happiness on the other hand has long been a matter of discourse. As Americans embark into a new ideal of American life, it's worth contemplating about what this indefinable phrase really means. Though our nation’s founding document states that we are given these rights, what did Jefferson really mean by the pursuit of happiness? Is happiness truly attainable? And more importantly what is the meaning for us today? The statement issued by Congress on July 4, 1776, as America split bonds with Britain and embarked on a path of Independence, has become a distinctive American concept. In the forming of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson is said to have taken from John Locke's Second Treatise of Government which notes "life, liberty, and estate" and “lives, liberties, and fortunes” replacing the third term for happiness. “In any case, it can hardly be doubted that for many Americans—Jefferson included—property in the eighteenth century was a value associated with the pursuit of happiness, taking its place alongside life, liberty, and security as basic ri... ... middle of paper ... ... Kamp. "Rethinking the American Dream." Vanity Fair 1 Apr. 2009: Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 20 Jul. 2011. Leland, John. "The Nation; Pursuing Happiness, Jefferson To J.Lo." New York Times 29 June 2003: 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 July 2011. McMahon, Darrin M. "The Market and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Society 43.2 (2006): 53-61. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 July 2011. Norberg, Johan. "The Scientist’s Pursuit of Happiness.” Policy 21.3 (2005): 9-13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 July 2011. O'Rourke, P.J. "Life, Liberty, and Whoop-de-do!." Forbes 168.14 (2001): 18-20. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 July 2011. Sandler, Lauren. "The American Nightmare: We Have Everything the American Dream Prescribed, So Why Aren't We Happy?" Psychology Today 44.2 (2011): 70-77. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 July 2011.
Happiness plays an important and necessary role in the lives of people around the world. In America, happiness has been engrained in our national consciousness since Thomas Jefferson penned these famous words in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson). Since then, Americans have been engaged in that act: pursuing happiness. The problem however, as Ray Bradbury demonstrates in his novel Fahrenheit 451, is that those things which make us happy initially may eventually lead to our downfall. By examining Guy Montag, the protagonist in Fahrenheit 451, and the world he lives in we can gain valuable insights to direct us in our own pursuit of happiness. From Montag and other characters we will learn how physical, emotional, and spiritual happiness can drastically affect our lives. We must ask ourselves what our lives, words, and actions are worth. We should hope that our words are not meaningless, “as wind in dried grass” (Eliot).
“The American Dream: Out of Reach?” America Press 10/3/2011: Pages. Vol. 205 Issue 9, p6-6. 8/9
ANDREW SULLIVAN. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - Four Revolutionary Words. Forbes ASAP, "The Big Issue," November 2001. Web. 29 June 2015.
In contrast to Aristotle, Roko Belic’s documentary “Happy” provides a fresh perspective that takes place far more recently. The film sets out to similar goals of Aristotle in defining the nature of happiness and exploring what makes different people happy in general. Unlike Aristotle, however, the film’s main argument refers to makes people happier. In this case, the film argues that merely “doing what you love” is what leads to happiness (Belic). The argument itself appears oddly self-serving, considering that message is what underlines the foundation of happiness, yet there is a subliminal message that a simpler lifestyle is what leads to what the film is trying to convince you of. The message itself is obviously addressed to Americans, considering
The pursuit of happiness as Jefferson’s phrased and recognized centuries later, is a natural right and a fundamental objective of man, and not based on the possession of material things but in growth as people can achieve, obtaining our goals and aspirations and the positive impact we can have on the lives of others.
Kamp, David. “Rethinking the American Dream.” Vanity Fair.com. Conde Nast Publications, April 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2010.
Classical philosophers and rhetoricians theorized whether eudemonia was a matter of luck (up to the daimons) or whether humans in fact had agency. They also defined happiness in relation to an ethical framework, often requiring virtue as a prerequisite. My exam area reads into these many incarnations of happiness as an idea(l) that Richard Weaver calls a “God-term” in its “inherent potency,” woven deep into the fabric of our constitution with ‘obvious’ discursive patterns and powerful institutionalized effects. Materialized through discourse, happiness is necessarily relational and socially persuasive, imbued with ethical assumptions, and embodied in knowledge and beliefs. At times this awareness is either lost or left implicit, but by bringing this critical perspective to the historical trajectory, I situate distinct rhetorics of happiness.
The American dream, essentially the constantly reiterated and embellished idea of someone who possessed nothing and ended up with everything, tends to bring misconceptions among citizens today about the nature of success itself. What this idea promotes is essentially that anyone can climb the social ladder regardless of the circumstances surrounding him or her. However, it must be noted that even though many have the potential to be...
In 1931 when the American Dream arose, Americans believed that the harder one worked, the more one would prosper (Meacham, 2012). In other words, they strongly believed that the American Dream was gaining a better, richer, happier life. Today, the American Dream is still hoping to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house, and start a family, but according to MetLife’s fifth annual survey, 41% of the respondents said it was about personal fulfillment, while most American’s say it is out of reach for many (White, ...
Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materialism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties.
Humans often make goals to reach an exhilarated state. When a goal becomes too hard to obtain and when too many people fail to reach this goal, society digresses. The American Dream is the national ethos of the United States that was created in 1931. It is a set of principles in which prosperity and success can be achieved through hard work and the right ethics. However, over the years, the “car has stopped.” This so-called “dream” is running low and slowly turning into a fantasy. With the exploitation of an over-powering government and the reforms of education heading in the wrong direction, the American Dream is running low and is on its way to extinction.
Tran, Lynda. "Losing the 'American Dream'." USNEWS.com. N.P., 13 May 2013. Web. 12 Mar 2014. .
With America actually being seen as the land of assurance, the American dream is usually associated with the freedom and opportunity of gaining prosperity, recognition, power, triumph, and contentment. On the surface, this dream appears virtually delighted, offering individuals the exceptional hope of accomplishing success despite of one’s race, religion, or family history. The American Dream is accurately what it seems to be the chance of perfect lying nearby the corner. However, the actual nature of this dream prohibit the pleasure of the victory one has earned, as the desire is always demanding one to work a slight harder and gain a slightly more.
Bowman, James. "The Pursuit of Happiness." The American Spectator. N.p., Sept. 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
John Locke’s Natural Rights stated that all men have three rights they are born with: life, liberty, and property. The first right is life. When a person is created, they are given life. They have the freedom to do what they want with themselves. The next right is liberty. People are given liberty. When someone is born they are automatically given the liberty to move, breathe, talk, etc.; however, some liberty must be earned. The last right is property. While having property would make most people happy, some people may not be as satisfied. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson pulled these three main ideas from Locke and incorporated them into the document. While the life and liberty rights stayed the same, he altered the idea of