Reason in Promoting Happiness John Kekes and Essay

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Reason in Promoting Happiness

John Kekes and Plato have argued the involvement of reasoning when it comes to the pursuit of a "true happiness." While both are proponents of elements of reason regarding the state of happiness, Kekes focuses on a much more subjective approach to reasoning and happiness. In his The Examined Life, Kekes defines happiness as a culmination of episodes leading up to an attitude, which he views as one's overall view of satisfaction in life. If one is satisfied by the degree of smaller elements -- or episodes -- of one's life, then one has accomplished a measure of happiness. To Kekes, happiness is a subjective emotion, one determined by one's views of one's life. In this respect, Kekes believes that a person's reasonable distinction between episodes allows the person to evaluate his or her attitude toward the degree of happiness. One satisfying episode does not ultimately lead to one's happiness, according to Kekes.

In this manner, Kekes' views differ from Plato, whose theories of happiness are well documented in The Republic. Plato finds that happiness can be achieved in the pursuit of justice and/or philosophy. In Plato's arguments, the idea of happiness brings about a state of absolute peace and harmony, one that reaches to the very depths of the soul. Happiness is congruent toward justice, while injustice is linked to selfishness and unhappiness (or desire and "unnecessary" pleasure).

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It is in the constant pursuit of knowledge and understanding that Plato believes one can find happiness. Perhaps it is in this search of knowledge that Kekes and Plato somewhat agree. Kekes says that one cannot be happy unless one has a clear idea of one's life. Plato indicates that a philosophical understanding balances out the soul and the physical form, thus achieving the highest happiness.

2. Happiness as Achievement

Julia Annas' "Happiness as Achievement" argues similarly to the views of John Kekes, who finds that happiness is found through an encompassing look of one's life as a whole. In the same manner, Annas views the culmination of one's labors -- physical or mental -- as the basis for finding happiness. Within a certain achievement -- a type of toil towards a goal -- comes a certain degree of happiness. Happiness is achieved after a meaningful living of one's life. An example she brings up is the process of instant gratification; a pleasure in which one suddenly is bestowed with money or glory or fame unearned. In Annas' argument, one does not attain a lasting happiness after such instant gratification. In order to achieve happiness according to Annas, one must be prepared to work to attain richness, fame, and glory; it is….....

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