Posted on 02/11/2008 9:59:57 AM PST by philman_36
While driving home from work today I was listening to the Laura Ingraham Show on the radio and I was simply amazed at the number of people who have no idea whatsoever what the term of art "the pursuit of happiness" actually means. With the advent of the Internet anyone truly interested in the expression could easily find out what it means. Perhaps someone will have to make a "pursuit of happiness" page at MySpace to help spread the knowledge because it sure isn't getting out now.
Most people appear to believe that it has to do with a person's emotional state and they couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is simple and easily found, if people actually wanted to know what it meant. Essayist Roger Rosenblatt has a succinct explanation at, of all places, (hold your breath now) the liberal bastion of PBS.org!
At this point I can only conclude that from the government's point of view having this nation's Citizens contented in their ignorance makes it that much easier for someone's "happiness" (or more properly THEIR PROPERTY) to be taken away from them. The government sure isn't going out of its way to correct such astounding ignorance.
And my apologies to my fellow drivers. Oh, yes, I saw the looks I was given as I screamed at the radio and banged the steering wheel in frustration. Thankfully my radio has an off function else I might have been pulled over by law enforcement, their having been called in, anonymously of course, by one of my concerned, yet ignorant, fellow Citizens!
On first blush, I’d say that if TJ meant “property” he’d have written “property”.
To use properties meant to work them. Happiness back then was hard work.
Actually, the John Lockean phrase was “pursuit of property”. Jefferson altered it for a reason, rather purposely. The intent is to broaden its meaning, not limited to the pursuit of property per se, but the pursuit of your life’s project. I agree with the writer, that the term isn’t referring to your emotional state, but the intent is to broaden the meaning beyond only property.
Sometimes “happiness” is just that.
Owning property has never been a guarantee of happiness. In fact, it’s often been just the opposite.
I’m sure what was meant was exactly what was said. The pursuit of happiness means freedom to follow your dream, whatever it may be: a loving marriage, a career in a field you like, traveling thither and yon — whatever.
Grasping to acquire “things” — including property — is the least-happy pastime I can imagine.
Sorry, you’re way off base on this one. According to Wikipedia, it’s “The Pursuit of Happyness” and it’s a movie.
Can you point to something in Jefferson’s other writings that make the same point, that by happiness he really meant what you say he meant? In dictionaries, or in public speaking, was ‘happiness’ really a code word for ‘property’?
TJ changed “property” to “pursuit of happiness” for a reason. He wanted to broaden the concept from mere possession of material things to encompass whatever it might be that would make or keep a person happy. The pursuit of happiness is identitical to the freedom to satisfy one’s desires, to freely exercise one’s will.
In other words, the right to “pursue of happiness” is the right to do whatever one pleases, provided one does not infringe on the equal rights of others. Property is simply a mechanism for deciding whose will shall prevail, whenever one person’s will happens to conflict with that of another.
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Not buying that ‘pursuit of happiness’ is restricted to property. But I WILL buy that ‘pursuit of happiness’ does not mean ‘guarantee of happiness, even if it means taking something from someone else and giving it to you’
I hate to sound like a smart a.., but like, who doesn’t know this? This is kinda like, “common” knowledge with most everyone I know. I learned that so long ago I can’t recall why Jefferson took out the word property.
Ha! You've obviously never been shopping with ME!
TJ should have known better. He should have known that a small fraction of people a mere 250+ years later would truly understand the phrase “the pusuit of happiness” while the rest would be lathered up in the fecal matter of their own misunderstanding and prejudice.
In the time of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson, it took hard work to achieve property and the ensuing rights that came with it. It was the start of our way of life. As Ben Franklin said, “...if we can keep it”.
The D of I is not a governing document. The Constitution, which is a governing document, incorporated Locke’s life, liberty and property in the 5th Amendment.
The more I read this, the less it makes sense. Please translate.
I believe that “...the pursuit of happiness....” should be open to interpretation, and it is not up to any one of us to attempt to define it for all.
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