In connection with my previous post, I have found a little solace. I spent the other night watching the first two episodes of the John Adams miniseries. I was reminded of a few things and began to analyze how American government impacts my life.
My favorite politician, or the one that I find I am in most agreement with, is Thomas Jefferson. He has many admirable qualities but those are not the purpose of this discussion. I wish to address the Declaration of Independence—American independence that is. He was the author of the infamous document and used theory of John Locke to provide its foundation. John Locke claimed that innate rights of man included life, liberty, and property. Thomas Jefferson however did not fully agree as he claimed that man is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This last point is the one that I want to further discuss.
I, for one, might be unhappy with my unemployment or my personal situation but I am granted the right to pursue happiness. At first I found it quizzical that Jefferson just didn’t say that man should have life, liberty, and happiness. Why did he include the pursuit? In thinking further about it, I determined that Jefferson realized that happiness doesn’t come easily. There is struggle associated with pursuit. I think this struggle is the essence of even achieving happiness. In such an instance it is understandable why he included the phrase over ‘property’. The pursuit of happiness is not only my American right but my human right. Why then, would I not utilize my right and pursue happiness? Regardless of the economy, I can and should pursue the happiness that is granted to me. However in this, I acknowledge that it may not come cheap or easily—I must pursue it. Happiness does not fall into one’s lap (as far as I know) so I must endeavor to seize it. Thomas Jefferson must have also believed that this pursuit was highly important to level it with life and liberty. Whew, he valued this struggle as much as liberty or life itself. That makes me reevaluate what is really important in life.
~PB
"There is struggle associated with pursuit. I think this struggle is the essence of even achieving happiness."
ReplyDeleteI think you re quite right about that. I think people are happy in the sense of achieving a goal they set to themselves. Apart from lazy people no-one would really be satisfied with themselves if they did not fight for something because they would certainly be bored and would try to look for other things to achieve. That is probably part of our nature. It is also, I believe, a way of giving a sense to our life somehow and to be existent in a social environment: not a lot of people like to be tagged as a slacker.
i.e. in USA working hard is considered a good thing i assume..in France, hum, it s different though but it does not mean that we do not like to achieve something.