UNIT II: Search for true happiness

•the primary reason of human behavior according to hedonism

seek the pleasurable

The hedonist

chases physical pleasures as gateway to what will satisfy inner longings (fleeting feelings)

highest value in life according to materialism and consumerism

Material possession, success, and progress (MSP)

This doctrine highly values the material realm and opposes intellectual and spiritual values

Materialism

Upshot of materialism that believes that personal wellbeing and happiness depend, on a very large extent, on the level of consumption, particularly on the purchase of material goods.

Consumerism

according to Eudaimonism the highest form of happiness can be acquired through

practice of virtues

According to Aristotle, virtues are

actions turned into good habits which lead a person to transcend his/her passions

According to Aquinas, we are the master of our own

actions

St. Thomas on Happiness…

•Happiness as end. Human beings have the power of reason to determine what seems good for them and the power of free will to choose what goods they will seek and how they will go about obtaining them.

According to St. Thomas we have the power of

power of reason and power of free will

St. Thomas adds on happiness

“although the end be last in the order of execution, yet it is the first order of the agent’s intention and it is in this way that it is a cause.”

• huli yung result, pero yun yung cause ng intention and cause

according to st. thomas the good we seek are

•goals or ends, the things we hope to achieve through our actions.

who are pushed by the random events of their past as masters of their fates who are pulled by future goals of their own making.

According to St. thomas aquinas human beings are not pawns

Aquinas insists that an end acts as a

final cause, a cause for the sake of which human beings undertake to do something. 

aristotle and aquinas agrees that

individual has their own personal likes and dislikes but most of the time acts for the very same final, last end

According to St. Augustine

all men agree in desiring the last end, which is happiness.”

St. Thomas notes in false happiness

“to desire happiness is nothing else than to desire that one’s will be satisfied.  And this is what everyone desires.”  And yet, “all do not know Happiness; because they know not in what the general notion of happiness is found.”

common false contenders that will bring happiness according St. Thomas

wealth, power, honor, fame and glory. (none ever brings complete satisfaction)

2 kinds of happiness

1. Imperfect happiness on earth

2. Perfect happiness (beatific vision of the Uncreated Good (God) in heaven

“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

By st. augustine

According to St. Augustine, God is…

God who is the ultimate source of every good thing and the end towards whom human beings ought to direct all their actions.

According to JPII, Happiness is

Happiness is associated with the meaning of life

“In the depths of his heart there always remains a yearning for absolute truth and a thirst to attain full knowledge of it. This is eloquently proven by man's tireless search for knowledge in all fields.”

Happiness by JPII

ST. Thomas said that

“every agent acts for an end; otherwise, one thing would not follow more than another from the action of the agent.”

Difference of rational and irrational beings in their pursuit of an end by St. Thomas

• irrational creatures - seek end by means of natural inclination

• ration creatures - inclination is caused by the deliberation of the intellect, which knows the end as good, and the free decision of the will.”

Relationship between the Human Person’s Rationality and the Totality of His Being

• humans are oriented towards good

  • this good make up our basic good

  • happiness is achieved when knowledge, right order, harmonizing by reason, effort to pursue this human good

  • Disorder: imbalance and affect happiness (ex. housing, material well being)

“Man seeks his last end in his actions by knowing that last end (God) and wanting it.”

“How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you. God alone satisfies.”

confessions by st. augustine

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”

(Rom 12:2).

JPII elucidates the connection between eternal life and obedience to the decalogue in his remark:

•“God's commandments show man the path of life and they lead to it.”

the decalogue sheds light on the

dignity of the human person, and, consequently our obligation to respect it,

the 10 commandments

• reflect the good of a person (many level) and his identity as spiritual and bodily being with God

• Teach us man’s true humanity (duties, rights)

beatitudes are the call to

perfection

The Beatitudes respond to

man’s natural desire (divine origin, to lead us to him) for happiness.

the beatitudes are about

• basic attitudes and dispositions (to attain graces by God)

• true happiness cant be attained in temporal things but in heaven

• destiny of man is achieved through service and contemplation of heavenly things

is there a separation between beatitude and decalogue

no, since both are oriented to eternal life

The first three beatitudes are dedicated to

removing the obstacles, which purely material goods can present to be genuine happiness.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

• detachment from riches to gain humility

blessed are the meek

• restrain irascible nature; keep from excessive anger

blessed are those that mourn

moderate desire for pleasure; effect of trials and death

the 2nd group of beatitude explains

our duty to serve our neighbor

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

• active life should be devoted to serve one’s neighbor

Blessed are the merciful.

• go beyond in generosity and forgiveness without anything in return

the 3rd group of beatitude brings

brings forth the importance of living a contemplative life.

Blessed are the pure of heart.

• men who triumph over passions

Blessed are the peacemakers.

• good relations with neighbor will have oeace as an effect

these are reminders so we can become “morally good persons and attain our integral human fulfillment (everlasting happiness) in Jesus Christ.”

beatitudes

indicate a way of life, a life that finds its full actualization in God, the one true source of happiness.

beatitudes