In Pursuit of Happiness

When Thomas Jefferson wrote that every man has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he was paraphrasing the liberal doctrine of life, liberty and property. His alteration from property to the pursuit of happiness was no doubt for political reasons. Private property rights were as contested back then as they are today, so Jefferson chose to phrase himself in a more general manner.

While some might contend that this was unfortunate, as it has left the door open to taxation of property, it can also be seen as a stroke of genius. Property rights are after all derived from our right to life. Without property in the form of land and capital, we are naked with no way of feeding ourselves, defenceless against any tyrant or even nature herself. There's therefore no need to hammer the property argument into a text about freedom.

Instead of repeating himself by including property along with life, Jefferson broadened the scope of his text by mentioning happiness. While property is of limited importance to many people, happiness isn't. The pursuit of happiness is our very reason for living. Even if we dedicate ourselves to higher goals than property and consumption, we do so in order to find meaning in life. Even the purest anti-materialist will agree with Jefferson. By referring to the pursuit of happiness rather than property, Jefferson was able to incorporate into his text the sentiment of every single person on the planet without loosing anything of substance.

Furthermore, the position that everyone has a right to pursue happiness is not pointless waffle. It's a profound statement because it implies limits as well as rights. No-one can pursue happiness at the expense of others. I have a right to pursue my happiness, and others have the same right for themselves. If my happiness depends on other people being miserable, I'm in error. When I do things in private, I can do whatever I want. But if I do things that involve others, it has to be done with their consent. The right to pursue happiness is therefore a variation on the golden rule.

Thomas Jefferson managed in this way to incorporate the essence of Christian doctrine into a secular document that everyone, including non-materialists, can agree on. Furthermore, by widening our rights from property to the pursuit of happiness, Jefferson encourages us to think carefully about our choices. Prosperity gained through capital and land is but one avenue to happiness. There are many other ways to live a meaningful life, and one thing doesn't exclude the other. We must therefore keep in mind what we really want in life. We must also look out for hindrances. We must value our happiness and protect it from irrational fears and anger as well as direct attacks from others.

Fear and anger are emotions that have a sad tendency to get in our way. Not only do these emotions contribute to our own misery when acted on irrationally. They contribute to the misery of others as well. To deny people their right to move freely or go so far as to destroy their livelihoods out of fear or anger is to violate other people's basic rights. When this is done irrationally, due to a harmless bug or some vague and unrelated injustice, it's nothing short of tyranny. Not only does such behaviour infringe on people's right to pursue their own happiness, it produces no lasting happiness in the angry and fearful mob. It's a giant waste of time for everyone involved.

Jefferson's words are strangely modern and eternal at the same time. It harks back to ancient religious wisdom about the good life being about private achievements, living within our means, and doing good deeds for others. To live fully and freely is about doing our own little thing at our own terms and within the constraints of nature.

Consumerism and living beyond our means is not a road to happiness. Happiness is not the same as property. A life constantly lived at the edge of disaster in the pursuit of property and pleasures is a road to misery. Without time for contemplation, relaxation and the enjoyment of little things, life is nothing but a rat race.

Obsessions with big achievements is another dead end. Fame, fortune and glory doesn't lead to lasting happiness. They are not goals in themselves. Like property, such things only have value when applied wisely. What matters is happiness. That is achieved more easily with a simple life of small routines than in a life of high finance and politics.

This is what I intend to teach my son in home schooling: We must remain loving, fearless, curious and enthusiastic about the world so that we are free to pursue happiness wherever we find it as soon as sufficient income and wealth is secured.

In this way, I hope to see my son join me as I forge ahead with my sustainable revolution towards liberty. By living the life we want for ourselves, and sharing this with others, we sow the seeds of change, both at the margins and in our midst. Do well for ourselves and others, and we'll see lasting changes for the better within our own circle of influence. This will in turn influence others. The network effect kicks in. It propagates the message farther afield. Soon enough, changes can be seen all over the globe.

There's much happiness to be had by being a part of such a positive force. Even if our own contributions are minuscule, the overall effect can be dramatic.

Thomas Jefferson

By Charles Willson Peale - Cropped version of Jefferson-peale.jpg, Public Domain, Link