Morality And Happiness Essay

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How are morality and happiness related? Throughout history, philosophers have tried to determine the precise link between morality and happiness. Most, if not all, believe that the way you live your life defines your end happiness. To begin, we must have a common definition of happiness. Depending on the various philosophies happiness can be slightly different things. Socrates, who was one of the was the first to make a connection between morals and happiness, defined it as that “happiness comes from leading a moral life in servitude of the greek gods” (Boss, 389). Utilitarian philosophers believes that happiness is by following the greatest good when measuring the pleasures and pains, but on the other hand Deontologists believe following strict duties brings about happiness to people and their soundings. But in each case, morality …show more content…

Therefore, based on the pleasures and pains of Utilitarianism, fulfilling the duties in Deontology, and following the ideals set forth in virtues ethics by great philosophers including Aristotle, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Confucius, morality forms the foundation of a persons ability to reach happiness, therefore relating morality to happiness. Utilitarianism believes in the greatest happiness principle. It states that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Boss, 389). In this sense, actions are based on your morals or virtues that you believe that you execute in your daily lives. In the case of utilitarianism in general, your individual actions are governed by if it creates more good for yourself or the group affected. In other words, an action is morally right depending on how much happiness it promotes. An excellent example would be to either punch the baby or tickle the baby. If a person punches the baby, it will cause great pain towards the baby and cause him or her to be sad and

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