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Jacqueline Carter
Professor Cooney
Introduction to Philosophy
1 May 2018
What is Happiness?
What is happiness? Why do humans crave the feeling so deeply? How does one achieve
peak happiness? The search for happiness begins when we are young. From begging for a cookie
to put a smile on your face to working a horrendous summer job to get the car you’ve dreamed of
in high school to even building the house you’ve always wanted to retire in, just to step back and
smile at the finished product. The extent humans go to in order to “achieve happiness” is beyond
fathomable. The answer to the previous questions are yet to possess a definite answer and could
quite possibly never obtain an answer. However, there are going theories. Philosophers who
write study happiness theorize that it is either a state of mind or a life that is good. After reading
the opinions of Socrates and Confucius, using the Socratic Method and self-reflection, it is
apparent happiness must be a state of mind.
“Socrates was a Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. Little is
known of his life except what was recorded by his students, including Plato” (Timmons par. #).
Although Socrates grew up in the referred to now-a-days “middle class” and received a basic
education, his wisdom grew larger than himself as he aged. Socrates decided at a young age to
devote himself to philosophy. He became a teacher and then served in the infantry as a fearless
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soldier, making him well cultured. Socrates was not described to have the usually Greek,
muscular build. “Socrates possessed a different kind of attractiveness, not based on a physical
ideal but on his brilliant debates and penetrating thought” (Timmons, Greg). He was known to
stare at his surroundings. Staring, although commonly perceived to be a weird trait, is often done
by those who are truly wanting to take in as much of the world, information, and knowledge
around them. Socrates is accredited for his “mind over matter” phrase. This term is used to
describe a lifestyle where mental health and education are favored over the construction of the
human body, whether it be weight, height, or hairstyle. After the study of Socrates, it is evident
his philosophy on happiness is more than credible. Interestingly, Socrates did not record his
thoughts on the subject. However, his student, Plato, wrote an extensive amount of dialogues on
happiness, and Socrates was the starring role.
