Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Happiness, Rationality, Autonomy and the Good Life

Journal of Happiness Studies volume 8, pages 51–78 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The paper starts with a general discussion of the concepts of happiness and the good life. I argue that there is a conceptual core of happiness which has to do with one’s life as a whole. I discuss affective and attitude or life satisfaction views of happiness and indicate problems faced by those views. I introduce my own view, the life plan view, which sees happiness as the ongoing realizing of global desires of the person. I argue that on such a view one’s life could be happy without a high level of rationality or a high level of autonomy; such rationality and autonomy are not built into the concept of happiness. So while happiness is a final value, and good for the person, it is not the only final value. Rationality and autonomy are also final values and, where they exist, are good as ends for the person, part of the good life.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aristotle, 1962, Nicomachean Ethics, trans. M. Ostwald Bobbs-Merrill Indianapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin J., 1968, Pleasure and happiness Philosophy 43: 51–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentham J., 1967, The principles of morals and legislation in Melden A.I., (eds.) Ethical Theories Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs p. 367–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn, S.: 1994, The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (Oxford)

  • Brandt R., 1969–1970, Rational desires Proceedings and Addresses of he American Philosophical Association 43: 43–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brickman P., Coates D., Janoff-Bulman R., 1978, Lottery Winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 36(8):917–927

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chekola, M.: 1974, The Concept of Happiness (Unpublished dissertation, University of Michigan. Available at www.mnstate.edu/chekola)

  • Diener E., 1984, Subjective well-being Psychological Bulletin 95(3): 542–575

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diener E., 1994, Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and oppurtunities, Social Indicators Research 31: pp. 103–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dworkin G., 1988, The Theory and Practice of Autonomy Cambridge University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Dworkin R., 1999, Foundations of liberal equality in S. Darwall (ed.) Equal Freedom: Selected Tanner Lectures on Human Freedom University of Michigan Press Ann Arbor pp. 190–306

    Google Scholar 

  • Foot P., 2001, Natural Goodness Clarendon Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankfurt H., 1971: Freedom of the will and the concept of a person Journal of Philosophy 68: 5–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman A., 1970: A Theory of Action Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, N.J

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin J., 1986: Well-Being: Its Meaning, Measurement and Moral Importance Clarendon Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Hardimon M., 2003, The concept of race Journal of Philosophy 50(9): 437–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Haybron D., 2000, Two philosophical problems in the study of happiness Journal of Happiness Studies 1: 207–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey B, Wearing A., 1989, Personality, life events and subjective well-being: toward a dynamic equilibrium model Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57(4): 731–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey B, Wearing A., 1992, Understanding Happiness: A Theory of Subjective Well-Being Longman Cheshire Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Mill J., 1923, Autobiography Oxford University Press London

    Google Scholar 

  • Mill J., 1963, Utilitarianism in Levi A., (eds) The Six Great Humanistic Essays of John Stuart Mill Washington Square Press New York pp. 243–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls J., 1971, A Theory of Justice Harvard University Press Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Royce, J.: 1908, The Philosophy of Loyalty (Macmillan, New York)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen A., 1987, On Ethics and Economics Basil Blackwell Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A.: 1999, Commodities and Capabilities (Oxford University Press)

  • Sumner L.W., 1996, Welfare, Happiness and Ethics Clarendon Press Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor C.C.W., 1963, Pleasure Analysis, Supplement 23: 2–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven R., 1997, Advances in understanding happiness Revue Québecoise de Psychologie 18: 29–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven R., 1988, The utility of happiness Social Indicators Research 20: 333–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Von Wright G.H., 1963, The Varieties of Goodness Routledge London

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson J., 1968, Happiness Analysis 29: 13–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Bengt Brülde and an anonymous reviewer for helpful comments on previous drafts of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN, 56563, USA

    Mark Chekola

Authors
  1. Mark Chekola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Chekola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chekola, M. Happiness, Rationality, Autonomy and the Good Life. J Happiness Stud 8, 51–78 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9004-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-006-9004-7

Keywords

search

Navigation