So, C.S. Lewis says we have no right to happiness? Yep, and I think he makes a strong argument. In the essay Lewis appears to focus on the right to sexual happiness, but his argument has stronger implications. To me, the most significant idea Lewis presents is that happiness is not a justification for any action, because happiness is not a right in the sense that happiness can be used as a reason for being allowed to do something.
In his essay, Lewis mainly uses the example of a marriage. If the wife wants to divorce leave her husband, fine. The law allows her to do so. However, the wife would be wrong in saying she is entitled to leave her husband because it would make her happy. Why should happiness have anything to do with it? Should we allow serial killers to kill because it would make them happy? No. Why then do we have this idea then that if a marriage, a commitment for life, is no longer easily bringing happiness that we should immediately abandon it? It seems fickle and wrong.
A very simple example of why what makes a person happy is not always best comes to mind: food. I often find great pleasure in eating food, however there are limits to it. I know while certain foods taste great, it is ultimately a bad thing to eat too much of them. I eat food not to bring me happiness, but to survive and be healthy, the happiness is only an added bonus. And this is what I think Lewis is arguing, that happiness is not a right, you are not entitled to it, it is only a wonderful bonus in life, an added plus, not the goal. Happiness is wonderful, but the happy solution, the happy choice, is not always the right one.
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I think happiness is fickle by definition. The Japanese have two words for happiness. One is used often and means a fleeting joy. The other is used rarely and only for joy that will last for the whole of a person's life. I think that English has built into itself the same words in "happy" and "joy", but people have forgotten the difference.
ReplyDeleteI like how he explained how we have the right to pursue obtaining happiness, and the right way to do it. Also, your food example I thought was pretty genius.
ReplyDeletei've already done all of my comments, but i just wanted to say that you nailed it.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are right about Lewis thinking that happiness is just a bonus and that is a good way of putting it. You said that happiness is not the goal in life and as a Christian that would seem more ovbious. To an athiest there would be no other answer for the goal of life but to be happy and that is part of the problem.
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