Question re: Life,liberty and "the pursuit of happiness"....has the latter ever been argued?

Question

We have argued everything else.....but cannot find anything re: the "pursuit of happiness".

just curious.....

Answer 1

Well, this came from John Locke, who believed everyone had the right to life, liberty, and PROPERTY. I'm not sure why "the pursuit of happiness" was put in there other than to rub the freedoms afforded to Americans in Britain's face. It sounds a little too flowery, but I think that's how it was meant so sound... like something in a dream, that you can never really catch.

Answer 2

Usually the comments about the "pursuit of happiness" line make the point that it is the PURSUIT which is a human right, not the guarantee of happiness itself. But who can argue with the concept that people have a right to work on their own happiness? To seek to be happy? They can't be guaranteed to find it, but everyone's got a right to seek it.