Considering a 'pursuit of happiness' we can generally describe this as 'doing as we want' or 'doing what makes us happy'. If doing what we want includes doing war against another, then the pursuit of happiness in counter productive to the goal of world peace.
If waring with a neighbour makes us happy, if waring with another religion makes us happy, if waring with a conflicting political system makes us happy then, the pursuit of happiness ends world peace.
Is happiness counterproductive to world peace?
2007-09-09 13:39:08 · 5 answers · asked by guru 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
LJK...I disagree. The foot soldier who straps explosives to himself may be afraid, but isn't he happy to go to heaven and kill off his mortal enemies. It is through his happiness that violence occurs.
Isn't the foot solder who lines up the enemy in his sights happy to know that he is killing off his mortal enemy who will no longer harm him or his kind.
2007-09-09 14:27:42 · update #1
I think to a certain extent it does. We in the west have a very high standard of living compartively to some of the 3rd world countries. But we're happy so we don't think about them. We don't like to think about them. We're happy with our electronics and cars, which hurts the enviroment. All these great things that make us happy, also allow us to turn a blind eye.
That means we do stupid and counterproductive things like go to war, and misuse foriegn labor to keep us all ignorantly happy. You don't have to be conciensious to be happy... ignorance is bliss.
Also I think it means that when we do look at the tragedy of others we don't always look at it in a compassionate way. We don't give them kindness, we give those that have less pity. Pity is all about helping others cuz they aren't as good as you. It's a superiority thing. This creates hugh dissention when those countries develop. For the countries that rely on our aid, the way that we give that aid counts. We don't want to be caring cuz looking at it makes us less happy. make sense?
2007-09-09 13:50:19 · answer #1 · answered by Ben B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A nice little kettle of fish you put us all into. A regular conundrum. I don't think too many foot-soldiers and their families are happy, though the old men who start wars are overjoyed.
That's all I can say on the subject within the boundaries you've put happiness...
EDIT : Because men who are in power are happy with war; the money and the political and even religious men are happy, I have to just say the asker is right, the pursuit of happiness is counter-productive to world peace..
ANOTHER EDIT: sorry, just noticed your addition. i still think you're right, and i still think i'm right about the majority of foot-soldiers. and their families. have you ever been in a war? i haven't, however... many many in the family have and have many many stories. they're not happy. nor the family. oh, and thx for diaog!
2007-09-09 14:01:32 · answer #2 · answered by LK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If being evil or selfish makes you happy then yes. The root of your question is what causes happiness in society as a whole. If a group derives happiness from helping others then all is good in the world. I tend to think humanity is generally good but history shows that maybe Im wrong with all the suffering that we bring on eachother year after year. If happiness is bad, is not being happy any better? People then would cause war to attain something better than what they have.
2007-09-09 13:50:42 · answer #3 · answered by narblaster 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think world peace is a myth! Happiness is here for such a short time and is a illusion! Their will always be trouble in this world. That is fact! Tell me the last time their was world peace? Cant do it, their will always be wars and disagreements in this world! Fact is their has never been world peace. Would be nice but as long as their is man their will always be wars! Religion is at the core of my belief!
2007-09-11 16:00:04 · answer #4 · answered by Michael2832 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Happiness is not what interferes it is society and their idea of what happiness is. As long as to have the best is to be the best... greed, envy, sloth etc. will rule. People aren't happy with the things that they are lucky enough to have in life. They notice what they don't and assume if they had it they would be happy. Problems remain no matter what they do to try and mask them. There are people in this world who would be happy to have more than 1.00 after they finish paying their bills, while there are people who would be happy to be able to pay their bills to begin with let alone have 1.00 left.
Right now with the state of mind that we have been brought to, it is not happiness that is counterproductive it is man himself.
2007-09-10 08:42:40 · answer #5 · answered by mommymanic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋