ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis Of Bertrand Russell's 'The Happy Life'

822 Words4 Pages

There is no exact definition to being happy. Many writers such as Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and Ralph Waldo Emerson have sought out ways on how to lead a happier lifestyle. Russell implements these beliefs and defines happiness in a whole different way.The Happy Life, written by Bertrand Russell, is a rhetorical essay about his meaning of “happiness.” He persuades his audience through the use of pathos and ethos. I agree with his interpretation of how to live the happy life because one cannot help another at the expense of their own happiness. As Dalai Lama once said, “Happiness is not something really made. It comes from your own actions.” Russell writes “the happy life’’ from the point of view of a hedonist and a moralist. He believes that the good life is similar to the happy life. Although many people have different versions of what makes them happy, the principle is still the same- you must do good in the world and give back to the community. Russell agrees exactly this- he wants people to help the community and their loved ones but advises to not lose their happiness as a result of it. The happy life as a hedonist would be to live life selfishly- to only care for your own happiness, …show more content…

Happiness doesn’t come from how much knowledge you have but instead comes from your heart when you help someone. There should not be an underlying motive for doing good. Russell connects love and happiness together when he explains that in the opinion of the traditional moralist, “love should be unselfish.” He disagrees with this statement and elaborates by illustrating a situation in which a man asks a woman to marry him. Through this, he portrays that we should try to make our loved ones happy, but it should not be a priority before our own happiness. People can be very selfish even when their initial intentions are good. If people could learn to be more selfless, the world would be a much more genuine

Show More
Related

  • The Search For Happiness, By Ginny Graves And Ruth Whippman

    776 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is achieved through adding a sense of realism as to how happiness should be experienced. Thus, it provides tangible means for people to grasp an abstract concept such as happiness. As a result, this enables her to persuade readers to take up her advice. For example, she draws links between the need to experience happiness with others through studies and real-life evidence regarding the lack of the time spent with others e.g., only 24 hours a year spent socialising (Whippman, 2017). This shows us the real-life implication of our actions in search of isolated happiness which has caused an unintended outcome on us as we are supposed to share joyous moments together.

    Read More

  • Physician Assisted Suicide Summary

    1953 Words  | 8 Pages

    He believes that the pleasure or pain a person feels is directly related to whether or not the action was right or wrong (Bentham, 39). This means that an action is right when it causes the greatest pleasure for the person or group of people who are involved. If there is a group of people and a certain action would benefit the majority of them for good, then it would be considered to be the right action. On the other hand, if the action does not benefit the majority and only benefits a few, then it would be considered to be wrong. The ultimate goal of this theory is to bring happiness to those involved and to also prevent evil and unhappiness within the group (Bentham, 39).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Mark Kingwell's In Pursuit Of Happiness

    753 Words  | 4 Pages

    By including the dictionaries definitions, the author shows contradictory explanations for happiness. In addition, using common daily facts he demonstrates how people’s decisions are based on the happiness desire, which we can see by the following words: “… it is nonetheless implicit in our decisions and undertakings, the ordering principle or end of our human projects” (413). Also, Kingwell includes words from other writers, such as John Stuart Mill, Eric Hoffer, Nathaniel Hawthorne and John Ralston Saul, to emphasize the point that the excessive pursuit of happiness causes unhappiness, which makes its definition even more confusing and

    Read More

  • The Pursuit Of Happiness In Fahrenheit 451

    1367 Words  | 6 Pages

    The pursuit of happiness is defined as “the fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence to freely pursue joy and live life in a way that makes you happy.” The ability to find happiness is a right guaranteed to all citizens in the United States, yet many countries do not possess the same rights as America and instead are plagued by corruption. Procuring contentment is a difficult journey for all people, but those who do not have access to knowledge will find it to be a much more daunting task. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s struggle to find joy under an oppressive regime required him to challenge his knowledge in a way he never truly had before. Happiness is analyzed constantly in the real world as well, and the philosophers and scientists who study it consistently link it to knowledge, as shown in the articles by Main, Socrates and in the article about Individualism.

    Read More

  • Marc Gellman

    935 Words  | 4 Pages

    Marc Gellman writes on happiness from his experiences as a Rabbi. Gellman starts his book by analyzing the saying, “All I want is that my children should by happy.” Gellman believes this is wrong because bad people can be very happy. He equates it to the spiritual realm where sinners can be happy and saints can be tormented. Gellman believes this is often the case.

    Read More

  • Paradox Of Hedonism Analysis

    318 Words  | 2 Pages

    During chapter two in the fundamentals of ethics book, the paradox of hedonism is explained. The paradox of hedonism is described as “those who try really hard to make themselves happier almost never succeed” (Shafer-Landau, 33). Many people believe that if they try extremely hard to be happy then sooner or later they will become happy, but is this really true? Hedonists believe “that even if many people don’t in fact strive for happiness, they should do so, and would do so if they knew what was good for them” (Shafer-Landau, 32). This quote is saying that happiness is an intrinsic good; but as we learned on pages 33 and 34 it is not.

    Read More

  • How Does Krakauer Use Narrative Techniques In Into The Wild

    719 Words  | 3 Pages

    Krakauer ultimately pointed to an underlined passage in Tolstoy’s Family Happiness that stated, “He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others” (Krakauer 169). This passage truly shows what Chris found in the wild and his

    Read More

  • The Singer Solution To World Poverty Rhetorical Analysis

    1078 Words  | 5 Pages

    Being selfish is only part of who we are and what we need to flourish according to virtue ethicists; Aristotle,

    Read More

  • Collectivism And Selfishness In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    594 Words  | 3 Pages

    Selfishness and selflessness can be balanced, and this balance is crucial to a functioning

    Read More

  • Happiness In Fahrenheit 451

    1110 Words  | 5 Pages

    People want to be happy, isn’t that right? Well, aren’t they?’” (Bradbury 56). All people want in life is to be happy. They want to be untroubled and not have to stress about what’s going on in the real world.

    Read More

  • Can Money Buy Happiness Rhetorical Analysis

    680 Words  | 3 Pages

    People miss the fact that happiness comes from within. In an attempt to find joy – we must also be cautious about over excessive desire to acquire material objects and wealth. There is a delicate balance that must be reached between the pursuit of happiness, satisfaction, and contentment. While there are many conditions that fulfill ones emotional wellbeing, happiness and how we acquired it, depends upon the

    Read More

  • Good Life Research Paper

    1002 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the history, there have been heated discussions on what constitutes a good life. Philosophers have given different annotations on the meaning of good life based on their beliefs, perspectives or even scientific-based evidences. Some view a good life as an accumulation of material goods that brings “large amount” of pleasure to oneself. On the other hand, Mencius and Aristotle advocate good life as possessing of pleasure that incorporates ethical values and they believe that by doing so one will experience enduring happiness. There is no ultimate right or wrong for these interpretations since this is not a factual question.

    Read More

  • Marxist Theory Of Poverty

    1802 Words  | 8 Pages

    “Happiness depends on ourselves” and he continued to say “happiness is a central purpose of human life and a goal in itself” (Ackrill,1981; Mortimer, 1978). In other words, this means that in cases such as the poverty stricken societies or countries, people should strive for happiness with the little things they have in life and continue to stay in hope. They appreciate the little they have in hope that it will get

    Read More

  • Definition Essay: What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

    647 Words  | 3 Pages

    What we do know is that we all seek happiness. Societies concern is too many of us struggle with being happy. Let’s go further into depth to grasp the meaning. Importantly, what does it mean to be happy?

    Read More

  • Definition Essay: What Does Happiness Means To Me

    1399 Words  | 6 Pages

    Happiness can be defined in many different ways depending on who you are talking to. To me, it can be found listening to my favorite music with the volume turned all the way up. Through this experience I am able to immerse myself in something I truly love and be a be a better, lighter version of myself. For some, happiness is living in the moment and experiencing life as it passes, but for others it means living a life of virtue. Though happiness may look different for everyone, it is something that everyone is striving for.

    Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis Of Bertrand Russell's 'The Happy Life'

Open Document