ФИЛОСОФИЯ. Философия культуры

Doctor of Philosophy, professor Rakhmatullin R.Yu.

What is happiness?

The problem of man, for traditional Eastern philosophy, in the XXI century and became relevant in Western culture. Perhaps the reason for this reorientation of Western thought is the frustration of people the consequences of science and technology: in skyscrapers people do not become happier, old problems have not disappeared and appeared new. Many now clear that it is necessary to shift the focus from activities to transform the external world on the objectives of the study of the inner world of man.

The problem of happiness is closely linked with the question of the meaning of life. For example, supporters eudemonism believe that the meaning of a person's life is the pursuit of happiness. The main concept is eudemonism happiness, often called good and distinguished from sensual pleasures. One of the first representatives eudemonism is Aristotle. In fact, everyone wants to be happy. However, some see the happiness sense gratification, others - in scientific discoveries, third - in spiritual growth. What is happiness?

Investigating this question Polish philosopher V. Tatarkiewicz writes about four meanings of the term "happiness":

1. Happiness as a good luck, luck, lucky strike.

For example, the person has won a large sum of money, saying that he "basement happiness," although do not know what he is going through at this time. Here the happiness meant some unexpected fact perceived as pleasant. It is in this sense is used the concept of happiness in the Japanese proverb: "Happiness falls to the person who does not wait". French philosopher Helvetius, emphasizing objectivity happiness, applied the term "fortune".

2. Happiness as an experience of joy, "intense joy", bliss, ecstasy.

"Here, in direct contrast to the first case, we are talking about what people survived ... and no matter what the external conditions gave rise to this experience," - writes Tatarkiewicz. [1, p. 32]. Happiness – a state of mind. Democritus wrote, happy is he who has the means for small good mood, unhappy person who at large means sad.

3. Happiness as a sense of pride, satisfaction reached a height of wealth.

Here happiness is not seen as the joy experienced by the unexpected success, and as a sense of satisfaction with the performance of his work in a particular area. For example, a person may feel happy because of appointment to high office after the thesis defense, the opening of the bank, etc.

4. Happiness as satisfaction with life in general.

Here the criterion of happiness is not the degree of possession of goods, and a sense of satisfaction with life. "With this understanding of happiness would not be a happy person who, having the highest good, did not feel would meet them; ultimately define happiness is not good, and feelings, not what we have, but how we react to it" [1, p. 38]. Tatarkiewicz believes that only an understanding of happiness is right and it offers the following definition: "Happiness – is a complete and lasting satisfaction with life in general".

In our view, we can talk about another understanding of happiness. Referring to the degree of coincidence of personal interests and the interests of the human social environment, of the particular society in which he lives. The more human interests coincide with the interests of his social environment, the happier he is. Hence understanding unhappy fate, unhappy life as a person's life in an alien for her social environment in which the person is not understood, where its advantages are seen as disadvantages.

In our view, you can define happiness as a state of harmony between inner and outer world of man. This definition allows us to reach even impersonal sphere of human existence, such as biological. Dying from the cold is hardly a happy man: here the balance between his inner world and external (temperature) conditions of life.

History knows two ways to achieve harmony between the inner and outer world of man: a) through a change in the outside world so that it matches the inner world of man. As Marx wrote, if circumstances do not correspond to the nature of man, it is necessary to change these circumstances. So the idea had arisen communist transformation of society; b) through a change in man's inner world so that it was in harmony with the outside world. Supporters of Sufi saying: "Change yourself and change the world".

The first way usually leads to violence against others. As history shows, people are forced to conform to the inner world of the one who has the power. That objective can only make one person happy – tyrant. Total imposition of one ideology has always led to reprisals and wars.

The second path formed within the religious approach explaining rights and is more preferred. Changing himself, he begins to perceive the world differently, respond differently to external stimuli. Writer Ivan Efremov describes how yoga dried in the cold on bare spin-nah wet sheets [2, p. 404]. This image summarizes the entire ideology of yoga: changing yourself, you can learn how to be in harmony with any external circumstances.

Everyone strives for happiness: a believer and atheist, rich and poor, healthy and sick, a child and an old man – any one of them wants to be happy. The pursuit of happiness has total dominant human behavior. Only path to happiness people choose different. Trying to justify and clarify the correctness of the chosen path leads one to question the meaning of life.

References:

1. Tatarkevich T. About happiness and perfection of man. M., 1981. 367 p.

2. Efremov I. Razor blade. Chelyabinsk, 1992. 667 p.