Faith and Flourishing: A Philosophical and Theological Reflection on 'What is Happiness?'

Faith and Flourishing: A Philosophical and Theological Reflection on 'What is Happiness?'

Having journeyed through the perspectives on well-being found in the Abrahamic faiths and the paths to peace and liberation in Eastern traditions, we arrive at the heart of our exploration: the fundamental question, "What is happiness?" As we've seen, the answer is far from simple. It's a question pondered by philosophers for millennia and addressed by faith traditions in profound ways. In this final essay, we will bring together these theological insights and philosophical reflections to seek a richer understanding of human flourishing.

Echoes from Faith: Common Threads and Different Paths: Our previous essays highlighted how major world religions understand ultimate well-being. The Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) often link happiness or blessedness to a right relationship with a personal God, involving faith, obedience, and finding peace or joy in aligning with divine will. While there are glimpses of this state in earthly life, ultimate fulfilment is often situated in the afterlife. Concepts like Shalom (wholeness, peace), Christian Blessedness (divine favour, deep spiritual well-being), and Islamic Sa'ada (felicity) and Sakinah (tranquillity) point to a state deeper than fleeting pleasure, connected to ethical living and spiritual connection.

Eastern traditions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism) often define the goal not strictly as "happiness," but as liberation (Moksha, Nirvana) or harmony with the fundamental principle of the universe (Tao). These states are achieved by overcoming suffering, illusion, or resistance to the natural order, often through transformative practices like meditation, ethical discipline, and cultivating wisdom. They emphasise transcending the limitations of the ordinary self and finding peace in realising a larger reality, whether that is the identity of the self with Brahman, the cessation of the self's illusions, or integration into the cosmic flow.

Despite the clear differences – a personal God versus impersonal ultimate reality or natural order, emphasis on faith versus emphasis on practice/insight, different views on the nature of the self – some common threads emerge. Across these diverse traditions, true, lasting well-being is rarely depicted as mere pleasure or having desirable external circumstances. Instead, it is linked to:

• Overcoming fundamental dissatisfaction, suffering, or inner turmoil.

• Living ethically and with purpose.

• Connecting with something greater than the individual ego or material world.

• Achieving a state of inner peace, tranquillity, or profound contentment.

Philosophical Lenses: Defining the Good Life: Philosophy, from its beginnings, has also sought to define happiness, often framing it within the context of "the good life" or human flourishing. Let's look at a few simple examples:

• Happiness as Pleasure (Hedonism): Some philosophical views, like simple hedonism, suggest happiness is primarily about maximising pleasure and minimising pain. While attractive in its simplicity, this view is often criticised, and the religious perspectives we explored tend to agree that mere pleasure is insufficient for deep or lasting well-being.

• Happiness as Flourishing (Eudaimonia): Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle saw happiness (Eudaimonia) not just as a feeling, but as living well and doing well – a state of flourishing achieved by living a life of virtue in accordance with reason. It's an active state, a way of being and doing. This resonates strongly with the emphasis on ethical living and purposeful action found across many religious paths.

• Happiness as Tranquillity (Stoicism): Philosophies like Stoicism focused on achieving a state of inner peace or tranquillity by cultivating virtue, wisdom, and accepting what is beyond our control. This echoes the emphasis on inner peace (Sakinah, Nirvana, Shalom) and overcoming attachment found in both Abrahamic and Eastern traditions.

These philosophical ideas highlight different facets: happiness might involve feeling good (pleasure) but is perhaps more fundamentally about living well (virtue, flourishing) and achieving inner stability (tranquillity).

What is Happiness? A Synthesis of Insights

Bringing together these rich religious and philosophical perspectives suggests that happiness, or ultimate well-being, is a multifaceted concept far more complex than a simple emotional state. Based on these insights:

• Happiness is not merely a feeling: While feelings of joy and contentment are part of it, true happiness runs deeper. It is a state of being, a quality of life, not just a temporary emotion.

• It involves a state of inner peace and tranquillity: Many traditions and philosophies point to overcoming internal conflict, fear, and attachment as crucial for achieving a stable sense of well-being, whether called Sakinah, Nirvana, or Stoic ataraxia (tranquillity).

• It is intimately linked to ethical living and purposeful action: Both religious paths (following commandments, cultivating virtues) and philosophies (virtue ethics) emphasise that living a life of moral integrity and contributing positively is essential for true flourishing. Happiness is often found in the doing, in the journey of striving for something meaningful.

• It connects us to something larger than ourselves: Religious traditions consistently link ultimate well-being to a relationship with the divine or ultimate reality. Philosophical ideas about living in accordance with reason or the natural order also suggest a connection to something beyond the individual ego. This larger connection provides context, meaning, and perhaps a sense of belonging that is vital for deep contentment.

• It may involve a transformative process: The paths described in many traditions involve overcoming ignorance, craving, or the false sense of self. This suggests that achieving true happiness is not passive, but requires active effort, self-awareness, and often profound personal change.

The idea from some religions that ultimate happiness is a divine gift adds another dimension, suggesting that while human effort is required, there may also be an element of grace or unmerited favour involved in attaining profound blessedness. The Eastern emphasis on transcending the individual self-challenges philosophical views that place the rational, individual self at the absolute centre, suggesting ultimate peace might involve dissolving, not just perfecting, the ego.

Conclusion: A Fuller Picture of Flourishing

Ultimately, the combination of religious wisdom and philosophical inquiry offers a more complete and nuanced answer to what it means to live a truly happy or flourishing life than either could alone. Flourishing is not just a feeling in my head; it is peace in my soul, integrity in my actions, purpose in my life, and connection to something transcendent. It involves both human striving and perhaps divine grace, personal cultivation and universal harmony.

While the paths described by different faiths and philosophies vary widely – through devotion to a personal God, the realisation of non-self, or harmonious alignment with the Tao – they converge on the understanding that superficial pleasures are insufficient. True flourishing involves deep peace, meaningful ethical engagement, overcoming internal obstacles, and finding one's place within a larger reality. The question "What is happiness?" thus leads us not to a simple definition, but to an ongoing exploration of what it means to live a life of depth, purpose, and connection, a pursuit that continues to inspire both faith and philosophy.