The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue or Pleasure?

Open to Debate

Education, Society & Culture, News

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

Happiness is a complex emotion and mental state that can be achieved through virtue or pleasure. But should it be for the good of the individual or society? Those in favor of virtue point to the Stoics and the Founding Fathers, saying you should strive for a life of moral virtue and rationality. Those in favor of pleasure say everyone should be able to experience it and define their sources of happiness. Now we debate: The Pursuit of Happiness: Virtue or Pleasure? Arguing Virtue: Jeffrey Rosen, CEO & President of the National Constitution Center; Author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America” Arguing Pleasure: Roger Crisp, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Oxford; Uehiro Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy at St. Anne's College, Oxford Nayeema Raza, Journalist and Host of "Smart Girl Dumb Questions", is the guest moderator. Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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0:31.1	This is open to debate. I'm John Donvan. Hi, everybody. When Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration
0:36.0	of Independence, he described three
0:38.7	inalienable rights. I'm sure you know them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
0:44.8	As of this July 4th, it will have been 250 years since those words became foundational to the
0:50.7	then-new nation. So why, after all this time, does it feel like we're more confused than ever about this pursuit of happiness thing?
0:58.7	According to many metrics, the most recent world happiness report places the United States at number 23, trailing countries like Saudi Arabia,
1:06.8	Austria and Costa Rica, to name just a few.
1:09.1	Plus, many people are reporting depression at record
1:11.8	highs. Young people and older adults in particular appear to struggle. Health officials are trying
1:17.2	to solve our loneliness epidemic. As we approach this anniversary, it feels like the right moment to
1:22.4	ask, what did the founders actually mean by the pursuit of happiness? And are we going about it the right way?
1:29.9	Today's episode is a reflection on those ideas. It originally aired in 2024 and was moderated by my
1:35.6	friend and colleague Naima Raza, the excellent journalist who hosts her own podcast, Smart Girl
1:40.6	Numb Questions, which is also an excellent program. You can find it wherever you get your
1:44.7	podcasts. So with that said, Naima, take it away. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
1:52.5	It's a familiar refrain and a trifecta enshrine in the United States Declaration of Independence.
1:58.2	Three unalienable rights that are endowed to man and secured, were told,
	...

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