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Happiness

from ENTRIES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2016

Laurence Renault
Affiliation:
Université Paris-Sorbonne
Lawrence Nolan
Affiliation:
California State University, Long Beach
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Summary

The English term “happiness” is a translation of the Latin felicitas (AT X 361, CSM I 10; AT VII 52, CSM II 36) and its French equivalent félicité, as found in Descartes’ writings, especially in the correspondence with Princess Elisabeth. This notion is the same as “blessedness,” which appears frequently beginning with Descartes’ comments on Seneca's De vita beata (AT IV 263, CSMK 256–57). Happiness in the sense of félicité is distinct from the fortuitous occurrence of being happy (bonheur) insofar as the former depends not on chance or good fortune but rather on us alone (AT IV 264, CSMK 257).

The notion of félicité is linked to that of satisfaction (contentement) since Descartes defines it as the perfect satisfaction of mind resulting from the possession of the “sovereign good for us” (AT IV 264, 275, 277, 305, CSMK 257, 261, 261–62, 268; AT V 81–86, CSMK 324–26). Although far more rarely, Descartes also uses the notion of voluptuousness or pleasure in order to indicate what this deeper happiness (or “beatitude”) consists in (AT X 361, CSM I 10; AT VII 52, CSM II 36; AT IV 276–77, CSMK 261).

Finally, Descartes’ reflections on happiness remain within the framework, inherited from Scholasticism, of the distinction between natural and supernatural beatitude (AT VII 52, CSM II, 36; AT IV 267, 285, 314, CSMK 258, 264, 272; AT V 82, CSMK 324). While Descartes concentrates exclusively on the happiness naturally available to man, he recognizes that there is another and higher happiness that does not fall within the domain of philosophical thought.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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References

Kambouchner, Denis. 2008. Descartes et la philosophie morale. Paris: Hermann.Google Scholar
Marshall, John. 1998. Descartes's Moral Theory. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Naaman-Zauderer, Noa. 2010. Descartes’ Deontological Turn: Reason, Will, and Virtue in the Later Writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ch. 6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renault, Laurence. 2003. “Nature humaine et passions selon Thomas d'Aquin et Descartes,” in Les passions antiques et médiévales, ed. Besnier, B., Moreau, P.-F., and Renault, L.. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 249–67.Google Scholar
Renault, Laurence. 2000. Descartes ou la félicité volontaire. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.Google Scholar
Rodis-Lewis, Geneviève. 1997. “Le dernier fruit de la métaphysique cartésienne: La générosité,” in Rodis-Lewis, , Le développement de la pensée de Descartes.Paris: Vrin, 191–202.Google Scholar
Rutherford, Donald. 2004. “On the Happy Life: Descartes vis-à-vis Seneca,” in Stoicism: Traditions and Transformations, ed. Strange, S. and Zupko, J.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 177–97.Google Scholar
Svensson, Frans. 2011. “Happiness, Well-Being, and Their Relation to Virtue in Descartes’ Ethics,” Theoria 77: 238–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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  • Happiness
  • Edited by Lawrence Nolan, California State University, Long Beach
  • Book: The Cambridge Descartes Lexicon
  • Online publication: 05 January 2016
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511894695.126
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  • Happiness
  • Edited by Lawrence Nolan, California State University, Long Beach
  • Book: The Cambridge Descartes Lexicon
  • Online publication: 05 January 2016
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511894695.126
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Happiness
  • Edited by Lawrence Nolan, California State University, Long Beach
  • Book: The Cambridge Descartes Lexicon
  • Online publication: 05 January 2016
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511894695.126
Available formats
×