A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz
Thaddeus Metz has tried to show that the meaning in life, like morality and happiness, is one of the normative categories of life and emphasizes the distinction between the meaning in life and happiness. According to Metz's definition, happiness consists of "positive experiences" and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Philosophical Investigations |
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| Online Access: | https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_15442_ce15caa52f04c0a2a80a896504a57395.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797389110053175296 |
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| author | Mahdi Sanei Eynollah Khademi AmirHossein MansouriNouri Mohsen Hosseini |
| author_facet | Mahdi Sanei Eynollah Khademi AmirHossein MansouriNouri Mohsen Hosseini |
| author_sort | Mahdi Sanei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thaddeus Metz has tried to show that the meaning in life, like morality and happiness, is one of the normative categories of life and emphasizes the distinction between the meaning in life and happiness. According to Metz's definition, happiness consists of "positive experiences" and pleasure is basically connected with happiness. Why is happiness different from meaningfulness and what are their differences? These are the main questions that this article addresses. By searching in Metz's works, we can provide some witnesses and reasons why Metz makes a distinction between happiness and meaningfulness. According to Metz's view, happiness is related to the animal realm of the individual, while meaningfulness is related to the human realm, so that although pleasure can increase happiness, but it will not necessarily lead to meaningfulness increase. He makes six distinctions between happiness and meaningfulness: 1. The source of meaning is "relational", but the source of happiness is "intrinsic"; 2. The bearer of meaning is "action", but the bearer of happiness is "sensation"; 3. The greater impact of happiness from “luck” than meaningfulness; 4. The desire to "continue" the state of happiness, wanting "esteem" to be meaningful; 5. The possibility of happiness, only "during the lifetime" in contrast to the possibility of meaningfulness "posthumously"; 6. bias towards the future v lack of bias. Although Metz has mentioned six important distinctions between happiness and meaning, his statement is not comprehensive and other distinctions can be added to Metz's list. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:52:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2afa06d296a4c9083f86b6a6c1d84e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2251-7960 2423-4419 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:52:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Philosophical Investigations |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2afa06d296a4c9083f86b6a6c1d84e82023-12-16T13:30:39ZengUniversity of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen LanguagesJournal of Philosophical Investigations2251-79602423-44192023-11-01174450752810.22034/jpiut.2022.52791.333615442A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus MetzMahdi Sanei0Eynollah Khademi1AmirHossein MansouriNouri2Mohsen Hosseini3Ph.D. Candidate of Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaei Teacher Training University, IranProfessor of Philosophy and Theology Department, Shahid Rajaei Teacher Training University, IranPh.D. of Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaei Teacher Training University, Iran.Ph.D. Candidate of Philosophy and Theology, Shahid Rajaei Teacher Training University, IranThaddeus Metz has tried to show that the meaning in life, like morality and happiness, is one of the normative categories of life and emphasizes the distinction between the meaning in life and happiness. According to Metz's definition, happiness consists of "positive experiences" and pleasure is basically connected with happiness. Why is happiness different from meaningfulness and what are their differences? These are the main questions that this article addresses. By searching in Metz's works, we can provide some witnesses and reasons why Metz makes a distinction between happiness and meaningfulness. According to Metz's view, happiness is related to the animal realm of the individual, while meaningfulness is related to the human realm, so that although pleasure can increase happiness, but it will not necessarily lead to meaningfulness increase. He makes six distinctions between happiness and meaningfulness: 1. The source of meaning is "relational", but the source of happiness is "intrinsic"; 2. The bearer of meaning is "action", but the bearer of happiness is "sensation"; 3. The greater impact of happiness from “luck” than meaningfulness; 4. The desire to "continue" the state of happiness, wanting "esteem" to be meaningful; 5. The possibility of happiness, only "during the lifetime" in contrast to the possibility of meaningfulness "posthumously"; 6. bias towards the future v lack of bias. Although Metz has mentioned six important distinctions between happiness and meaning, his statement is not comprehensive and other distinctions can be added to Metz's list.https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_15442_ce15caa52f04c0a2a80a896504a57395.pdfthaddeus metzmeaning of lifepleasurehappiness |
| spellingShingle | Mahdi Sanei Eynollah Khademi AmirHossein MansouriNouri Mohsen Hosseini A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz Journal of Philosophical Investigations thaddeus metz meaning of life pleasure happiness |
| title | A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz |
| title_full | A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz |
| title_fullStr | A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz |
| title_short | A Study of Distinctions between Meaningfulness of Life and Happiness from the Point of View of Thaddeus Metz |
| title_sort | study of distinctions between meaningfulness of life and happiness from the point of view of thaddeus metz |
| topic | thaddeus metz meaning of life pleasure happiness |
| url | https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_15442_ce15caa52f04c0a2a80a896504a57395.pdf |
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