Happiness and Government

Happiness is defined as an emotional state characterized by joy, satisfaction, and self-fulfillment, and from a utilitarian perspective, happiness constitutes a prolonged pleasure and the prevention of pain for the majority, according to Bentham’s felicific calculus. However, before arguing the role of government regarding its citizens’ happiness, we must first consider how attainable this goal is. Absolute happiness is an impossible feat: the city of happiness sacrificed one child to provide a utopia for the rest of the city, and the decreasing of speed limits may save thousands of lives and alleviate peoples’ guilty conscience, but will inevitably lead to complaints of traffic and diminishing economic productivity, proving that happiness is accomplished either at the expense of a minority or the nation’s productivity and growth. 

However, Mill argues that respecting individual liberty will lead to the greatest human happiness for the majority in the long run because “he who lets the world choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation” (51). That being said, although the case for liberty maximizes the pleasure of its citizens, practically, it is impossible to live without infringing on another individual’s way of life. 

Furthermore, it is not the government’s responsibility to coddle and indulge its people in happiness. Similar to how a parent cannot only indulge in providing happiness for their child, and at times, must sacrifice immediate happiness and inflict pain to teach them a lesson for their long-term benefit, happiness should not be the sole governing factor that decides our laws and rights since our government should not only aim to maximize happiness but also encourage citizens to become better people. Therefore, a good government must prioritize the growth of its nation and its citizens. This does not mean happiness is nullified from the equation. Rather, it should be taken into account as a long-term benefit as opposed to fleeting instant gratification through wallowing in lower-level pleasures that may result in momentary happiness but do not induce subsequent pleasures one receives from higher-level pleasures that engage the mind and improve individuals’ character and intellect.