Goodness, Happiness, and Health

Goodness, Happiness, and Health

            Philosophers have many differing opinions when it comes to goodness, happiness, and health. One matter that is argued by many philosophers is in what ways are goodness, happiness, and health interconnected and in what ways are the disconnected the most. While both sides have valid points and examples, there is also the overarching argument that comes from it: which of these, if any, are the most important? I believe that while all are important, the one that truly stands out above the rest is having goodness.

            Goodness, happiness, and health are interconnected through the connection of the elements that make us who we are. Philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and those who follow the Yogic point of view believed that these three elements are connected and need to be connected in order to have flourishing and balance. Aristotle believed that goodness is flourishing in all that we do, which includes all virtues, health, and happiness. In order for us to thrive, one must have goodness. Once this goodness is achieved, it includes health and happiness and allows the person to prosper. Similarly, Plato believed that goodness and integrity is part of a balanced soul. In order to achieve this balanced soul, one must have total harmony between reason, spirit, and flesh. Total harmony in reason means a balanced mind. In spirit, total harmony means believing in the truth and having courage. Lastly, having total harmony with the flesh means knowing and having control over one’s desires.  The Yogic perspective also believes in balance but takes it a step further to not just balance within oneself but balance within one’s community as well. The Yogis believe that the community is actually an extension of oneself and therefore we must be good to others in order to be happy. The takeaway from these three perspectives is that the three aspects of life are connected in a way that harmony and balance cannot be achieved without it. One cannot possibly have a well-balanced life without making sure that all three of these perspectives are in tune and fulfilled. A real life example of how they are connected is simply when someone gets flu. When they are feeling very unhealthy and under the weather, it is more than likely that they are not happy. This also means because they are feeling so sick, they will not be able to do that much good because they will be too busy trying to take care of them self.         However, some philosopher’s believe that the disconnection between the two is a much more realistic view of our human nature.

            The disconnection between goodness, happiness, and health is demonstrated through basic human thoughts and feelings and what their virtues are. David Hume believed that what we value is what makes us happy, not necessarily having goodness or health. We can easily value things that do not necessarily make us happy, just like we don’t have to value something that does make us happy. He also believed that the only reason we want to be good is so that our community will see us as good. It is not for the reason that it will make us feel happier or will make us healthier, it’s just that we want people to see us as good so our self-worth will be validated and increase. He believed that our feeling of self-worth is purely based on if others view us in a positive or negative light because of our innate need for approval and validation from others. A real life example of this disconnect is looking at someone like Hitler. Hitler valued many terrible ideals and was a horrible human being. However, he seemed overall happy and healthy with what he was doing. While what he was doing was awful, he was still happy and healthy, which demonstrates a huge disconnect between these aspects. On the other hand, Immanuel Kant believed that it is more of our duty to do goodness and that is strictly why people will do good things. He believed that we must respect others because it is our duty to show goodness. This means that we must treat them with respect and be honest with them because it is our duty to do so. This means that goodness is not influenced by how happy or healthy we feel, but rather is a forced aspect that we are required to do. Another point that Kant makes is that goodness is the overall most important aspect because of this duty to it. Personally, while I believe that Kant is correct in that goodness is the most important, I do believe that he has the wrong reasoning.

            Goodness is the most important aspect of life because of the positive impact you can have on other people’s lives. Doing good things in the world is something that is very important because you can really help others who may need it. For example, while you may not be happy or feel healthy if you help rebuild a home for someone who lost it in a natural disaster, you will be helping them feel happy and ultimately help their health by providing them with shelter. This in turn, may inspire them to also do goodness in the world.  Even just a small random act of kindness can inspire a lot of goodness in the world which could eventually make its way back to you in one way or another. It may personally help you or help make the community, country, or even the world you live in a better place. However, even if you get absolutely no personal gain from doing good things, you can at least take pride in the fact that you are making someone’s life better, who may not necessarily have the means to do so themselves. So while your life may not be perfect, you can at least make a lasting impact on someone else’s life, which is my eyes, is far more rewarding. Ultimately, while goodness, happiness, and health can be connected or disconnected, it is most important to focus on goodness because you never know what good or how much good you may inspire.

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