Denise Lee

March 3, 2014

Pursuit of Happiness Final Reflection
In the Declaration of Independence, a part of it includes our right to life, liberty, and
pursuit of happiness. Happiness is a continuous effort, and is not achieved by single deeds or
choices. It is an activity achieved through continuous good-chores. The journey to happiness
involves trying to attain whats highest in oneself, and this involves overcoming appetites,
developing virtues, and learning to achieve the balance between appetites and reason. Man can
never fully perfect this, which therefore makes the pursuit of happiness.
Aristotle defines four levels of happiness; the first level being laetus, where happiness is
a thing. In the movie, every time Chris Gardiner sold a bone density scanning machine, he would
experience temporary happiness, as the machine would earn him money. However, the money
only lasts him a short while before he has to pay his rents and pay for food and necessities to
sustain his familys well-being.
The second level is felix, which is the happiness of comparative advantage. In Chris
Gardiners process at the internship to become a stockbroker, he was constantly at competition
with the other applicants, and out-selling them would bring him a feeling of happiness. Likewise,
this happiness is temporary and unstable in the sense that the happiness of beating a rival will not
bring joy into the other aspects of Chris life, rather, momentarily in his business life.
Beatitudo is the happiness that comes from seeing the good in others and doing the good
for others. When Mr. Ribbon brought Chris and his son to the football game, Chris realized that
Mr. Ribbon was trying to pursue a friendship, rather than a business relationship. At first, Chris
wanted to build a relationship with Mr. Ribbon so that he could get a job and earn money, which
is laetus (money is a thing), but this developed into something more than business, and Chris was
able to see Mr. Ribbons actions out of the goodness of his heart.
Lastly, sublime beatitude is a reach for fullness and perfection of happiness. Chris
Gardiner never fully reaches this stage, although he is close to attainting it. The inability to fully
reach this stage supports Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence, that you can only
pursue happiness. At the end of the film, Chris Gardiners life starts to come together as he gets
the job as stockbroker, which allows him to fulfill the secondary instances of the kalon. This
involves sufficient wealth, proper nourishment and sustenance for him and his son. Chris was
only lacking in the secondary aspects to life, since he had developed his virtues for kalon
(although not to perfection). The coming-together of both of these aspects brings him close to the
fullness of happiness.
Despite being able to achieve all the aspects of happiness in order to experience the
fullness and perfection of it, Chris did experience goodness, beauty, truth and love through his
struggles. Happiness is pursuing a good life, and his constant intention to achieve a good life was
shown in the love and happiness that Chris found while he was with his son. Despite sleeping in
the bathroom, living in terrible conditions, the love for his son was what drove his determination.
His determination proves that he was trying to attain what was highest in him truth.