The Pursuit of Happiness: A Book of Studies and Strowings

The essays examine happiness as the proper aim of life, arguing that it is both desirable and teachable, and defining happiness as an expanding self-consciousness grounded in pleasure but not identical with mere sensation. The author rebuts ascetic denials of enjoyment, surveys the relative value and hierarchy of pleasures, and analyzes how social position, age, and gender influence the distribution of well-being. Practical guidance for self-education is offered: multiply sources of enjoyment, avoid profitless pain, acquire useful knowledge about body and mind and practical affairs, and cultivate habits that foster growth rather than simple contentment.