Somewhere between the two ideas lies space for us to choose how we would like to live. We may find in the end that our moral obligation is not to ourselves, but to each other. And if we understand this idea, we should be able to find happiness and peace by following a path of moral duty and good virtue, even if it includes giving up our own comfort. We must learn not to be selfish, as once we are no longer selfish, it is easier to give up that comfort, and easier to be happy because we do good for the sake of it being the right thing to do.
These conclusions all are similar to a thought process of a“ modern” philosopher, or moreso, the father of modern philosophy, Rene Descartes. Descartes shifted the focus inward, emphasizing how the start to understanding anything, including how to live, starts with oneself. Descartes '“ simple” sentence of“ I think, therefore I am” comes with many complications, but can lead us to find that certainty will come from learning about our own minds and intentions. He believes that“ the greatest minds” are those capable of the“ greatest virtues”, but that each person must“ conquer [ themself ] rather than the world”. In a way, Descartes’ ideas tie back to Aristotle and Kant. Like Kant, Descartes believes in reason and duty being the foundation of our choices, and like Aristotle, Descartes understands that clarity about ourselves can guide how we act in the world. So now we must connect what we have learned to the initial question: Do we have a moral duty to be happy? Our duty may not be to chase happiness, but to understand ourselves well enough to choose a life where happiness grows from the right kind of thinking and acting. Happiness can only be meaningful when it comes from choices we recognize as true to our own reason.
B i b l i o g r a p h y- Miller and Jensen,“ Questions That Matter: An Invitation to Philosophy” McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 1984 / 2004- Scanlon, T. M.. What We Owe To Each Other. Harvard University. 1998.- Smith, Steven B.“ An Exemplary Life: The Case of René Descartes.” The Review of Metaphysics, vol. 57, no. 3, 2004, pp. 571 – 97. JSTOR,
http:// www. jstor. org / stable / 20130344.
Travesía • revista estudiantil | 39