Is Happiness Truly the Key?

In the Article, Adam Smith and Human Flourishing, Ryan Hanley discusses Adam Smith and his views and hopes on a flourishing society. A lot in this article flew over my head because I've never really viewed society the way Adam Smith does. One repeating concept that is hard to miss is happiness. Now I've always heard if you're happy then everything/ everyone around you will feel that and begin to be happy as well. But maybe that's just my optimistic mom trying to get me to not be cranky all the time. But Adam Smith makes the argument that if one is flourishing, then so shall the rest. That if the society itself is, again, flourishing so will the people apart of it. And that kind of struck a cord because of how true that is. Whenever something is going well for the larger portion of any group, it lifts the smaller portion higher, if not to the same state as them.

The article is summarizing a book, now on my reading list, written by Smith called, The Wealth of Nations. In the book there are three main topics in which it is divided. In the first, Economic Flourishing, it discuses the, "improvement in the circumstances of the lower ranks of the people." Smith knew that people would not be fond of the idea, thinking that it would, "translate into a new taste for luxury, leading to dissatisfaction with previous conditions, as well as the claim that high wages would tend to sap industriousness and incentivize laziness." But Smith ignored this concept and continued on with his belief of 'human flourishing'. Usually the larger chunk of a society are the workers, the people who serve the one percent. But how can a society 'flourish' if the main portion of the people are struggling to get by? The workers of the world feed and 'work' for the more fortunate, yet don't get to direct any of their hard work towards themselves, and if they do its not as great as what the higher up people are receiving. Hardly seems fair.

The second section is about 'Political Flourishing'. Adam Smith, "defined the flourishing economic order not as that which allows only a part of society to benefit, but one that instead promotes the flourishing of society as a whole". Referencing the beginning of this blog, it seems to be a key element with Smith that the WHOLE society benefits and not just part. Smith makes the point that all people within a society 'stand in need' of the others help. Smith then compares the flourishing, happy, ideal version of a society to one with out that bond who just work to benefit themselves. He makes it clear that that gloomy version of society can sustain in our reality. He does not make this comparison to try and bring a lighter side to the "everyman for himself" attitude so many people have. He points out how 'grim' that lifestyle would be to contrast the bright future his ideal society would have.
The third, and just as important section is, 'Moral Flourishing'. Up until this point the main focus has been how a society could, and should flourish. But Smith dives deeper into how an individual can flourish. In this section Adam Smith makes the statement, "How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it." The point happiness comes up again. That others happiness is vital to ours and vice versa. The question that was asked at the end of the article was, "Once again, Smith gives reasons for s to wonder whether our happiness can in fact be separated from the happiness of those around us." And I don't think we can. When the world around you is happy, aren't you picked up from that dark place, even if its only a little. When your best friend, mother, significant other, etc., is down and not doing well; doesn't your mood decrease, if only slightly? If your coworkers and family are succeeding in life doesn't that make you want to work harder and flourish in your own? Overall, I've realized: if the society around you is succeeding, eventually so will you, happiness is a bigger player in the grand scheme of things than one may think, and that Adam Smith really really enjoys the word flourish.