Study of Happiness › English and American Studies

The Study of Happiness — Shaftesbury’s writings

2 December 1705, Shaftesbury to a friend:

"Life is vain ('tis true) to those that make it so. And let those cry vanity, for they have reason. For my own part, who never could be in love with riches or the world, nor ever made any great matter of life, so as to love it for its own sake, I have therefore no falling out with it, now at last when I can no longer keep it; so without calling names or giving hard words, I can part freely with and give it a good testimony. No harm in it all that I know; no vanity. But (if one wills oneself) a fair, honest, sensible thing it is, and not so uncomfortable as it is made. No, nor so over-comfortable as to make one melancholy at the thoughts of parting with it, or as to make one think the time exceeding short and passing. For why so short if not sound and sweet?"

“Philosophy … that w^ch teaches Happiness & gives the Rule of Life … the Studdy of Happiness.. to fortify a Mind, to learn how to be secure against Avarice, Ambition, Intemperance; how to throw off Cowardice & Effeminacy; how to cure Disquiet, Restlessness, Anxiety and to find that w^ch may satisfy & content; since Riches, Honours, &c: neither can; nor if they could, are such as to be counted on, as durable or certain.”
(Askêmata, “Philosophy”)

This section introduces Shaftesbury’s philosophical works.