“Pursuit of Happiness” By: Alexi Martinez

What is the Meaning? The phrase the “Pursuit of Happiness” has different meanings to different people. Although, it is a proven fact that it was a phrase in the Declaration of Independence. John Locke’s phrase wasn’t the “Pursuit of Happiness”, it was “…life, liberty, and property”. However, Thomas Jefferson edited out “property” and substituted it with “pursuit of happiness”. So the phrase is now “…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” It has become the government’s responsibility to guarantee it.

What the Phrase means to Me To me the phrase means that everyone has the opportunity not to do everything, but at least to try. An example would be- People don’t have the right to win the lottery every week, but they do have the right to try. We have the right to live and property and John Locke believes that we also have the right to happiness. The phrase actually means that people have the freedom to go after the things that make them happy in life.

John Locke’s book- Treatises of Government

Resources The Surprising Origins and Meaning of the “Pursuit of Happiness”. History News Network The Declaration of Independence. USHistory. Rogers, James R. The Meaning of the “Pursuit of Happiness”. On The Square. June 19, /the-meaning-of-the-ldquopursuit-of- happinessrdquo/james-r-roger 6/the-meaning-of-the-ldquopursuit-of- happinessrdquo/james-r-roger