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The pursuit of happiness : how classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the founders and defined America Cover Image Book

The pursuit of happiness : how classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the founders and defined America / Jeffrey Rosen.

How classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the founders and defined America (portion title)
Rosen, Jeffrey, 1964- (author.).

Summary:

"The Declaration of Independence identified "the pursuit of happiness" as one of our unalienable rights, along with life and liberty. Jeffrey Rosen, the president of the National Constitution Center, profiles six of the most influential founders--Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton--to show what pursuing happiness meant in their lives. By reading the classical Greek and Roman moral philosophers who inspired the Founders, Rosen shows us how they understood the pursuit of happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good--the pursuit of lifelong virtue, not short-term pleasure. Among those virtues were the habits of industry, temperance, moderation, and sincerity, which the Founders viewed as part of a daily struggle for self-improvement, character development, and calm self-mastery. They believed that political self-government required personal self-government. For all six Founders, the pursuit of virtue was incompatible with enslavement of African Americans, although the Virginians betrayed their own principles. The Pursuit of Happiness is more than an elucidation of the Declaration's famous phrase; it is a revelatory journey into the minds of the Founders, and a deep, rich, and fresh understanding of the foundation of our democracy"-- Amazon.

Record details

  • ISBN: 1668002477
  • ISBN: 9781668002476
  • Physical Description: vii, 355 pages ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First Simon & Schuster edition
  • Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2024.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Order: twelve virtues and the pursuit of happiness -- Temperance: Ben Franklin's quest for moral perfection -- Humility: John and Abigail Adams's self-accounting -- Industry: Thomas Jefferson's reading list -- Frugality: James Wilson and George Mason's debts -- Sincerity: Phillis Wheatley and the enslavers' avarice -- Resolution: George Washington's self-command -- Moderation: James Madison and Alexander Hamilton's Constitution -- Tranquility: Adams and Jefferson's reconciliation -- Cleanliness: John Quincy Adams's composure -- Justice: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln's self-reliance -- Silence: pursuing happiness today.

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
Ethics, Ancient > Influence.
Founding Fathers of the United States > Books and reading > Biography.
Founding Fathers of the United States > History.
Founding Fathers of the United States > History > Biography.
Happiness > Philosophy.
Philosophy, Ancient.
Philosophy, Ancient > Influence.
Virtue > Literary themes, motives.
United States > History.
United States > Politics and government > History.
United States > Politics and government > Philosophy.
Genre:
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 13 of 19 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Warren County Memorial Library System.

Holds

  • 2 current holds with 19 total copies.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Warren County Memorial Library 973.3 ROS (Text) 38017000364091 Adult New Nonfiction Available -

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MARC Record

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520 . ‡a"The Declaration of Independence identified "the pursuit of happiness" as one of our unalienable rights, along with life and liberty. Jeffrey Rosen, the president of the National Constitution Center, profiles six of the most influential founders--Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton--to show what pursuing happiness meant in their lives. By reading the classical Greek and Roman moral philosophers who inspired the Founders, Rosen shows us how they understood the pursuit of happiness as a quest for being good, not feeling good--the pursuit of lifelong virtue, not short-term pleasure. Among those virtues were the habits of industry, temperance, moderation, and sincerity, which the Founders viewed as part of a daily struggle for self-improvement, character development, and calm self-mastery. They believed that political self-government required personal self-government. For all six Founders, the pursuit of virtue was incompatible with enslavement of African Americans, although the Virginians betrayed their own principles. The Pursuit of Happiness is more than an elucidation of the Declaration's famous phrase; it is a revelatory journey into the minds of the Founders, and a deep, rich, and fresh understanding of the foundation of our democracy"-- ‡cAmazon.
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