Question

This previous section of this class defined ‘Happiness’ as an “enduring, positive state of well-being.” Schopenhauer argues this is both an illusion and a delusion. An "Illusion" refers to a false appearance such as a mirage. A "Delusion" is a persistent belief that will not change even when presented with disconfirming evidence, e.g., a “delusion of persecution”.

Comment on the Anti-Eudaimonist position that a belief in Happiness is a persistent illusion implanted in us by Nature and re-enforced by cultural conditioning and it is better to recognize this and learn to palliate our painful existence.

Answer 1

Schopenhauer could also be considered among those philosophers who propagated the pessimistic ideology of life. The values of existence had been challenged by his views. His ideas revolve around the fact that it is not possible to satisfy the will. There is no such goal or purpose that the will of a person wants to attain, and since there's no goal, there's no attainment and thus no satisfaction.

in my opinion, happiness in its true form, has not been defined. Though, the desire to attain happiness is universal. So much so, that there was a movie in the name of "pursuit of happiness". Even in the movie, we never really understood what true happiness was. Was it the attainment of money, was it the attainment of a good family life or was it the ability to struggle knowing that the hardships would end one day.

genuine happiness, even today, is identified as a very rare commodity. The idea of this happiness, has been covered with coatings of friends, money or relationships. These are understood as being the vectors of happiness, carrying someone from an emotional state of gloomy to happy.

the more one runs behind this notion, the more it seems to run away. Materials and their existence doesn't make a person perpetually happy, and constant happiness and it's reality is still a dream.