The Pursuit of Meaning

Living in America as a Catholic creates a certain tension. In America we believe very much in our three fundamental rights - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. But it seems to always happen that the idea of Pursuit of Happiness becomes identical to the idea of Pursuit of Pleasure. We see this when people "make it" in America: they build large houses for themselves that are essentially large pleasure centers. We never stop to ask the question: "Is the Pursuit of Happiness the same thing as the Pursuit of Pleasure?". I think there is a realistic argument that the Fathers of the Country didn't necessarily see it in this way. The freedom they had in mind was a "freedom for" to pursue the good, as opposed to our modern notion of a "freedom from" rules which might inhibit your Pursuit of Pleasure.

This is a point that bears revisiting in the present time. I think what we need to get back to now is that America offers and opportunity for, yes Life, yes Liberty, but instead of the Pursuit of Happiness, we ought to call it the Pursuit of Meaning. This can be a point of intersection with the Church because the Church, in the cross, brings the ultimate meaning to this life. Ironically, the Church also holds up the same ideals: Life - Yes, Liberty - Of Course, but with the deeper understanding that Liberty is only possible when the pursuit of pleasures is held in check. The inordinate pursuit of pleasure actually costs us our Liberty. It is a fatal flaw in the American ideal that if we are not clear about what the pursuit of Happiness means, it will, in the end cost us our Liberty.