THE DILEMMA OF HAPPINESS: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE CONTEMPORARY ERA

Abstract

Few questions have shaped human experience as enduringly as the pursuit of happiness. Although it is universally sought, there is no shared understanding of what it actually means. This paper examines philosophical conceptions of happiness from Antiquity through the Middle Ages, Modernity, and into contemporary thought. Each tradition offers distinct perspectives: happiness as virtue and inner harmony, as spiritual fulfillment, as moral duty and collective well-being, and as the freedom to shape one's own life through choices. Rather than resolving the question, this exploration suggests that happiness remains an open inquiry. Its value lies not in a final answer, but in ongoing reflection about what makes life meaningful.